Name: Fresh Herb Butter-Basted Turkey
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT1H0M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT5H35M0.000S
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 17-pound whole fresh turkey, rinsed well and patted dry; 1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, slightly softened; 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage; 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary; 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme; 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper; 3 large carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces; 3 large stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces; 2 large onions, quartered; 4 cups homemade chicken stock, plus more if needed for gravy; Turkey neck; 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, plus 1 tablespoon finely chopped; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 cup dry white wine; Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Make the turkey: Remove from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting.
Put the butter, sage, rosemary, thyme and parsley in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Season the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper and stuff with half each of the carrots, celery and onions; tie the legs together with twine. Rub the turkey with the herb butter and season liberally with salt and pepper.
Put the chicken stock in a medium saucepan and keep warm over low heat.
Place the remaining vegetables in a large roasting pan. Put the turkey on top of the vegetables, breast-side up, put in the oven and roast until lightly golden, about 45 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and continue roasting, basting with the warm chicken stock every 15 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 160 degrees F, 2 to 2 1/4 hours longer. Remove the turkey from the oven, transfer to a baking sheet and tent loosely with foil, then let rest 20 minutes before slicing.
Make the sage gravy: Strain the cooking liquid from the roasting pan into a medium saucepan (you should have about 4 cups; if not, add more stock to make 4 cups). Add the turkey neck and bring to a boil. Add the sage leaves, remove from the heat and let steep for 15 minutes; remove the sage leaves.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking, 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until reduced. Whisk in the sage-infused stock and cook, whisking, until thickened and smooth, 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and the chopped sage. Serve with the turkey.

Photograph by Bobbi Lin

Legal Terms and Privacy

Meals

Ingredients

Dinners

Tips & Techniques

Fresh Herb Butter-Basted Turkey

Ingredients

For the Turkey:

For the Sage Gravy:

Directions

Tools You May Need

Tools You May Need

My Private Notes

Categories:

Looking for Something Else?

👩‍🍳 What's Cooking

Shop With Us

Related Pages