Roast Turkey With Herb Butter and Caramelized-Onion Gravy
photo by mersaydees
- Ready In:
- 5hrs
- Ingredients:
- 17
- Serves:
-
14
ingredients
-
Onion base for gravy
- 1⁄2 cup butter
- 4 large onions, thinly sliced
- 1 1⁄2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 1⁄2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 1⁄2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1⁄2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
-
Turkey
- 6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 1 1⁄2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 (21 -22 lb) whole turkey, neck, heart, and gizzard reserved
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 4 1⁄2 cups about low sodium chicken broth
- 2 large fresh rosemary sprigs
- 2 large fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
directions
-
For gravy base:
- Melt butter in large pot over medium-high heat.
- Add onions and sauté until deep brown, about 40 minutes.
- Mix in rosemary and thyme, then flour; stir 1 minute.
- Add vinegar and honey; simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.).
-
For turkey:
- Mix butter and herbs in small bowl.
- Rinse turkey inside and out; pat dry.
- Place on rack set in large roasting pan. Sprinkle inside and out with salt and pepper.
- Starting at neck end, slide hand between skin and breast meat to loosen skin. Spread 1/4 cup herb butter over breast meat under skin. Rub remaining butter over outside of turkey.
- Place turkey parts and onion quarters in pan around turkey. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.).
- Set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 350°F.
- If stuffing turkey, spoon stuffing loosely into main cavity and neck cavity.
- Tuck wing tips under; tie legs together loosely to hold shape. Roast turkey uncovered 1 hour.
- Tent turkey breast and tops of drumsticks loosely with foil; roast 1 hour longer.
- Add 1 cup broth, herb sprigs, and bay leaf to drippings in pan. Celsius.
- ontinue to roast until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175°F, basting with 3/4 cup broth and pan juices every 30 minutes, about 2 hours 30 minutes longer for unstuffed and 3 hours longer for stuffed.
- Transfer turkey to platter; let stand 30 minutes (internal temperature will increase 5 to 10 degrees).
- Strain pan juices into 8-cup measuring cup; spoon fat off top.
- Heat gravy base over medium heat.
- Whisk in flour, then pan juices. Boil until gravy is reduced to 7 cups, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve turkey with gravy.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Cook4_6
United States
I am originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota and moved to Ohio in 1978. It was quite a culture shock going from the city to living next to the Amish. I spend most of my time cooking, cleaning and caring for my four kids. I have abandoned cookbooks and now cook from favorite, wilted recipe pages and the internet. I fell in love with my Italian family recipes (Scavo, Rotella, Scalzo, Micelli, Grande, Gigliotti) and my Mom's homecooked meals.