Prep: 30 min. + chilling ; Bake: 2 hours 10 min. + standing
Makes: 16 servings (3-1/2 cups gravy)
Ingredients
• 1 turkey (14 to 16 pounds)
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground sage
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 celery ribs, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, chopped
• 1-1/4 cups water, divided
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 3 fresh sage sprigs
• 4 fresh thyme sprigs
For the Gravy
• 1 to 1-1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh sage
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Directions
1) Remove giblets and neck from turkey. Reserve turkey neck and refrigerate, covered, overnight. Place turkey in a 15×10-in. baking pan, breast side up. Secure skin to underside of neck cavity with toothpicks. Mix salt, sage and garlic powder. Tuck wings under turkey; tie drumsticks together. Pat turkey dry. Rub outside of turkey with salt mixture. Refrigerate turkey, loosely covered, overnight.
2) Preheat oven to 475°. Place onion, celery, carrots and reserved neck in bottom of a broiler pan; add 1/2 cup water. Place broiler pan rack over top; transfer turkey to rack. Rub outside of turkey with oil; sprinkle with pepper. Pour wine and remaining water into turkey cavity; add sage and thyme sprigs.
3) Place turkey in oven, legs facing toward back of oven. Roast, uncovered, 40 minutes.
4) Reduce oven setting to 350°. Cover breast tightly with a double thickness of foil. Roast until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170°-175° (thermometer should not touch bone or fat), 1-1/2 to 2 hours longer.
5) Remove turkey from oven. Let stand, uncovered, 20 minutes before carving. Using a turkey baster, remove liquid from turkey cavity to a large measuring cup. Line a strainer or colander with cheesecloth; place over measuring cup. With a slotted spoon, remove vegetables from bottom of broiler pan, reserving 1-1/4 cups. Discard turkey neck. Strain cooking liquid into measuring cup. Skim fat, reserving 1/4 cup fat. Add enough broth to the cooking liquid to measure 2 cups.
6) In a large saucepan, mix flour and reserved fat until smooth; gradually whisk in broth mixture. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Add half of the reserved vegetables. Puree gravy using an immersion blender; or, cool gravy slightly and puree in a blender. Stir in sage, pepper and remaining vegetables; heat through. Serve with turkey.
