Thanksgiving Turkey
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
The Night Before: 1. Cut bread into cubes, spread out on baking sheet and allow to dry overnight 2. Place turkey on the counter, allow to rise to room temperature overnight
Author:
Recipe type: Poultry
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • Stuffing
  • 1 loaf white or French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 cups chopped celery
  • 3 cups chopped onions
  • 1 head garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
  • 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepperThe Bird
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 10 pound turkey (must be completely defrosted)
  • 3 cups water or chicken stock
  • 1 onion, cut into wedges
  • 2 carrots, cut into chunks
  • 3 celery stalks, cut into chunksTurkey Gravy
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup flour
  • ¼ cup dry sherry, masala, or brandy
  • 3-4 cups of pan drippings and chicken stock
Instructions
  1. In a large sautéed pan, melt butter, add onion, and celery, and garlic and sautéed until very tender, about 30 minutes. In a large bowl, put in the bread cubes, fresh herbs, and season with salt and pepper. Add the onion mixture. Stir well. Set aside until ready to stuff the bird. If there is extra after stuffing, place in a baking dish and moisten with chicken stock. Bake at 350-degrees for 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 425-degrees. Remove giblets from inside turkey. Put stuffing inside the cavity. Bring skin flap down to cover, if possible.
  3. Using your fingers, gently slide under skin of the breast as far down as possible. Place butter between skin and meat, using your hands. With twine, secure the turkey legs together. Fold wings underneath the bird. Season with salt and pepper. On the other side of the turkey, there is a small cavity that can also be stuffed, then secured with toothpicks.
  4. Roast the turkey upside-down, placing the breast side down on a rack in a roasting pan. Turn right-side up for the last hour of cooking.
  5. Put turkey on rack in roasting pan, and pour in a quart of water or chicken stock in the bottom of the pan, along with onion, carrot, and celery. Roast bird for 30 minutes at 425-degrees. Turn oven down to 325-degrees and roast until internal temperature of the turkey is 155 degrees. During cooking, if the pan dries out, add more water or stock to the bottom of the pan as needed. A 20-pound turkey will take about 3 hours to cook, if the bird starts at room temperature.
  6. Let the turkey rest for 30-60 minutes before carving. Use resting time to make gravy.
  7. To make the gravy, strain the cooking liquid left in roasting pan into gravy separator. The fat will rise to the top. Melt butter in a large saucepan and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk until all flour is incorporated. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the sherry. Add the pan drippings (but on the fat). Whisk in stock until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
The turkey should be at room temperature before placing in the oven, which will ensure even cooking. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator for 8-10 hours before cooking and let sit at room temperature.
Recipe by the minimalist table at https://www.daraboxer.com/theminimalisttable/thanksgiving-the-turkey-stuffing-gravy/