Name: Thanksgiving Roast Turkey with Gravy
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 195 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 Whole Turkey, small, thawed and patted dry; 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter, softened, divided; 1 Onion, quartered; 1 Carrot, roughly chopped; 1 Celery, roughly chopped; 3 clove Garlic, crushed; 1 tsp Thyme, dried or finely chopped fresh; 2 tbsp Parsley, chopped; 1½ tsp Salt, for seasoning; 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper, freshly ground if possible; 1½ cup Chicken Stock, for roasting pan and gravy; 2 tbsp All-Purpose Flour, for thickening gravy

3 hr 15 mintotal

1 hr 5 min hands-on2 hr 10 min hands-off

Prep 25 min · Cook 2 hr 30 min

Serves: 6
Difficulty: Hard
Spice: Mild

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Method

Heat the oven to 180°C and place the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in a roasting pan.
Mix most of the softened butter with thyme, parsley, salt, and black pepper, then rub it over and under the turkey skin where possible.
Place the turkey on the vegetables, pour some stock into the pan, and roast until the turkey is deeply golden and cooked through.
Rest the turkey for about 20 minutes before carving.
20 min
For the gravy, melt the remaining butter, stir in the flour, then whisk in the pan juices and remaining stock until smooth and thick.
Slice the turkey and serve with the warm gravy.

How to tell it's done

The turkey skin should be golden and the meat should carve into moist, clean slices.

Getting it right

Tip

Resting the turkey is essential; carving too early lets the juices run out.

What to serve it with

Serve with mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, or green beans.

Common mistakes

The breast is dry by the time the legs are done.: Get the butter under the skin over the breast and take the bird out at 74°C in the thigh, not by time. Breast and leg cook at different rates, and the twenty-minute rest carries it several degrees further.
The gravy is lumpy or greasy.: Skim the fat off the pan juices, cook the flour into butter first, then add liquid a little at a time while whisking. Pan juices poured onto dry flour seize immediately.

Substitutions

Whole Turkey — Use Turkey Breast for a smaller meal, but reduce the roasting time so it does not dry out.
Chicken Stock — Vegetable Stock can be used for the gravy base, though the flavor will be lighter.

Storing and reheating

Carved turkey keeps four days in the fridge and freezes for three months; store it in a little stock or gravy so it does not dry. Gravy keeps four days and freezes well. Get the meat off the carcass within two hours of the meal.

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Ingredients