Happy Thanksgiving to you, dear reader. I’m grateful that you take the time to read my blog, and I wish you a wonderful day with family or a rejuvenating day to yourself for rest and relaxation. Either way, I hope you are able to recall the things you are thankful for in this abundant universe. And if you’re cooking and haven’t checked on that thawing turkey yet, here’s your gentle reminder and my gift to you – the classic roasted turkey and gravy recipe I’ve used for years.
Perfectly Simple Roasted Turkey
1 whole turkey, 10 to 25 pounds
Combine in a small bowl:
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey, set aside if making gravy. Rinse the turkey inside and out. Pat dry and rub with spice mixture. Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan and let sit at room temperature for an hour prior to placing it in the oven. While you wait, you can start the stock for the turkey gravy. Read on for the recipe!
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Loosely pack the body cavity with a handful of chopped onions, carrots, and celery and a few sprigs of fresh parsley.
Brush the turkey with at least 4 tablespoons of melted butter. Larger birds will need more, up to 6 tablespoons.
Roast the turkey, basting every 30 minutes with additional melted butter or pan drippings. Plan for 10-12 minutes per pound, until an instant read thermometer registers 175 to 180 degrees at the thickest part of the thigh.
When done, remove the turkey to a platter and let stand at least 20 minutes (preferably 30) before carving. While the bird is taking its rest, prepare the gravy. Or don’t and use whatever you like. But, if you have always wanted to try a homemade version, I’ve found this classic method from The Joy of Cooking to be relatively easy and nearly foolproof.
Perfect Turkey Gravy
1 turkey neck, heart, and gizzard
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 to 1 cup chopped onion
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white or red wine
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 small sprigs parsley
1 large bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, or 2 to 3 sprigs fresh
4 whole cloves or allspice berries (or a pinch of ground cloves or allspice)
Rinse and pat dry the turkey neck, heart, and gizzard. Chop the neck into 2-inch pieces. Cut the heart length-wise in half and divide the gizzard at the lobes. Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the turkey parts then scatter around them the chopped onions. Sauté, reducing the heat slightly if the ingredients being to char. Cook until the turkey parts are richly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Add the chicken stock, wine, carrots, celery, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, and cloves (or allspice). Partially cover the pan and simmer slowly until the meat is tender, about 1 hour. Strain the stock into a saucepan and add enough water or chicken stock to measure 4 cups. If you wish (I don’t) you can chop up the turkey neck meat and giblets and add them to the strained stock. Discard the vegetables and set the stock aside (on the stove over medium-low heat) while you prepare the turkey drippings.
Remove the rack from the turkey roasting pan. Tilt the pan and skim as much fat as possible off the juice, using a spoon. Set the pan on two burners over medium heat and pour in 1/2 cup of white wine. Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen up any browned bits. Pour the drippings into the stock.
Mix 3 tablespoons cornstarch and 1/4 cup water or chicken broth until smooth. Whisking constantly, gradually pour the cornstarch a little at a time into the simmering stock, adding only as needed to thicken the gravy to your liking.
If your family is the type to say grace before dinner, as mine was, I hope you enjoy my Grandpa’s irreverent and funny attempt at trying to get out of it every year.
In the name of the Father,
The Son,
The Holy Ghost,
Whoever eats the fastest
Gets the most.
Shine on,
Diane
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