Foodie Friday: Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey
Author: 
Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Holiday
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 10
 
Ingredients
  • TURKEY:
  • 14-16lb Turkey, fully thawed, if frozen (I used a frozen Butterball turkey and let it defrost in the refrigerator for 5 days before cooking it)
  • ¼ C white vinegar
  • ½ stick butter, melted (you can make this dairy and top 8 free by subbing canola oil in for the butter)
  • 3 T garlic salt
  • 1 apple, quartered
  • 1 onion, quartered
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 10 whole pieces of allspice
  • 1 C water
  • 4 sprigs rosemary
  • 6 sage leaves
  • small bunch tarragon
  • fresh ground pepper
  • GRAVY:
  • 2 T olive oil
  • turkey neck
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 celery stalks, diced
  • 1 large carrot, diced
  • 1 quart chicken stock (or turkey stock, if you have it)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 2 sage leaves
  • 1-2 sprigs of tarragon
  • 2 T cornstarch
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. TURKEY:
  2. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees
  3. Clean turkey and removed all innards (very easy since they are just in bags). Save the neck to use for gravy.
  4. Place turkey in a large pan and splash vinegar over it.
  5. Brush melted butter and sprinkle garlic salt and ground pepper all over the outside of the turkey.
  6. Place the turkey in a roasting pan, breast side up.
  7. Put the apple, onion, cinnamon and allspice in a bowl with water and microwave it for 5 minutes on high. Drain the water and add these items to the cavity of the turkey along with the fresh rosemary, sage and tarragon.
  8. Tuck the wing tips under the bird so they don't burn (Butterball turkeys already come with the legs tucked in, which is nice)
  9. Place the turkey on the lowest level of the oven and roast it for 30 minutes, until the skin starts to brown.
  10. Start prepping homemade gravy, if you are going to make it.
  11. Insert a roasting thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and reduce the temperature to 350 degrees.
  12. Leave the door of the oven closed until the temperature reaches between 165-170 degrees.
  13. Remove from the oven, cover with foil and let it sit for about ½ hour before serving alongside gravy.
  14. GRAVY:
  15. Heat saucepan over medium heat.
  16. Add olive oil, turkey neck, onion, celery, carrot and cook for about 10 minutes until vegetables are translucent and turkey neck is browned.
  17. Add stock and fresh herbs, bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer for at least 1 hour, up to 2, adding water and salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
  18. Pour through a strainer to create a broth.
  19. Return to saucepan and add cornstarch, whisking continuously to thicken, for about 5 minutes (this will not produce a very thick gravy, more of an au jus. If you would like thicker gravy, you should sub rice flour or an all-purpose gluten-free flour in for cornstarch and add as much as you need to reach desired consistency).
  20. Serve turkey with gravy and enjoy!
Recipe by Jackie Ourman at http://jackieourman.com/foodie-friday-roasted-thanksgiving-turkey/