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Chef John's Roast Turkey and Gravy

Chef John's Roast Turkey and Gravy

Krysta
This roast turkey with gravy recipe is easy enough for a beginner. One of the secrets to a moist, delicious, and beautiful turkey is spreading butter under the skin. You can season the butter any way you want. The flavor possibilities are endless!
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 50 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Course Holidays and Events
Servings 16
Calories 942 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
  • 12- pound whole turkey neck and giblets reserved
  • 2 onions coarsely chopped
  • 3 ribs celery coarsely chopped
  • 2 carrots coarsely chopped
  • ½ bunch fresh sage
  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 8 tablespoons butter softened

Stock:

  • 6 cups water
  • 1 bay leaf

Gravy:

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon balsamic vinegar Optional
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
  • Mix together kosher salt, black pepper, and poultry seasoning in a small bowl. Tuck turkey wings under bird and season the cavity with about 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning mixture. Reserve remaining poultry seasoning mixture.
  • Toss together onions, celery, and carrots in a large bowl. Stuff about 1/2 cup vegetable mixture, sage, and rosemary sprigs into the turkey cavity. Tie legs together with kitchen string. Use your fingers or a small spatula to loosen skin over turkey breast. Place about 2 tablespoons butter under skin and spread evenly. Spread remaining 6 tablespoons butter all over the outside of skin. Sprinkle turkey with remaining poultry seasoning mix.
  • Spread remaining vegetable mixture into a large roasting pan. Place turkey on top of vegetables. Fill the pan with about 1/2 inch of water. Shape a sheet of aluminum foil over breast of turkey.
  • Roast turkey in the preheated oven until no longer pink near the bone and the juices run clear, about 3 ½ hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (75 degrees C). Remove the foil during the last hour of cooking and baste turkey with pan juices.
  • While turkey is roasting, make stock: Place neck and giblets in a medium saucepan with water and bay leaf. Simmer over medium heat for 2 hours. Strain stock and discard neck and giblets. There should be at least 4 cups of stock. Set stock aside.
  • Remove turkey from the oven. Carefully pour pan juices, about 3 cups, into a shallow bowl. Skim off turkey fat from pan juices, reserving about 2 tablespoons fat. Set aside pan juices. Cover turkey with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
  • While turkey is resting, make gravy: Heat 2 tablespoons reserved turkey fat and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Transfer onion from the roasting pan into the skillet. Cook and stir until onion is browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour; cook and stir for about 5 minutes more. Whisk in 4 cups stock and reserved pan juices until smooth; skim off any foam. Stir in balsamic vinegar. Simmer, whisking constantly, until gravy is thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in sage; season with salt and black pepper.

Notes

Chef's Note

For a thicker gravy, reserve twice the amount of turkey fat and double the butter and flour in the gravy ingredients.