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1
Preheat the oven to 425F.
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2
Rinse the turkey, pat it dry, and season it inside and out with salt and pepper.
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3
Pack the neck cavity loosely with some of the stuffing, fold the neck skin under the body, and fasten it with a skewer.
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4
Pack the body cavity loosely with some of the remaining stuffing and truss the turkey.
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5
Transfer the remiaining stuffing to a buttered 3-quart baking dish and reserve it, covered and chilled.
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6
Spread the turkey with the butter and roast it on a rack in a roasting pan in the over for 30 minutes.
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7
Reduce the temperature to 325F., baste the turkey with the pan juices, and add the water to the pan.
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8
Roast the turkey, basting it every 20 minutes, for 2 1/2 to 3 hours more, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the fleshy part of the thigh registers 180F.
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9
and the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced.
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10
During the last 1 1/2 hours of roasting, drizzle the reserved stuffing with the stock or broth, bake it, covered, in the 325F.
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11
over for 1 hour, and bake it, uncovered, for 30 minutes more.
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12
Transfer the turkey to a heated platter, reserving the juices in the roasting pan, discard the string, and keep the turkey warm, covered loosely with foil.
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13
Skim all the fat from the roasting pan juices, reserving 1/3 cup of the fat, and add the cider and the vinegar to the pan.
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14
Deglaze the pan over moderately high heat, scraping up the brown bits, and boil the mixture until it is reduced by half.
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15
In a saucepan combine the reserved fat and the flour and cook the roux over moderately low heat, whisking, for 3 minutes.
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16
Add the cider mixture and the stock in a stream, whisking, bring the mixture to a boil, whisking, and simmer the gravy, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
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17
Season the gravy with salt and pepper and transfer it to a heated sauceboat.
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18
Garnish the turkey with the herb sprigs and serve it with the gravy and the stuffing.
