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1
Make the brine: Place the salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, bay leaves, and 3 cups of the water in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to a simmer.
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2
Reduce the heat to low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the salt and sugar are almost completely dissolved, about 5 minutes.
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3
Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
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4
Place a large resealable bag inside a 4-gallon container (most removable vegetable or crisper drawers are the right size).
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5
Open the bag and add the remaining 11 cups of water, apple cider or juice, and cooled brine; set aside.
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6
Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey cavity and discard or save for another use.
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7
Remove any wire or plastic holding the legs together.
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8
Pat the turkey dry inside and out with paper towels.
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9
Place it breast-side down in the brine and seal the bag, squeezing out the air so that the brine comes about halfway up the side of the turkey.
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10
Slide the drawer, or place the container, in the refrigerator and brine for 8 to 16 hours, turning the turkey once while its still inside the bag.
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11
The next day, heat the oven to 350 degrees F and arrange a rack in the lower third.
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12
Remove the turkey from the brine and thoroughly rinse it inside and out with cold water for at least 2 minutes (rinsing will keep the gravy from being too salty).
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13
Discard the brine and bag.
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14
Pat the turkey dry inside and out with paper towels and tuck the wing tips back and underneath.
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15
Rub a generous amount of oil all over the outside.
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16
Place the onion, celery, and herbs inside the cavity.
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17
Wind a piece of twine around each leg once and tie the ends together.
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18
Place the turkey breast-side down on a roasting rack set in a roasting pan.
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19
Roast for 1 hour.
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20
Flip the turkey onto its back and continue to roast, basting every 15 minutes once the pan juices accumulate, until a meat thermometer inserted into the inner thigh registers 165 degrees F to 170 degrees F and the juices run clear, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours more.
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21
Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes before carving.
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22
Meanwhile, make the gravy.
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23
Pour the drippings from the roast turkey into a medium heatproof bowl.
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24
Let sit for a few minutes for the fat to rise to the top, then skim the fat off with a spoon and discard; set the drippings aside.
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25
(Alternatively, use a fat separator.)
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26
Place the roasting pan across 2 burners over medium heat.
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27
Scrape up any darkened or browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
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28
Return the reserved drippings to the pan (its OK if a little of the fat goes into the pan) and sprinkle evenly with the flour.
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29
Whisk the flour and drippings together and cook, whisking occasionally, until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes.
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30
While whisking continuously, slowly add 2 cups of the stock or broth.
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31
Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, being sure to whisk at the edges of the pan, until the gravy thickens slightly.
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32
If it seems too thick, add more stock or broth.
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33
Pour the mixture through a strainer set over a medium saucepan over low heat.
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34
Discard the solids from the strainer.
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35
Stir in the cream.
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36
Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
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37
Keep warm until ready to serve.
