Drum Roll and Drum Stick please~ My Turkey recipe, and the Menu is complete!
The final recipe unfolds~ How I do MY Turkey. Since I always lean towards the Italian side of things, it makes perfect sense that my turkey would lean that way as well. I have neutral feelings about my turkey and brine~ I have done it with and without, and each time my turkey seemed equally crisp and juicy on the inside. So I go on record that either way is fine by me. I love gravy, as a kid my mother never knew how to make it, not something that people eat in Europe, so I finally learned to make gravy at the Culinary Institute of America about 10 years ago~ Thanks to Chef Victor ( who was Swiss by the way) I now make a delicious version using mirepoix, the classic combination of carrots, celery, and onions.
Turkey with Italian Herbs and Gravy.
Turkey:
- 3 tablespoons coarse kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 16-to 18-pound turkey, rinsed, patted dry
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- 6 cloves chopped garlic
- Preserved Lemon~ 1 lemon chopped
- 2 fresh lemons cut in half( to be placed inside the cavity)
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped carrot * note this goes into the bottom of the pan with 1 cup chicken stock
Gravy:
Preparation
Turkey:
Combine salt and olive oil, garlic and herbs , and lemon in small bowl. Place turkey in roasting pan; rub all over with with the olive oil mixture. Cover pan with plastic wrap; chill turkey overnight.
Set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 375°F. Tuck wing tips under; tie legs together loosely place 2 lemons cut in half inside the turkey cavity, remove the turkey from the pan. Put the Chopped onion, celery and carrots into the bottom of the pan with 1 cup stock, put a rack into the pan
(the carrot, celery and onion and stock will be in the bottom with the Turkey on the rack above) place the Turkey onto the rack, chest side up, cover loosely with Aluminum foil to prevent burning.
Roast turkey 1 hour; baste with any pan juices. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. remove the foil, Roast turkey 45 minutes, turn the pan around. Continue to roast turkey until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°F, basting and turning pan occasionally for even cooking, about 1 1/4 hours longer. Transfer turkey to platter; tent loosely with foil and let rest 30 to 45 minutes (internal temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees).
Gravy:
Pour all pan juices into large measuring cup. Spoon off fat that rises to surface. Transfer 2 tablespoons fat to heavy large saucepan discard remaining fat but reserve the pan juices. Place turkey roasting pan over 2 burners. Add 2 cups stock or broth Bring to boil over high heat, scraping up browned bits of carrots, celery and onions. Boil liquid until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 6 minutes. Add mixture from roasting pan to degreased pan juices. If necessary, add enough stock to measure 3 1/2 cups stock mixture.
Place saucepan with turkey fat over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, take 2 tablespoons of the stock and add flour making a slurry; then whisk slurry into stock mixture. Boil until gravy thickens enough to coat spoon thinly, about 6 minutes.Season with salt and pepper. Strain into a gravy boat and serve.
Serve turkey with gravy.