Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, and a whole lot of food. And what's Thanksgiving without roast turkey? This classic dish is a centerpiece of the holiday feast, and for good reason. The juicy turkey meat, crispy skin, and rich gravy are simply delicious. If you're looking to make the best roast turkey with port wine gravy this Thanksgiving, look no further. In this article, we'll guide you through every step of the process, from choosing the right turkey to making the perfect gravy.
Let's cook with our recipes!
ROAST TURKEY WITH PORT GRAVY
Categories Fruit turkey Vegetable Roast Sauté Christmas Thanksgiving Dinner Apple Port Fall Bon Appétit Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free
Yield Makes 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- For stock:
- Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add neck, heart, and gizzard, then celery and onion; sauté until deep brown, stirring often, about 18 minutes. Add 6 cups water and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Strain stock into large measuring cup and reserve; discard solids. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly, cover, and chill.
- For turkey:
- Place turkey on rack in large roasting pan. Mix onion, apple, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and thyme in bowl. Spoon mixture into main turkey cavity. Tuck wing tips under; tie legs together loosely to hold shape. Rub oil over turkey; sprinkle with 3 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic; chill.
- Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Roast turkey uncovered 45 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Roast turkey 1 hour. Turn pan around; pour 1 cup turkey stock over. Roast until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175°F, about 1 hour longer. Transfer turkey to platter; tent loosely with foil and let stand 30 minutes (internal temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees). Reserve pan juices for gravy.
- For gravy:
- Blend butter and flour in small bowl to smooth paste. Tilt roasting pan; spoon off fat from pan juices. Place pan over 2 burners on medium-high heat. Add Port and 1 cup turkey stock; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Transfer to large saucepan. Measure 3 cups turkey stock, adding chicken broth if needed. Add to saucepan and bring to boil. Whisk in flour paste. Boil until gravy is thick enough to coat spoon, whisking occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season gravy with salt and pepper.
ROAST TURKEY WITH PORT GRAVY
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Rinse turkey and pat dry inside and out. Season turkey inside and out with salt and pepper and pack neck cavity loosely with some stuffing. Fold neck and skin under body and fasten with a skewer. Fill body cavity loosely with some remaining and truss turkey. Transfer remaining to a buttered 3-quart baking dish and reserve it, covered and chilled.
- Spread turkey with butter and on a rack in a roasting pan in oven 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. and baste turkey with pan juices. Add water to pan and roast, basting every 20 minutes, 2 1/2 to 3 hours more, or until a meat thermometer in fleshy part of thigh registers 180°F., and juices run clear when thigh is pierced.
- During last 1 1/2 hours of roasting, drizzle reserved stuffing with stock or broth and bake, covered, in 325°F. oven 1 hour. Bake stuffing uncovered, 30 minutes more. Transfer turkey to a heated platter, reserving juices in roasting pan, and discard string. Keep turkey warm, covered loosely with foil.
- Make gravy:
- Skim fat from roasting pan juices, reserving 1/4 cup fat, and deglaze pan with Port over moderately high heat, scraping up brown bits. Bring Port to a boil and remove pan from heat. In a saucepan whisk together reserved fat and flour and cook roux over moderately low heat, whisking, 3 minutes. Add Port mixture and stock or broth in a stream, whisking, and simmer, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste and transfer gravy to a heated gravy boat.
- Garnish turkey and stuffing with herbs and apple slices.
LEMON-GARLIC ROAST TURKEY AND WHITE-WINE GRAVY
The zesty lemon-garlic rub for this turkey gives it amazing flavor. Instead of using a conventional supermarket turkey that's been "enhanced" with added sodium solution, here we brine a natural or organic turkey to keep the meat extra juicy without a lot of extra sodium.
Provided by Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time P1DT2h20m
Yield 12 servings
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Crush 6 cloves garlic and add to a very large stockpot (or clean bucket). Stir in lemon juice, Worcestershire, salt and 4 quarts cold water.
- Remove giblets from turkey (if included) and trim excess skin. Submerge the turkey in the brine and refrigerate for 24 hours. If the turkey is not fully submerged, turn it every 8 hours.
- Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse well and pat dry. Discard the brine.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place the remaining 4 cloves garlic, lemon zest, oregano, oil, pepper and 2 tablespoons water in a food processor and pulse until it becomes a paste. (Alternatively, chop garlic, lemon zest and oregano on a cutting board until finely minced, then place in a small bowl and stir in oil, pepper and water.) Loosen the skin over the breast and thigh meat. Rub the paste all over the turkey, under the skin onto the breast meat and leg meat and a little inside the cavity. Tuck the wing tips under the turkey. Tie the legs together with kitchen string. Place the turkey breast-side down in a roasting rack set in a large roasting pan.
- Roast the turkey for 1 hour. Turn it breast-side up on the rack, add 1 cup water to the pan, and continue roasting 1 hour more. Baste the turkey with pan drippings, tent with foil and continue roasting, basting every 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh without touching bone registers 165degreesF, 30 to 45 minutes more.
- Transfer the turkey to a large cutting board; let rest for 20 minutes before removing the string and carving.
- Meanwhile, pour any pan juices and fat into a large glass measuring cup and place in the freezer until the fat rises to the top, about 10 minutes. (Alternatively, pour the pan juices and fat into a fat separator then pour the defatted juices into a large measuring cup.) Whisk flour with 1/4 cup water in a small bowl.
- Set the roasting pan over two burners on medium heat. Add wine (or vermouth); bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Continue cooking until reduced, about 3 minutes.
- Remove the pan juices from the freezer, skim off the fat with a spoon and discard. Add the defatted juices and broth to the roasting pan; return to a simmer, whisking often. Cook for 1 minute, then whisk in the flour mixture and simmer until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the gravy through a fine-mesh sieve and serve with the turkey.
- NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 180 calories; 6 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 66 mg cholesterol; 2 g carbohydrate; 26 g protein; 0 g fiber; 120 mg sodium; 273 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Zinc (19% daily value). 0 Carbohydrate Servings Exchanges: 4 lean meat
- TIP: Shopping tip: Look for turkey labeled "natural" or "organic" in natural-foods stores or well-stocked supermarkets. Turkeys labeled "heritage" are also typically "natural." If you can't find one, don't overlook this recipe. It works with conventional turkey, too; just skip the brining (Steps 1-2) and start with Step 3.
- From www.eatingwell.com with permission. 2009 Eating Well Inc. Photo by Ken Burris
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.
PERFECT ROAST TURKEY WITH BEST-EVER GRAVY
Provided by Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 6h
Yield 18 servings with about 7 cups
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Position a rack in the lowest position of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.
- Reserve the turkey neck and giblets to use in gravy or stock. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water. Pat the turkey skin dry. Turn the turkey on its breast. Loosely fill the neck cavity with stuffing. Using a thin wooden or metal skewer, pin the neck skin to the back. Fold the turkey's wings akimbo behind the back or tie to the body with kitchen string. Loosely fill the large body cavity with stuffing. Place any remaining stuffing in a lightly buttered casserole, cover and refrigerate to bake as a side dish. Place the drumsticks in the hock lock or tie together with kitchen string.
- Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. Rub all over with the softened butter. Season with salt and pepper. Tightly cover the breast area with aluminum foil. Pour 2 cups of the turkey stock into the bottom of the pan.
- Roast the turkey, basting all over every 30 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan (lift up the foil to reach the breast area), until a meat thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh (but not touching the bone) reads 180 degrees and the stuffing is at least 160 degrees, about 4 1/2 hours. Whenever the drippings evaporate, add stock to moisten them, about 1 1/2 cups at a time. Remove the foil during the last hour to allow the skin to brown.
- Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter and let it stand for at least 20 minutes before carving. Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Drizzle 1/2 cup turkey stock over the stuffing in the casserole, cover, and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pour the drippings from the roasting pan into a heatproof glass bowl or large measuring cup. Let stand for 5 minutes, then skim off and reserve the clear yellow fat that has risen to the top. Measure 3/4 cup fat, adding melted butter if needed. Add enough turkey stock to the skimmed drippings to make 8 cups total.
- Place the roasting pan on two stove burners over low heat and add the turkey fat. Whisk in the flour, scraping up browned bits on the bottom of the pan, and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the turkey stock and the optional bourbon. Cook, whisking often, until the gravy has thickened and no trace of raw flour remains, about 5 minutes. Transfer the gravy to a warmed gravy boat. Carve the turkey and serve the gravy and the stuffing alongside
ROAST TURKEY WITH POMEGRANATE-PORT WINE SAUCE
This is a contemporary way to do the holiday turkey. I found this in a cooking club of america magazine. A great wine to serve with this dish is a hearty zinfandel, something from the Sonoma County would be perfect. Check out my menu for some good pairings.
Provided by SaffronMeSilly
Categories Whole Turkey
Time 4h15m
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Heat oven to 325. Spray roasting rack with cooking spray; place in shallow roasting pan. Place thyme in cavity of turkey. Rub garlic over breast, thighs and legs; place in cavity. Place turkey on rack. Brush with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Press legs wide open to allow heat to enter cavity. Pour water into bottom of pan.
- Bake 3 1/2 hours to 4 hours or until internal temperature of thickest part of thigh reaches 180 degrees. (Add addition water to pan if water evaporates.) Cover breast loosely with foil when starting to brown (about halfway through baking).
- Meanwhile, boil pomegranate juice, port, and honey in medium skillet over high heat 4 to 5 minutes or until slightly thickened to glaze consistency and bottom of skillet appears while stirring (glaze will thicken more while standing). Remove foil from turkey during last 15 minutes of baking; brush with glaze (glaze will bead up on turkey at first but will begin to adhere with additional brushing).
- Cover turkey loosely with foil and let stand 15 minutes before carving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 994.3, Fat 52.3, SaturatedFat 13.8, Cholesterol 385.9, Sodium 662.2, Carbohydrate 4.2, Fiber 0.1, Sugar 2.9, Protein 116
CHEF JOHN'S ROAST TURKEY AND GRAVY
The biggest myth in all of American cookery is the belief that a juicy, perfectly cooked turkey is difficult for the novice cook to achieve. One of the secrets to a moist, delicious, and beautiful turkey is spreading butter under the skin. You can season the butter any way you want; the possibilities are endless.
Provided by Chef John
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Turkey Whole Turkey Recipes
Time 4h55m
Yield 16
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
- Mix 2 tablespoons salt, and 1 tablespoon pepper, and poultry seasoning in a small bowl. Tuck turkey wings under the bird, and season cavity with about 1 tablespoon of the poultry seasoning mixture. Reserve remaining poultry seasoning mix.
- Toss the onion, celery, and carrots together in a bowl. Stuff about 1/2 cup of the vegetable mixture, rosemary sprigs, and 1/2 bunch sage into the cavity of the turkey. Tie legs together with kitchen string. Loosen the skin on top of the turkey breast using fingers or a small spatula. Place about 2 tablespoons butter under the skin and spread evenly. Spread the remaining butter (about 2 tablespoons) all over the outside of the skin. Sprinkle the outside of the turkey with the remaining poultry seasoning mix.
- Spread the remaining onion, celery, and carrots into a large roasting pan. Place the turkey on top of the vegetables. Fill the pan with about 1/2 inch of water. Arrange a sheet of aluminum foil over the breast of the turkey.
- Roast the turkey in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 3 1/2 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (75 degrees C). Remove the foil during the last hour of cooking. Baste the turkey with the pan juices.
- While the turkey is roasting, make stock: place neck, heart, and gizzards in a saucepan with the bay leaf and water. Simmer over medium heat for 2 hours. Strain the turkey giblets from the stock, and discard giblets. There should be at least 4 cups of stock.
- Remove the turkey from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. Pour the pan juices, about 3 cups, into a saucepan and set aside. Skim off the turkey fat from the pan juices, reserving about 2 tablespoons.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the turkey fat and 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Transfer the onion from the roasting pan into the skillet. Cook and stir until the onion is browned, about 5 minutes, then stir in the flour. Continue to cook and stir for about 5 minutes more; whisk in 4 cups of the skimmed turkey stock and the reserved pan juices until smooth; skim off any foam. Stir in the balsamic vinegar. Simmer until the gravy is thickened, whisking constantly, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of chopped sage, and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 942.1 calories, Carbohydrate 4.6 g, Cholesterol 256.3 mg, Fat 70.1 g, Fiber 0.9 g, Protein 68.7 g, SaturatedFat 22.8 g, Sodium 949.8 mg, Sugar 1.2 g
MOIST ROAST TURKEY WITH A PORT GRAVY
made 2 roast ducks, roast leg of lamb and a roast turkey for Christmas dinner. I have posted a recipe already for roast lamb so I thought I would post one for turkey and one for duck. I know you probably can't think of food now, but I thought I would post these for next year or other special occasions throughout the year. I only bought a 2.5kg turkey as I was doing other meats, so you will have to adjust cooking times if roasting a bigger bird. I stuffed mine with a fois gras fig stuffing, MMmmm, it was delicious but you can stuff yours with your favourite stuffing.
Provided by The Flying Chef
Categories Whole Turkey
Time 4h20m
Yield 4-5 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Discard giblets if inserted, rinse turkey under cold water inside and out, pat dry. Spoon seasoning or stuffing into cavity and tie legs together with kitchen string.
- In an oven proof baking dish pour in chicken stock and half the port. Place turkey upside down in dish, cover dish tightly with foil, bake in a slow oven (130c) 4hrs.
- Remove foil place turkey right way up, combine remaining port with sugar, brush over turkey. Roast uncovered 180-190c for a further 45 Min's or until turkey is browned and cooked through.
- Remove turkey from dish cover with foil to keep warm. Strain juices into a pan, to remove any bits of meat and fat. Heat over a medium heat, mix a little water with cornflour, pour into sauce, stir until mixture boils and thickens.
- Serve turkey with port gravy.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 1101.6, Fat 50.5, SaturatedFat 14.2, Cholesterol 425.9, Sodium 454.6, Carbohydrate 13.6, Sugar 10.2, Protein 128.5
ROAST TURKEY WITH WHITE-WINE GRAVY
We make a different turkey recipe every year for Thanksgiving. This is one that went over well with the family. From Gourmet November 1997.
Provided by lazyme
Categories Whole Turkey
Time 4h30m
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Garnish: large bouquet of mixed fresh herb sprigs.
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry.
- Fold neck skin under body and fasten with a small skewer.
- Using small skewers secure wings to body.
- Transfer turkey to a rack set in a roasting pan and melt butter.
- Brush inside of turkey with some butter and season with salt and pepper.
- Put herb sprigs inside body cavity.
- Brush outside of turkey with remaining butter and season with salt and pepper.
- Loosely tie drumsticks together with kitchen string.
- Roast turkey in middle of oven 1 hour.
- Add water to pan and roast turkey, basting every 20 minutes, 2 hours more, or until a meat thermometer inserted in fleshy part of a thigh registers 175°F and juices run clear when thigh is pierced.
- Transfer turkey to a heated platter and reserve juices in pan.
- Remove skewers and discard string.
- Let turkey stand 30 minutes.
- While turkey is standing, make gravy:.
- Finely chop onion.
- Skim fat from reserved pan juices and reserve 1/2 cup fat (for sautéing onions, below, and for stuffing).
- On top of stove deglaze pan with wine over moderately high heat, scraping up brown bits, and boil mixture until reduced to about 1/2 cup.
- Add 4 cups stock and bring to a simmer.
- Pour wine mixture through a sieve into a saucepan.
- In a large, heavy skillet sauté onion in 1/4 cup reserved fat over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until browned, about 15 minutes.
- Stir in flour and cook roux over moderately low heat, whisking, 3 minutes.
- Bring wine mixture to a simmer.
- Add hot wine mixture to roux in a fast stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, and simmer, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes.
- Whisk in additional stock to thin gravy to desired consistency.
- Season gravy with salt and pepper and transfer to a heated sauceboat.
- Garnish turkey with herb bouquet and serve with gravy.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 1254.7, Fat 66.2, SaturatedFat 22.7, Cholesterol 493.6, Sodium 448, Carbohydrate 7, Fiber 0.4, Sugar 1.2, Protein 139.9
PERFECT ROAST TURKEY AND GRAVY
Provided by James Briscione
Categories main-dish
Time 14h30m
Yield 8 to 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- Twelve to 24 hours before cooking the turkey, remove the giblets and dry the turkey inside and out with paper towels. Rub the Dry Brine on all sides of the turkey, completely seasoning the exterior as well as the interior cavity. Place the turkey in a pan inside the refrigerator overnight.
- Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
- When ready to cook, remove the turkey from the refrigerator and pat dry with paper towels. Cut one of the onions into quarters. Place the onion quarters, herbs and one head of the garlic inside the turkey. Tie the legs together with a single piece of string and tuck the wings under the body.
- Chop the remaining onion. Combine the chopped onion, carrots, celery and remaining garlic in a large roasting pan. Place the turkey on top of the vegetables in the roasting pan.
- Brush the entire surface of the turkey with the melted butter and sprinkle lightly with salt. Pour any remaining melted butter over the vegetables in the base of the pan. Place the turkey in the oven to roast on the center rack with the legs towards the back wall of the oven.
- After 45 minutes, remove the turkey from the oven and set on the stovetop. Carefully tilt the pan to one side and use a ladle to baste the butter over the breast of the turkey. Return the turkey to the oven, this time with the breast toward the back wall of the oven. Continue basting and rotating the turkey every 45 minutes until done. The turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F, 2 1/2 to 3 hours total. If at any point during the cooking the skin of the breast becomes too dark, cover the breast with aluminum foil and continue cooking to doneness.
- When the turkey is done, remove to a cooling rack to rest for 30 to 45 minutes.
- To make the gravy, place the roasting pan on the stovetop. Turn the heat beneath the roasting pan to medium. Cook the vegetables, stirring constantly, until the butter remaining in the pan is translucent, up to 6 minutes. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the butter, if necessary. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir until a thick paste forms. Pour in the wine, stirring well and scraping the bottom of the pan to release any brown bits that remain stuck to the pan. Add the chicken stock and continue stirring until the stock reaches a simmer. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until flavorful and thickened to your liking.
- Transfer the entire gravy mixture to a saucepot and bring back to a simmer. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper and strain the gravy into a serving container. Serve with the carved turkey.
- Combine the salt, sugar, garlic powder, pepper, fennel and sage in an airtight container and shake to thoroughly combine. Keeps for up to 6 months.
PORT-BASTED ROAST TURKEY WITH PAN GRAVY
Categories Poultry turkey Roast Christmas Thanksgiving Port Fall Bon Appétit
Yield Serves 8
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 325°F. Pat turkey dry. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Rub turkey breast with 2 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold 2-foot-square piece of cheesecloth in half twice, forming 12-inch square. Dip cloth into water; squeeze out excess moisture. Drape cloth over turkey breast, tucking cloth under at sides. Roast 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring 1 1/2 cups broth, Port and 4 tablespoons butter to simmer in heavy medium saucepan, stirring until butter melts. Baste turkey with 3/4 cup Port mixture. Roast turkey 1 hour 10 minutes, basting twice with remaining Port mixture.
- Add water, onion, carrot and apple to roasting pan; stir to coat vegetables with pan juices. Baste turkey with pan juices. Roast 20 minutes. Remove cheesecloth. Roast turkey until skin browns and meat thermometer inserted into innermost part of thigh registers 180°F, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 50 minutes. Transfer turkey to platter; tent with foil.
- Place roasting pan over medium-high heat. Bring pan juices and vegetables to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Add Gravy Base and boil uncovered 5 minutes. Scrape mixture into strainer set over large measuring cup, pressing on solids with back of spoon. Spoon fat off top of pan juices. Add enough additional broth to cup to measure 3 cups liquid if necessary, or transfer pan juices to saucepan and boil until reduced to 3 cups if necessary. Bring pan juices to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Mix 3 tablespoons butter and flour in small bowl to form paste. Add paste to pan juices; bring to boil, whisking constantly. Boil until sauce thickens, whisking occasionally, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve turkey, passing gravy separately.
Tips:
- Thaw the turkey properly: Thaw the turkey in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, or in a cold water bath for 30 minutes per pound.
- Choose the right size turkey: A good rule of thumb is to allow 1 pound of turkey per person.
- Prepare the turkey: Rinse the turkey inside and out and pat it dry. Season the turkey inside and out with salt, pepper, and your favorite herbs and spices.
- Stuff the turkey: If you choose to stuff the turkey, do so loosely. Overstuffing can cause the turkey to cook unevenly.
- Roast the turkey: Place the turkey breast-side up on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Roast the turkey at 325°F for 3-4 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Make the gravy: While the turkey is roasting, make the gravy. In a saucepan, melt butter and sauté onion and garlic. Add port wine and chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add flour or cornstarch to thicken the gravy. Season the gravy to taste.
- Let the turkey rest: Once the turkey is cooked, let it rest for 15-20 minutes before carving. This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the turkey.
Conclusion:
Roast turkey with port wine gravy is a delicious and festive dish that is perfect for a holiday meal. By following these tips, you can ensure that your turkey is cooked perfectly and that your gravy is rich and flavorful. So gather your family and friends around the table and enjoy this classic dish.
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