If you are looking for a foolproof recipe for making Roasted Turkey this Thanksgiving, I have the best recipe for you! I will walk you through every step of the process, from how long it takes to thaw the turkey, how to brine it, and most importantly how to roast it. Plus I’ll even share my top tips for making lump-free herb gravy.
Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add salt and stir until dissolved. Pour into a cooler, big enough to fit the turkey and brine. Add cold water and ice and stir to chill. Add the turkey, cover and keep in a cool place.
Rub the turkey all over and inside the cavity with the garlic herb mixture. Add the whole sage, thyme and fresh rosemary sprigs to the cavity. Tie legs together with kitchen twine and tuck wing tips under. Place turkey in a large roasting pan.
Rotate the roasting pan so that the legs face the opposite direction in the oven. Reduce oven temperature. Pour two cups water into the pan. Continue roasting.
When the turkey is roasting, combine giblets and turkey neck (discard liver), cold water, celery, carrots, onions, peppercorns and bay leaf in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and gently simmer more. Strain and discard solids.
Mash the butter and flour together in a small dish until creamy and completely combined. Remove the rack from the pan. Skim the fat from the pan drippings. Add the defatted pan juices to the pan along with reserved garlic-herb mixture. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits.
Add turkey giblet stock to the pan, and continue whisking until the browned bits are all incorporated into the liquid. Bring to a simmer. Gradually whisk the butter-flour mixture into the simmering liquid, whisking constantly. Simmer, whisking often until the gravy is thick.