ROAST TURKEY WITH APPLES, ONIONS, FRIED SAGE LEAVES, AND APPLE CIDER GRAVY

Steps:

• Roast turkey:
• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper inside and out. Fold neck skin under body and secure with a small skewer. Tie drumsticks together with kitchen string and secure wings to body with small skewers.
• Put turkey on a rack set in a large flameproof roasting pan. Roast turkey in middle of oven 30 minutes.
• While turkey is roasting, blanch onions in boiling water 1 minute and rinse under cold water. Peel onions, then toss with 1 tablespoon melted butter and salt and pepper to taste. Toss apples with 1 tablespoon melted butter and salt and pepper to taste in another bowl.
• Reduce temperature to 350°F. Brush remaining 1/4 cup melted butter over turkey and roast 30 minutes more.
• Baste turkey and scatter onions around it, then roast 30 minutes more.
• Baste turkey and add apples to roasting pan. Roast another 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until a thermometer inserted into fleshy part of a thigh registers 180°F.
• Transfer turkey, onions, and apples to a heated platter, leaving juices in pan. Remove skewers and discard string. Let turkey stand at least 30 minutes, up to 45.
• Make gravy while turkey stands:
• Skim fat from pan juices and reserve 1/4 cup fat. Pour pan juices into a 2-quart glass measure and add enough turkey giblet stock to make 4 1/2 cups total. Set pan to straddle 2 burners. Add 1 cup stock mixture and deglaze by boiling over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits. Add remaining 3 1/2 cups stock mixture, cider, and vinegar and bring to a simmer. Transfer to glass measure.
• Whisk together reserved fat and flour in a large heavy saucepan and cook roux over moderately low heat, whisking, 3 minutes. Add hot stock mixture in a fast stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in any additional turkey juices from platter and season gravy with salt and pepper. Pour gravy through a fine sieve into a gravy boat.