This procedure tackles the turkey and gravy together so most of the hard work is done by the time turkey goes in the oven. Personally I like to start early and make the side dishes in the morning so I can sit back and watch football while the turkey roasts.
Shopping list:
1 turkey, 8-22 pounds, thawed if necessary (see sidebar)
3 large onions
5 ribs celery
4 large carrots
6 cloves fresh garlic
1 bunch each parsley, thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
3 whole cloves
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup unsalted butter (plus up to 1/2 cup extra for making the gravy if needed)
1/2 cup apple cider or cider vinegar
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup flour
8-10 cups chicken or turkey stock (or 6 cups canned broth plus 3 cups water)
Other stuff you'll need:
Roasting pan with rack
Instant-read thermometer to check the temperature of the turkey
Assembling the ingredients
Prepare all the ingredients and divide them into bowls before you pull the turkey out of the refrigerator. This minimizes the time the turkey sits at room temperature; it also minimizes the chance that you'll need to shuffle through your cabinets after you've got raw turkey juice all over your hands.
1. Preheat the oven to 325° .
2. Dig the roasting pan out of the back room so you'll have it when you need it.
3. Set out two large bowls for vegetables. Designate one for turkey, the other for gravy.
4. Set out two smaller bowls for seasonings. Again, designate one turkey and one gravy.
5. Set out a fifth small bowl with a few tablespoons of salt and coarsely ground black pepper to rub over the turkey before roasting.
6. Chop and divide ingredients between the four designated bowls, as follows:
Turkey vegetable bowl:
2 onions, one cut in half, the other coarsely chopped into 3/4" dice
2 large carrots, 3/4" dice
3 ribs celery, 3/4" dice
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch thyme
Gravy vegetable bowl:
1 onion, chopped to approximately 1/2" dice
1 large carrot, 1/2" dice
2 ribs celery, 1/2" dice
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Turkey seasoning bowl:
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
Gravy seasoning bowl:
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
A few sprigs parsley and thyme
Roasting the turkey
1. Rinse the turkey and pat it dry. Remove the neck and giblets and set aside. Stuff the breast cavity with the onion halves and half the remaining vegetables from the turkey bowl.
2. Using a brush or your hands, rub the turkey all over with the melted butter and garlic from the turkey seasoning bowl. Work the mix under the skin if possible, but don't rip the skin if it doesn't want to give. Season the turkey generously with salt and pepper.
3. Put the remaining vegetables from the turkey bowl in bottom of the roasting pan along with the roasting rack. Pour in a cup or two of stock or water to keep the vegetables moist.
4. Set the turkey on the roasting rack, breast side down, and put the pan in the oven.
Note: Roasting the turkey breast side down for the first hour helps keep the breast meat from drying out. But if you don't want to deal with flipping a large, hot turkey midway through cooking, just roast it breast side up the whole time and don't worry about it.
5. While the turkey roasts, start the gravy base (see below).
6. After 1 hour, flip the turkey onto its back and roast it breast side up the rest of the way.
7. If necessary, add a bit more broth or water to the roasting pan to keep the vegetables from burning, but don't add too much. The goal is to end up with browned, concentrated pan drippings, not soup. You will use these drippings to flavor the gravy (see below).
8. When the thickest part of the thigh hits 175-180° , remove the turkey from the oven. Cover it with foil and let it rest at least 30 minutes to allow the juices to distribute before carving. Use this time to make the gravy.
9. Tip: To speed things along, you can transfer the turkey to another pan a half hour before it's done, and make the gravy while the turkey finishes. But don't forget to rest the turkey at least 30 minutes after removing it from the oven.
Making the gravy base
Start the gravy base as soon as the turkey is in the oven.
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat.
2. Add the turkey neck and giblets to the pan. Cook until well browned, avoiding the temptation to move the food around too much. Remove the neck and giblets from the pan and reserve.
3. Add the vegetables from the gravy bowl to the same pan. Again, cook until well browned.
4. To deglaze, add 1/2 cup apple cider or cider vinegar. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits and stir several minutes to allow the residue to dissolve. Continue to cook until most of the liquid is gone.
5. Return the neck and giblets to the pan. Add 8 cups of stock (or 5 cups canned broth plus 3 cups water), the bay leaf, and other seasonings from the gravy bowl.
6. Put the pan over medium heat until it comes to a simmer, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting.
7. Simmer for an hour or longer. (Personally I just let it go until the turkey is done and I'm ready to make the gravy. Make sure the liquid is simmering gently rather than boiling; if necessary move the pan half off the burner.)
8. When you're ready to finish the gravy, strain the gravy base and return the liquid to the saucepan. Leave the pan over low heat so the liquid stays hot. (Discard the neck and giblets, or reserve them to make stock on another day.)
The gravy base should reduce by a few cups as it simmers, down to about 6 cups. If it reduces more than that, add water or stock to compensate. (If you're using canned broth, adjust with water rather than more broth so the base doesn't become too salty as it reduces.)
Comments