Roast Turkeys With Rich Pan Gravy Recipes

THE PERFECT TURKEY WITH PAN GRAVY

Steps:

• Remove the center oven rack and preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey and rinse. Reserve for the dressing.
• Place chopped onions, celery, and carrots in the bottom of the roasting pan. Pick a few herbs off the stalks and add to the vegetables. Set aside.
• Pat dry the turkey with paper towels. Season the cavity with kosher salt (approximately 2 tablespoons). Place the quartered onion and the remaining herbs inside the turkey cavity. Cover the tips of the wings with aluminum foil and truss the turkey (see Cook's Note**).
• Rub the turkey with the softened butter. Place the turkey in the roasting pan breast side up on a roasting rack.
• Place the turkey in the oven with the lid on. Baste every hour starting after the first 1 1/2 hours. Cook until an instant read thermometer inserted in the leg meat near the hip joint reads 160 degrees F (approximately 3 hours). Remove the lid and turn the oven up to 400 degrees F. Continue to cook the turkey for 20 to 25 minutes, until the turkey skin is golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the leg meat near the hip joint reads 175 degrees F. Remove the turkey from the pan and let it rest in a warm place for 20 minutes before carving (see Cook's Note***.)
• Place roasting pan over medium heat and add 1/2 cup of water. Use a wooden spoon to help release the drippings from the bottom of the pan. Using a fine sieve, strain drippings into a medium saucepot. Place the saucepot over medium heat.
• Whisk the cream and flour together in a small bowl to create a smooth paste. Add a 1/2 cup of the pan drippings to the cream mixture and whisk together. Pour the cream mixture into the saucepot and whisk together. Cook for approximately 2 to 3 minutes and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the perfect turkey.

BRINED ROAST TURKEY WITH PAN GRAVY

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, bring the water, cloves, ginger, black peppercorn, bay leaves and salt to a boil. Lower to a simmer and stir in the honey and maple syrup until well blended. Turn off heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold tap water. Reserve the neck and specialty meats for pan gravy. Set the turkey in the brine, making sure that the turkey is fully immersed in the brine. Place a weight on top of the turkey to make sure it is always covered with brine. Marinate for at least 4 hours to overnight, depending on the weight of the turkey, in the refrigerator.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a shallow roasting pan, place the carrots, celery and onions. Remove turkey from brine.
• Mix together the butter, garlic, chopped rosemary, and sage to make a compound butter. Using your hands, loosen to the skin from the breast by gently inserting your fingers between the skin and the flesh. Rub the compound butter underneath the skin. Insert the apples, onions, and whole rosemary and sage into the cavity of the turkey.
• Place the turkey over the vegetables, breast-side up, in the roasting pan. Tuck the wings back and under the turkey. Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together. This will make a compact shape and will create a great presentation. Drizzle the turkey with olive oil and rub it into the skin. Roast the turkey to at least 165 degrees F in the breast, about 2 1/2 hours. If the skin gets too dark during roasting, tent with foil.
• Transfer turkey to a platter and allow to cool. Meanwhile, prepare the pan gravy.
• Tilt the pan and skim as much fat as possible off the juice with a spoon. Set the pan on 2 burners set on medium heat. Deglaze roasting pan with white wine and Madeira. Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any brown bits. Reduce until only a quarter remains. Add the Turkey Stock, thyme and parsley. Bring to a boil and strain into a saucepan. Bring back to a boil, skim and lower to a simmer. Whisk in the beurre manie until well incorporated and continue to cook until gravy has thickened. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Heat a saucepan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil and heat. Add the neck and giblets and cook until browned all over, about 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and deglaze with the port. Return the pan to the heat and cook until the port is almost completely evaporated, about 10 minutes.
• Add the carrots, onions, celery, rosemary and peppercorns. Cover with cold water by 4-inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer for 2 hours, adding a little more water, if necessary. Skim any scum that rises to the surface of the stock and discard.
• Strain the stock. Use immediately, or cool and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

EXTRA-MOIST TURKEY WITH PAN GRAVY

Steps:

• Make turkey:
• Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in lower third.
• Rinse turkey inside and out, then pat dry. Mix together 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and rub all over turkey inside and out. Put onion and thyme in large cavity. Pin neck skin to body with skewer. Center kitchen string under back of breast and bring ends over to pin wings, then crisscross string and tie ends of drumsticks together. Put turkey on a metal rack in roaster and brush with 4 tablespoon melted butter. Cover pan (if using a roasting pan, cover turkey with parchment paper, then foil) and roast 1 hour.
• Baste with pan juices and add water to pan. Continue to roast, covered, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into fleshy part of each thigh (test both; close to but not touching bone) registers 170°F, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Baste with remaining tablespoon melted butter and roast, uncovered, until skin is browned, about 15 minutes more (total roasting time: 1 3/4 to 2 1/4 hours). Carefully tilt turkey so juices from inside large cavity run into pan. Transfer turkey to a platter and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 30 minutes (temperature of thigh meat will rise to 175 to 180°F).
• Make gravy while turkey stands:
• Strain pan juices through a fine- mesh sieve into 2-quart measure and skim off fat (or use a fat separator), reserving fat. Pour pan juices into a bowl and add stock.
• Whisk together flour and 1/3 cup reserved fat (if there is less, add melted butter) in a heavy medium saucepan, then cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 2 minutes (mixture will be thick). Add pan juices and stock in a fast stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then bring to a boil, whisking. Stir in any turkey juices from platter. Chop and add giblets (if using). Simmer gravy, whisking occasionally, 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• Strain pan drippings through a fine-mesh sieve; discard solids and reserve 2 1/2 cups pan drippings; set aside. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and thyme until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in reserved pan drippings. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm.

SIMPLE ROAST TURKEY WITH RICH TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• Make turkey:
• Put oven rack in lowest position and preheat oven to 450°F. Rinse turkey inside and out, then pat dry. Sprinkle turkey cavities and skin with salt and pepper. Fold neck skin under body and secure with metal skewers, then tie drumsticks together with kitchen string and tuck wings under body.
• Put turkey on rack in roasting pan. Add 1 cup water to pan and roast without basting, rotating pan halfway through roasting, until thermometer inserted into fleshy part of thighs (test both thighs; do not touch bones) registers 170°F, 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours.
• Carefully tilt turkey so any juices from inside large cavity run into roasting pan, then transfer turkey to a platter, reserving juices in roasting pan. Let turkey stand, uncovered, 30 minutes (temperature of thigh meat will rise to 180°F).
• Make gravy while turkey stands:
• Pour pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into measuring cup (do not clean roasting pan), then skim off and discard fat. (If using a fat separator, pour pan juices through sieve into separator and let stand until fat rises to top, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully pour pan juices from separator into measure, discarding fat.)
• Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add remaining cup water and deglaze roasting pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Pour through sieve into measuring cup containing pan juices. Add enough turkey stock to pan juices to bring total to 8 cups (if stock is congealed, heat to liquefy).
• Melt butter in a 4-quart heavy pot and stir in flour. Cook roux over moderate heat, whisking, 5 minutes. Add stock mixture in a stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. Stir in any turkey juices accumulated on platter and simmer 5 minutes. Season gravy with salt and pepper, then stir in cider vinegar (to taste).

SIMPLE ROAST TURKEY WITH RICH TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• Put oven rack in lowest position and preheat oven to 450°F Rinse turkey inside and out, then pat dry. Sprinkle turkey cavities and skin with salt and pepper. Fold neck skin under body and secure with metal skewers, then tie drumsticks together with kitchen string and tuck wings under body.
• Put turkey on rack in roasting pan. Add 1 cup water to pan and roast without basting, rotating pan halfway through roasting, until thermometer inserted into fleshy part of thighs (test both thighs; do not touch bones) registers 170°F, 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours.
• Carefully tilt turkey so any juices from inside large cavity run into roasting pan, then transfer turkey to a platter, reserving juices in roasting pan. Let turkey stand, uncovered, 30 minutes (temperature of thigh meat will rise to 180°F).
• Make gravy while turkey stands:.
• Pour pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into measuring cup (do not clean roasting pan), then skim off and discard fat. (If using a fat separator, pour pan juices through sieve into separator and let stand until fat rises to top, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully pour pan juices from separator into measure, discarding fat.).
• Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add remaining cup water and deglaze roasting pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Pour through sieve into measuring cup containing pan juices. Add enough turkey stock to pan juices to bring total to 8 cups (if stock is congealed, heat to liquefy).
• Melt butter in a 4-quart heavy pot and stir in flour. Cook roux over moderate heat, whisking, 5 minutes. Add stock mixture in a stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. Stir in any turkey juices accumulated on platter and simmer 5 minutes. Season gravy with salt and pepper, then stir in cider vinegar (to taste).

ROAST TURKEY PAN GRAVY

Steps:

• Spoon off all but about 4 tbsp of the fat in the roasting pan.
• Make sure you leave all the brown bits.
• Add wine (or some stock if not using wine) the onions, shallots and mushrooms.
• Turn heat to high, stirring and scraping until most of the wine has evaporated, the onion is soft and the bottom of the pan is clean.
• Add the stock and continue to cook for about 10 minutes.
• If you are using giblets put them in for this cooking time.
• Mix cornstarch with the water.
• Turn heat to low and stir in the mixed cornstarch.
• The gravy will start to thicken almost immediately.
• Cook stirring until the gravy has thickened, if you want it thicker mix a bit more cornstarch with water and add stirring and cook for 5 minutes more.
• Season to taste with salt& pepper.

HERB-ROASTED TURKEY WITH SHALLOT PAN GRAVY

Steps:

• Mix butter, chopped parsley, chopped sage, chopped thyme, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in medium bowl to blend. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Transfer herb butter to small bowl; cover and refrigerate. Bring butter to room temperature before using.) Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Sprinkle main cavity of turkey with salt and pepper. Place whole parsley, sage and thyme sprigs and 4 shallot halves in cavity. Starting at neck end, carefully slide hand between skin and breast meat to loosen skin. Spread 3 tablespoons herb butter over breast meat under skin. Tuck wing tips under; tie legs together to hold shape. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Rub 4 tablespoons herb butter over turkey. Cover only breast area of turkey with sheet of heavy-duty foil. Scatter remaining shallots in pan around turkey.
• Roast turkey 30 minutes; baste with 1/2 cup broth. Continue roasting turkey for 1 1/2 hours, basting with 1/2 cup broth every 30 minutes. Remove foil from over turkey breast. Continue to roast turkey until golden brown and thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F, basting with pan juices every 20 minutes, about 1 hour longer. Transfer turkey to platter. Brush with 1 tablespoon herb butter. Tent loosely with foil; let stand 20 minutes.
• Using slotted spoon, transfer shallots from roasting pan to plate. Pour pan juices into medium bowl; spoon off fat and discard. Add wine and 1 cup chicken broth to roasting pan. Set pan directly over 2 burners and bring broth mixture to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Continue to boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes; pour into large glass measuring cup. Add degreased pan juices. Add enough broth if necessary to equal 3 cups liquid.
• Blend flour into remaining herb butter. Pour broth mixture into heavy medium saucepan and bring to boil. Gradually whisk in herb butter mixture. Add any accumulated juices from turkey platter. Boil until gravy thickens enough to coat spoon lightly, whisking occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add shallots to gravy; simmer 1 minute. Season gravy with salt and pepper. Serve turkey with gravy.