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1
BUY THE BIRD: Allow 1.5 lbs/person; if the bird is smaller (under 12 lbs), allow 2 lbs/person.
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2
PREPARE THE BIRD: If the bird is frozen, defrost in the coldest part of the refrigerator; when defrosting a very large bird, I use my cooler.
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3
Remove the giblets and rinse the bird, inside & outside, under cold, running water; pat it dry, inside & out with paper towels.
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4
PREPARE THE STOCK FOR PAN GRAVY: Chop neck into 5 or 6 pieces, cut gizzard & heart in half and place in large saucepan.
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5
Add 8 cups of cold water, bring to a boil & skim off foam; add vegetables & seasoning.
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6
Lower heat, cover & simmer over low heat for 2 hours; strain this can be refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to 2 days in advance.
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7
COOK THE BIRD: Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and saute vegetables until lightly browned, about 7 or 8 minutes; let cool, then mix in sage, thyme, bay leaf & peppercorns.
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8
Stuff body cavity with vegetable mixture.
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9
Skewer cavity shut, tie legs together and tuck wings under the back.
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10
Place turkey, breast side up on a greased rack in a roasting pan; brush with butter and sprinkle with salt & pepper; cover criss cross fashion with 3 or 4 slices of bacon.
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11
Roast the turkey in a preheated 325F oven: 10 to 12 lbs - 3.5 hours, 12 to 15 lbs - 4 hours, 15 to 18 lbs - 4.25 hours, 18 to 21 lbs - 4.75 hours -- increase by 1/2 hour if the body cavity has been stuffed.
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12
I cover the bird with a foil tent for the first 1 1/2 hours so it doesn't get too brown too fast; then I remove the foil (except for leg & wing areas) and continue roasting, basting with the pan drippings every 20 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 180F - if there aren't enough drippings in the pan for basting, I use some dry white wine.
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13
Remove the skewers; spoon the vegetable mixture & juices into a bowl and set aside.
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14
Lift the turkey onto a warmed platter, tent with foil and let stand for at least 20 minutes and up to 30 minutes to let it relax; this will give the juices time to settle into the flesh, breast, and leg, and youll have a juicier, more succulent bird - if you start carving the turkey right after removing it from the oven the juices will run from the meat and the turkey breast will be dry.
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15
MAKE THE GRAVY: Skim all but 2 tbsps of fat from the pan juices; whisk flour & water together in a small bowl, then whisk into the pan.
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16
Place the pan over medium heat and cook for 2 minutes, scraping up any brown bits from the pan bottom.
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17
Gradually whisk in stock & wine, add vegetable mixture & seasoning; bring to a boil and continue to boil, stirring constantly, until reduced by half, about 15 minutes.
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18
Strain into a warmed gravy boat.
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19
CARVE THE BIRD: Using paper towels or a clean kitchen towel, transfer the bird to a platter or carving board.
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20
Cut through the trussing with kitchen shears & discard string.
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21
Remove the drumsticks by placing the knife against the thigh & cutting down to expose the leg; apply pressure at the joint with the knifepoint, twist the knife & cut through.
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22
Slice open the neck cavity with an oval incision that allows you to remove the stuffing.
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23
Remove the breast by cutting straight down the breastbone, working the knife around the wishbone area and pushing the breast outwards.
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24
Continue to cut through the joint where the wing bone joins the breast and remove the breast.
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25
Put the breast on a cutting board and remove the wing and winglet.
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26
Slice straight down through the breast meat at an angle using a sawing action.
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27
Cut the turkey into 3/8 thick slices.
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28
This carving motion gives you a nice slice and a piece of skin.
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29
You can then either plate the slices or put them onto a serving platter.
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30
After youre finished eating take the left over turkey completely off the bone because of the threat of bacterial growth.
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31
You can use the bones for soup broth.
