Ingredients
- 1 (11–12 lb) turkey, giblets removed and reserved
- 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
- 3 stalks celery, quartered
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 thyme sprigs
- 1/2 stick butter, melted
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 10 whole peppercorns
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp flour
- Salt and pepper, for seasoning
Preparation
Step 1
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Drain the turkey and pat it dry with paper towels. Do not rinse.
Tuck the wings under and place the bird in a roasting pan. Stuff the cavity with 2 quarters of the onion, 4 pieces of the celery, 2 cloves of garlic, and the thyme. Tie the legs together and brush the skin of the turkey with the butter. Season with salt and pepper.
Roast for about 2-1/2 to 3 hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted deep into the lower part of the thigh reaches 165°F. Tent the top of the turkey with foil about 2 hours into the cooking process to prevent over-browning.
While the turkey is roasting, put the giblets, remaining onion, celery, garlic, chicken stock, and peppercorns into a medium-size saucepan. Slowly simmer for about an hour. Remove the saucepan from the heat and strain the giblets from the stock. Reserve the stock.
Discard the gizzard and remove the meat from the neck. Finely chop the neck meat, the liver, and the heart. Set aside.
When the turkey is cooked, remove it from the roasting pan and let it rest for 15 minutes. Pour the drippings from the roasting pan into a measuring cup and let sit long enough for the fat to separate from the drippings. Do not wash the roasting pan.
When the fat has separated from the drippings, skim it off with a spoon and place it back into the roasting pan. Straddle the roasting pan between two burners and turn the heat onto medium. Sprinkle in the flour and stir. Whisk in the reserved stock and drippings and heat until the gravy begins to boil and has thickened. Add the giblets and heat. Season with salt and pepper before serving with the turkey.