Description
Ina Garten’s turkey gravy elevates holiday meals with rich, silky flavor from pan drippings. Smooth, deeply savory sauce promises to complement roasted meats perfectly for you.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (12- to 14-pound / 5.4 to 6.3 kg) fresh turkey
- 1 large yellow onion, unpeeled and cut into eighths
- 1 large red onion, halved and sliced 0.6 cm thick
- 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and halved
- 10 large fresh sage leaves
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 15 ml minced fresh thyme leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 lemon, quartered
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 57 g unsalted butter, melted
- 6 tbsps (¾ stick / 85 g) unsalted butter
- 45 g all-purpose flour
- 1 liter good chicken stock (preferably homemade)
- 240 ml dry white wine (such as Pinot Grigio)
- 30 ml Cognac or brandy
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Turkey Preparation: Craft a salt mixture with thyme and lemon zest 3 days before roasting. Thoroughly rinse and dry the turkey, then apply salt mixture inside the cavity and over the skin. Refrigerate for 1-2 days, uncovering the day before roasting to develop a crisp exterior.
- Roasting Process: Preheat oven to 165°C. Position turkey in a roasting pan, stuffing cavity with onion, lemon, and thyme sprigs. Truss legs and wings, brush with melted butter, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 2-2¼ hours until breast reaches 74°C, then transfer to a platter and tent with foil.
- Meat Resting: Return turkey to oven for 15-20 minutes to ensure dark meat reaches 82°C. Remove sections to the platter, tent with foil, and allow 15 minutes for juice redistribution.
- Plating Technique: Create a thin gravy layer in a serving dish, arrange carved turkey slices, and warm in the oven for 15-30 minutes. Serve with additional gravy on the side.
- Gravy Base Creation: Melt butter in a saucepan, caramelize onions and garlic for 15-20 minutes. Add flour, cook while stirring. Incorporate chicken stock, Cognac, sage, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. Rest, strain, and refrigerate.
- Final Gravy Preparation: Deglaze roasting pan with wine, scraping caramelized bits. Whisk in prepared gravy base, simmer until slightly thickened. Adjust seasoning and serve hot.
Notes
- Master Salting Technique: Create a fragrant salt mixture with thyme and lemon zest 3 days before roasting to infuse deep flavor and ensure a perfectly seasoned turkey.
- Skin Crisping Secret: Uncover the turkey the day before cooking, allowing the skin to air-dry and develop an irresistibly crispy, golden exterior.
- Temperature Precision: Use a meat thermometer to nail the perfect doneness – 74°C for breast meat and 82°C for dark meat ensures juicy, safe-to-eat turkey.
- Flavor-Building Gravy Hack: Let the gravy base rest for an hour and strain thoroughly to concentrate flavors and create a rich, restaurant-quality sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg