Vietnamese-Spiced Roasted Turkey with Soy-Citrus Glaze

Preheat oven to 400°F. In your roasting pan, scatter the chopped celery, carrots, and onions to create a vegetable bed for the turkey.

In a bowl, combine the sliced fennel, leeks, orange rounds, and dried basil. This aromatic mixture will perfume the turkey from inside — my German Oma would recognize this technique from her holiday Braten.

Stuff the fennel mixture into the turkey cavity, then place the turkey on top of the vegetables in the pan or on a rack if you prefer.

Make the glaze by whisking together apple juice concentrate, water, orange juice, lemon juice, and soy sauce. The soy sauce adds that umami depth my mom uses in her Vietnamese marinades. (Taste the glaze — it should be sweet, tangy, and salty in balance.)

Roast the turkey for 30 minutes at 400°F, then reduce temperature to 350°F and continue cooking for 2 to 2.5 hours, until internal temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh. (After the first 30 minutes, baste every 15 minutes with the glaze mixture for that gorgeous lacquered finish.)

Remove turkey from oven and let rest for 20 minutes before carving. This step is non-negotiable — the juices need time to redistribute.

While turkey rests, pour pan juices into a fat separator or measuring cup and let fat rise to the surface. Carefully pour the defatted juices into a serving vessel, leaving the fat behind.

Season the pan juices with salt and pepper to taste, then transfer turkey to a platter for carving.