ROAST TURKEY WITH SAGE AND SHERRIED CIDER GIBLET GRAVY

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Roast Turkey with Sage and Sherried Cider Giblet Gravy image

Categories     turkey     Roast     Thanksgiving     Fall     Sage     Gourmet

Number Of Ingredients 14

a 12- to 14-pound turkey, neck and giblets (excluding liver) reserved for making stock
1/2 lemon, cut into 2 wedges
7 large fresh sage sprigs
2 slices firm whole-wheat sandwich bread
1/2 Granny Smith apple, quartered lengthwise
1/2 onion, quartered lengthwise
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup water
For gravy:
1 cup dry Sherry
1 cup apple cider (preferably sparkling)
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups turkey giblet stock or chicken broth plus additional stock or broth for thinning gravy
Garnish: assorted fresh sage sprigs

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 425° F.
  • Rinse turkey and pat dry inside and out. Season turkey inside and out with salt and pepper and pack neck cavity with 1 lemon wedge, 1 sage sprig, and 1 bread slice. Fold neck skin under body and fasten with a skewer. Fill body cavity with apple, onion, 3 sage sprigs, and remaining lemon wedge and bread slice and truss turkey.
  • Rub turkey with remaining 3 sage sprigs and arrange sprigs on a rack set in a roasting pan. Spread turkey with butter and arrange on rack in roasting pan. Roast turkey in middle of oven 30 minutes.
  • Reduce temperature to 325° F. and baste turkey with pan juices. Add water to roasting pan and roast turkey, basting every 20 minutes, 2 1/2 to 3 hours more, or until a meat thermometer inserted in fleshy part of a thigh registers 180° F. and juices run clear when thigh is pierced. Transfer turkey to a heated platter, reserving juices in roasting pan, and discard string. Keep turkey warm, covered loosely with foil.
  • Make gravy:
  • Skim fat from pan juices, reserving 1/4 cup fat, and on top of stove deglaze pan with Sherry over moderately high heat, scraping up brown bits. Stir in cider. Bring Sherry mixture to a boil and remove pan from heat.
  • In a heavy saucepan whisk together reserved fat and flour and cook roux over moderately low heat, whisking, 3 minutes. Add Sherry mixture and 2 cups stock or broth in a stream, whisking to prevent lumping, and simmer, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes. Whisk in additional stock or broth to thin gravy if desired. Season gravy with salt and pepper and transfer to a heated gravy boat.
  • Garnish turkey with sage.

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