Roast Turkey With Apple Cider Pan Gravy

Recipe Ingredients

		Gravy Base
1 tablespoon	15ml	Butter
1 lb	454g / 16oz	Turkey necks and/or wings
1 lb	454g / 16oz	Onions - coarsely chopped
3 cups	330g / 11oz	Coarsely-chopped celery
2		Bay leaves
4		Whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon	2.5ml	Salt
1/2 teaspoon	2.5ml	Freshly-ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon	1.3ml	Ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon	0.6ml	Ground nutmeg
6 cups	1422ml	Apple cider
3 cups	711ml	Low-salt chicken broth
1		Granny Smith apple - (abt 8 oz) - finely chopped
		= (including core and peel)
2 tablespoons	30ml	Honey
2 tablespoons	30ml	Apple cider vinegar
		Turkey
1		Turkey - (16 to 17 lbs)
1		Onion - halved, and (large)
		Cut into 1"-wide wedges
1		Granny Smith apple - cut 1"-wide wedges
6		Bay leaves - crumbled
7 tablespoons	105ml	Room temperature butter - divided
2 cups	474ml	Low-salt chicken broth

Recipe Instructions

For Gravy Base: Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add turkey parts; saute 10 minutes. Add onions, celery, and bay leaves; saute until onions are soft, about 8 minutes. Add cloves, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg; stir 10 seconds. Add cider, broth, and apple; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer uncovered 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain stock into medium saucepan. Discard solids. Stir honey and vinegar into gravy base. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled.)

For Turkey: Set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 500 degrees. Rinse turkey inside and out; pat dry. Sprinkle main cavity generously with salt and pepper. Place onion wedges, apple wedges, and crumbled bay leaves in cavity. Starting at neck end, carefully slide hand between skin and breast meat of turkey to loosen skin. Rub 4 tablespoons butter over breast meat under skin. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Tuck wing tips under. Tie legs together loosely to hold shape. Rub remaining 3 tablespoons butter over outside of turkey. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place turkey in oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Roast turkey 1 hour; pour 1 cup chicken broth over turkey. Roast 1 hour, basting once with pan drippings. Pour 1 cup chicken broth over turkey. Roast until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175 degrees, basting once with pan drippings and covering turkey loosely with foil if browning too quickly, about 1 hour longer. Transfer turkey to platter; cover loosely with foil. Let turkey rest 20 to 30 minutes (internal temperature of turkey will increase 5 to 10 degrees).

Pour pan juices into large measuring cup. Spoon fat off top of pan juices and discard. Return pan juices to roasting pan; add gravy base. Place roasting pan over 2 burners and bring gravy to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until gravy is reduced to 31/4 cups, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits, about 15 minutes. Season gravy to taste with salt and pepper. Strain gravy into bowl.

Serve turkey with gravy.

This recipe yields 10 servings.

Source:
Bon Appetit, November 2004

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