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1
Put oven rack in lowest position and preheat oven to 425F.
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2
Tie celery, parsley, thyme, marjoram, sage, and bay leaf into a bundle with kitchen string to make a bouquet garni.
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3
Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry.
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4
Rub turkey inside and out with salt and pepper, then put onion and bouquet garni in large cavity.
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5
Working from large cavity end, run your fingers between skin and flesh of breast to loosen skin without tearing.
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6
Put 1 tablespoon butter under skin of each side of breast and massage skin from outside to spread butter evenly.
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7
Tie drumsticks together with kitchen string and fold wings under body.
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8
Put turkey on rack in a large flameproof roasting pan and, if using remote thermometer, insert it into thickest part of a thigh (do not touch bone).
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9
Brush remaining 2 tablespoons butter over turkey, then roast 30 minutes.
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10
Reduce oven temperature to 350F.
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11
Baste turkey with pan drippings or butter, then continue to roast, basting every 30 minutes, until a thigh registers 165F on thermometer, 2 to 2 1/2 hours more.
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12
Carefully tilt turkey so any juices from inside cavity run into roasting pan, then transfer turkey to a serving platter and discard onion and bouquet garni from cavity.
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13
Let turkey stand 30 to 40 minutes (thigh temperature will rise to 175F).
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14
Remove rack from roasting pan and pour pan juices through a sieve into a 1-quart glass measure.
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15
Straddle roasting pan across two burners, then add cider and deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until reduced to about 1/2 cup, 3 to 5 minutes.
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16
Pour cider through sieve into glass measure with pan juices, then skim fat, reserving 1/4 cup of it.
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17
(Reserve 6 tablespoons total if using turkey fat for wild rice stuffing; recipe follows.)
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18
Add enough turkey stock to drippings to total 4 cups.
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19
Cook chopped onions in butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
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20
Add sage and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
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21
Add turkey stock mixture and any turkey juices accumulated on platter and bring to a boil.
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22
Stir together flour and reserved 1/4 cup fat in a small bowl, then whisk into gravy.
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23
Reduce heat and simmer gravy, uncovered, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes.
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24
Season with salt and pepper.
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25
Serve turkey with gravy on the side.
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26
*Available at most cookware stores and cooking.com
