Oven-Roasted Turkey with Gravy
 
 
Author:
Difficulty: Easy
Est. Cost: $27
Ingredients
  • For the brine:
  • 3 gallons of water
  • 3 cups kosher salt
  • 1.5 cups sugar
  • ¾ cup back peppercorns
  • ice, to keep the water cold for 24 hours
  • To prepare the turkey:
  • 18-18.5 lb turkey, not frozen
  • paper towels
  • oven bag (and flour, for dusting the bag)
  • 3 sticks butter (soft enough to mix but still cold)
  • ½ cup fresh sage, chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 tsp salt
  • Aromatics, for gravy:
  • kitchen twine
  • 2 onions, roughly chopped
  • 2 carrots, roughly chopped
  • 3 stalks celery, roughly chopped
  • 1 head garlic, cut in half
  • 3 bay leaves
  • A packet each (about .75 oz each) of:
  • fresh thyme
  • fresh sage
  • fresh rosemary
  • 1 bunch parsley
  • 2 T fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • For gravy:
  • juices from cooked turkey
  • ¼ to ½ cup flour
  • 1 carton chicken STOCK, to be used as needed
Instructions
  1. Assuming that you are eating your turkey on a Thursday....
  2. Monday night: Make the brine by combining the water, salt, sugar and peppercorns. Bring the brine to a boil (this may require a couple pots or a large stock pot), mixing until dissolved. Allow to cool to room temperature.
  3. Place the turkey in a cooler and add the cooled brine. The water must be kept chilled, so continually add ice. The turkey tends to float to the top, so add a weight, such as a pot or pan, so the turkey to submerge the turkey. Brine for 24 hours.
  4. Tuesday night: Remove the turkey from the brine. Pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Make the herb butter by mixing the butter, sage, rosemary, parsley and salt. Gently separate the skin from the flesh over the breast and thigh areas so you can apply the herb butter under the skin, then spread the herb butter under the skin of the breasts and thighs of the turkey. Rub the extra or butter all over the turkey.
  5. Prepare the aromatics for the gravy by scattering the onions, carrots, celery, garlic and bay leaves at the bottom of your roasting pan. Tie the time, sage, rosemary and parsley in a bundle with twine and place it with the aromatics. Sprinkle the fennel and red pepper flakes over the aromatics. Place the turkey on top of the aromatics. Place the roasting pan in the fridge and leave uncovered until cook time.
  6. Thursday: four hours before you want to carve it, place the turkey and all the aromatics in a flour-dusted oven bag. Return it to the roasting pan.
  7. Cook the turkey at 350° for 3 hours. The breast should register at 170° on a meat thermometer, and the thighs at 180. Avoid bones when checking the temperature. Remove from oven and let it rest 30 minutes before carving.
  8. Meanwhile, begin the gravy: Extract the juices from the turkey bag by cutting holes in the bag and letting the juices run out into a container. Over medium heat, whisk 1 cup of the turkey juice to a sauce pan with ¼ cup flour. Cook for 45 minutes, add the remaining turkey juices, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and continue to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Add some stock and salt as needed. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then skim off the excess fat. Reheat just before serving, if necessary.
Recipe by The Amiable Cooks at https://theamiablecooks.com/oven-roasted-turkey-with-gravy-plus-video-snippet-on-prepping-the-turkey/