Roast Turkey and Gravy

Photo: flickr user Special*Dark

Ingredients

8 pounds whole turkey, with giblets, thawed

1 cup whole onion, plus 1 to 2 chopped onions

1 cup whole carrot, unpeeled, halved if large, plus 1 to 2 peeled and chopped carrots

1 bunch parsley stems

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted, or extra-virgin olive oil,

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chicken stock or water, plus more as needed

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup cold water

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine turkey neck, wing tips, and gizzard in a medium saucepan. Reserve the liver.

Add whole onion, whole carrot, and parsley stems

Add water to cover, along with 1/2 tsp salt, and a few grindings of pepper

Bring to a boil, turn the heat to low, and simmer, adding water as necessary to keep the meat and vegetables covered.

Skim any foam that arises to the top of the pot; after 1 hour of simmering, turn off the heat and cover the stock.

Brush the turkey with 1 tbsp of butter or oil and sprinkle it with salt and pepper.

Place the turkey breast side down on your roasting rack.

Scatter the chopped onions, carrots, and celery around the turkey. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of the butter or oil. Pour in about 1 cup of stock or water.

Roast, basting with a little additional butter or oil every 30 minutes and add stock or water to the vegetables to keep them moist.

Flip the turkey after an hour or so.

When the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 125 F (when the bird has about 1 hour of cooking to go), if the breast is not sufficiently browned, turn the oven heat up to 400 F for the remaining cooking time. Monitor closely to make sure it doesn't brown too quickly.

When the bird is done (the thermometer should read 165 F at least when inserted in mid-thigh), remove the bird to a platter but don't carve it until it has rested for at least 15 minutes.

Reheat the giblet stock if necessary, then strain it into a bowl; then strain the vegetables that cooked with the bird into a larger bowl, pushing on them to extract as much liquid as possible. Combine these liquids. Mince the reserved liver.

Place the roasting pan over two burners on your stove, turn the heat to medium-high, and add 2 cups o the combined liquid and the reserved liver.

Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is reduced slightly.

Whisk together the cornstarch and the cold water.

Drain the liquid and stir in the cornstarch mixture.

Carve the turkey and serve with the gravy.