Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and I can’t wait! Last year I wanted to try something different and made a Cranberry Hazelnut Turkey Wellington. It wasn’t the most beautiful turkey dish, but it sure tasted good. This year, I went for something more traditional with this Herb Roasted Turkey with Gravy recipe. I’m the type of person who either skips the gravy or buys it, so making my own will be a bit of an adventure. Let’s see if I’m up to the task!
Gourmet doesn’t necessarily mean complicated. And in this case, it really couldn’t be simpler. This turkey only takes a few minutes to prepare.
The Ingredients
The list of ingredients for this recipe wasn’t too long, and I loved the fact that it called for plenty of fresh herbs. I went with the author’s suggestions and used parsley, rosemary, thyme, and sage. After the turkey (about $15 for 9.5 pounds), the fresh herbs were the most expensive item at just over $8 for all four.
The only item I couldn’t find was the turkey stock, so I went with the closest thing I could find: chicken stock. I sure hope there isn’t a huge difference in the taste.
The Process
I have to say this roasted turkey and gravy recipe was pretty easy to make. The instructions were clear and I didn’t have any trouble following along. Here’s how it went:
- 17 minutes to prep
- 2 hours 45 minutes to cook the turkey
- 12 minutes to make the gravy
- 3 hours 14 minutes total
I went by the directions for the turkey until the part where the temperature was raised to 425 degrees. My oven’s heating elements are on the bottom, and the drippings started burning away and smoking a lot. I raised the rack a couple of notches to fix that issue. I also re-tented the turkey with foil to keep it from browning too fast.
Once the turkey was done, I had 1/2 cup of dippings for the gravy. I added 1 1/2 cups of the chicken stock to that because I like my gravy on the thick side. The gravy was still on the thin side after simmering for 10 minutes, but it did thicken up some as it cooled.
The Equipment
- Roasting pan with rack
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring spoons
- Kitchen string
- Basting brush
- Aluminum foil
- Saucepan
- Measuring cup
- Whisk
The Recipe
Unfortunately, this recipe was removed from the author’s site. I have re-written and posted it here so this amazing recipe will live on.
Herb Roasted Turkey with Gravy Recipe
Equipment
- roasting pan with rack
- cooking oil spray
- cutting board
- sharp knife
- measuring spoons
- kitchen string
- basting brush
- aluminum foil
- medium saucepan
- Measuring cup
- whisk
Ingredients
Turkey:
- 1 10 lb. turkey
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium onion quartered
- 1 head garlic halved
- several sprigs of fresh herbs I used parsley, rosemary, thyme, and sage
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup butter melted
- 1 Tbsp. parsley chopped
- 1 Tbsp. rosemary chopped
- 1 Tbsp. thyme chopped
- 1 Tbsp. sage chopped
Gravy:
- turkey drippings from above 10 lb. roasted turkey
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2-3 cups turkey stock or broth
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
To make the turkey:
- Place oven rack in the lowest position and preheat oven to 325℉. Spray the rack of your roasting pan with vegetable oil.
- Remove neck and giblets from turkey (if included) and pat dry with a paper towel. Place onion, garlic, herb sprigs, and bay leaves into the turkey cavity and set aside.
- Mix the chopped herbs in a small bowl. Use your fingers to gently lift the turkey skin at the breast and thighs. Add some of the herb mixture under the skin and rub the outside of the skin with the rest.
- Place the turkey breast side up on the prepared roasting rack. Tie the legs closed and tuck the wings underneath to keep the tips from burning.
- Brush the outside of the turkey with half of the melted butter then season with salt and pepper.
- Loosely tent the turkey with aluminum foil and roast for 2 hours.
- Remove the foil and baste the turkey with the remaining butter. Increase the oven temperature to 425℉.
- Return the turkey to the oven and cook until a meat thermometer placed in the inner thigh (not touching the bone) reaches 165℉ (approximately 45 to 65 minutes). Loosely tent with foil if the skin browns too fast.
- When the turkey is done remove it from the oven and allow it to stand for 15 minutes before carving.
To make the gravy:
- In a medium saucepan, melt the buter over medium heat. Add flour while whisking constantly to form a roux, approximately 1 minute.
- Once the roux is formed, mix in the drippings from the turkey with the turkey stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and adjust the consistency if desired. Add more stock if the gravy is too thick, or simmer for a few additional minutes if it’s too thin.
