Kitchen Tip: Avoid lumpy gravy by sifting flour slowly over the turkey juices while whisking constantly. Don’t sprinkle or pour in the flour.
Roast turkey with cider gravy
By Chatelaine13
PREP TIME
20 min
TOTAL TIME
3 hrs 25 min
Serves
8 to 10
* PLUS 12 chilling and standing time
Photo, Roberto Caruso.
Ingredients
- 6 to 7 kg turkey , thawed
- 1/3 cup butter , softened
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp salt , divided
- 1 small onion , chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 500-mL can hard cider , or 2 cups apple juice
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- RESERVE neck from turkey for broth. Pat turkey very dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Combine butter with onion and garlic powders, paprika and 1 tsp salt in a small bowl. Rub butter mixture underneath and over skin of turkey, then bend and tuck wing tips under the back. Transfer turkey to a rack set on a baking sheet. Refrigerate, uncovered, up to 12 hr.
- TURKEY broth: Cover reserved neck, chopped onion and bay leaves with 4 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer, uncovered, for 30 min. Strain and save only the liquid. (Discard solids.) Broth should measure 3 cups.
- REMOVE turkey from refrigerator 1 hr before roasting. Place on a rack set in a large roasting pan, then sprinkle turkey with remaining ½ tsp salt and pepper. Position rack in bottom third of oven, then preheat to 400F.
- COVER turkey and pan tightly with foil. Roast for 1 hr. Reduce heat to 300F. Remove foil and pour cider into pan. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh reads 170F, about 1 hr 40 min more.
- TRANSFER turkey to a carving board and tent loosely with foil. Let stand for 30 min. Skim fat from pan juices in roasting pan.
- PLACE roasting pan over 2 stovetop burners on medium (or pour pan juices into a saucepan). When it comes to a boil, sift in flour while whisking constantly. Gradually whisk in 3 cups prepared turkey broth. Simmer, stirring often, until thickened, 10 to 15 min. Serve with carved turkey.
Chatelaine Turkey 101: How to carve a turkey
Nutrition (per serving)
- Calories
- 508,
- Protein
- 83 g,
- Carbohydrates
- 6 g,
- Fat
- 15 g,
- Fibre
- 1 g,
- Sodium
- 575 mg.
- Excellent source of
- vitamin B6
