Here is a delicious and relatively simple recipe for your Thanksgiving turkey. Check out the video here. I recommend cooking the stuffing separately from the turkey, to semplify your life and cut down on cooking times. That said, I understand the obsession and the tradition surrounding stuffed turkey, so I explain both methods in the recipe below.
For the Turkey:
- 1 large turkey (6-7 kg)
- 2 sticks (230 g) butter, softened to room temperature, divided
- salt and pepper
- 1 14- to 16-pound turkey
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary plus 5 fresh rosemary sprigs*
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme plus 10 fresh thyme sprigs*
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh sage plus 10 fresh sage sprigs*
- 2 cups white wine
- 2 cups chicken or turkey broth
For the Gravy:
- 5 cups chicken or turkey broth
- 3 Tbsp flour
Preheat oven to 425°F/ 215°C. Stir together white wine, vegetable broth, and half of the butter in a pot over medium heat until butter melts. Keep warm.
Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack set in a roasting pan, or in a greased roasting pan. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper inside turkey.
Mix remaining butter and all minced herbs in small bowl; season herb butter with salt and pepper. Transfer 2 generous tablespoons to another small bowl and reserve for gravy; let stand at room temperature.
Slide hand between skin and breast meat to loosen skin. Rub herb butter over breast meat under skin, then smooth skin back in place. Sprinkle main cavity generously with salt and pepper. If choosing to stuff turkey, now’s the time: Loosely fill body and neck cavities with stuffing (recipe here), but don’t stuff too full, then secure skin closed with toothpicks. If choosing to roast turkey without the stuffing, simply place 4 tablespoons plain butter and all fresh herb sprigs in main cavity.
Tie legs together with kitchen twine and fold wing tips under turkey. Rub remaining herb butter over outside of turkey. Sprinkle turkey generously with salt and pepper.
Place turkey in preheated oven and roast 20 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Roast turkey 30 minutes; pour 1 cup broth and wine mixture over the turkey. Roast for 30 minutes; baste with pan juices, then pour 1 cup broth and wine mixture over. Repeat every 30 minutes. If browning too quickly, cover turkey loosely with foil. Roast turkey until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175°F. Transfer turkey to platter; let stand 30 minutes before serving.
Meanwhile, make gravy: carefully pour pan juices into a measuring cup and let sit for a 1-2 minutes, or until fat separates from juices. Skim fat off of juices and set aside. Heat the reserved herb butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat, and add 1 Tbsp of reserved turkey fat. Whisk in flour, and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Slowly whisk in pan juices, then broth, and bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat to a simmer, whisking occasionally, until gravy thickens, about 5 minutes. Add more broth if gravy thickens too much. Serve warm.
