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1
Preheat oven to 425F.
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2
Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry.
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3
Sprinkle turkey inside and out with salt and pepper, then fold neck skin under body and secure with small skewer.
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4
Stuff large cavity with oranges, 1 onion, and bay leaves.
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5
Tie drumsticks together with kitchen string and secure wings to body with small skewers.
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6
Put turkey on a rack set in a large flameproof roasting pan and roast in middle of oven 30 minutes.
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7
While turkey is roasting, toss remaining 2 onions with 2 tablespoons melted butter.
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8
Reduce oven temperature to 350F.
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9
Brush remaining 1/4 cup butter over turkey and roast 30 minutes more.
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10
Baste turkey and scatter buttered onion wedges around it, then roast, basting turkey every 30 minutes (add a little water to pan if onions get too dark) until an instant-read thermometer inserted into fleshy part of a thigh (do not touch bone) registers 170F, 1 1/2 to 2 hours more (total roasting time: 2 1/2 to 3 hours).
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11
Transfer turkey to a platter (do not clean roasting pan) and let stand 25 minutes (temperature will rise to 180F).
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12
Transfer pan juices with onions to a 2-quart glass measure, then skim off and reserve 1/4 cup fat.
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13
Add enough turkey stock to pan juices to make 4 1/2 cups total.
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14
Set roasting pan across 2 burners, then add 1 cup stock mixture and deglaze pan by boiling over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits.
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15
Add remaining stock mixture and bring to a simmer.
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16
Pour stock through a fine sieve back into glass measure and discard onions.
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17
Whisk together reserved fat and flour in a large heavy saucepan and cook roux over moderately low heat, whisking, 3 minutes.
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18
Add hot stock mixture in a fast stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes.
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19
Stir in any additional turkey juices accumulated on platter and season gravy with salt and pepper.
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20
Serve turkey with gravy on the side.
