Quote:
And here you go -- this one from Cook's Illustrated a couple years ago & really does produce an outstanding bird. It's a little work but well worth the effort. I don't like poultry that is too "herby" for lack of a better word; always had good luck w/this recipe. We just cook small turkeys too.
COOK'S ILLUSTRATED ROAST TURKEY & GRAVY
Cut up turkey. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
Chop up 3 onions, 3 stalks celery and 2 carrots. Spread in even layer across baking sheet. Add 5 cloves of garlic split in half and a few sprigs of fresh thyme. Place rack over this. Pour in 1 cup chicken broth (low sodium).
Melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter and brush turkey parts on both side with melted butter. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons black pepper.
Place turkey breast skin side down over vegetables. Place thighs and legs skin side up.
Do not cover. Put in 275 degree oven and cook for one hour.
After one hour, take out and flip breast to skin side up and put back in over for another hour. Take out and check temperature; breast should read 160 degrees; thighs 170-175.
Take rack and transfer turkey parts to another baking sheet. Let rest on counter while preparing gravy.
Gravy: strain vegetables into a large bowl. Press on vegetables to extract as much juice as possible. You want to have 3 cups of liquid. Add low sodium chicken broth to make up 3 cups worth of liquid.
Melt 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter in saucepan over medium-high heat until butter foam dissipates. Add 3 tablespoons of all purpose flour to melted butter and cook, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes until it turns a golden brown.
Whisk in about 1/3 cup of liquid, raise heat a bit, and work out lumps. Pour in remainder of liquid and add 2 whole bay leaves. Cook at a simmer about 15-20 minutes until thickened. Remove bay leaves and discard.
Turkey has now been resting about 1/2 an hour and time to put back into oven & crisp up skin. Raise oven heat to 500 degrees. Put turkey pieces back in for about 15 minutes, until browned. Transfer breast to carving board and let all pieces rest 20 minutes, then carve and serve with gravy.
