Deconstructed Holiday Turkey With Sage Gravy Recipes

Steps:

• Brine turkey:
• Rinse turkey parts and place in doubled 2 1/2-gallon resealable plastic bags (or large stockpot). Add salt, honey, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, sage, peppercorns, allspice, and celery leaves. Add enough cold water to cover turkey - about 3 quarts. Press out air, close bags, and place in large bowl or other container to protect against leaks. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Roast turkey:
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven.
• Remove turkey parts from brine, pat dry with paper towels, and place, skin side up, on racks set in 2 medium roasting pans (be sure to leave space between parts for air circulation). Pour 1 cup water into each pan. Drizzle turkey parts with melted butter and scatter with sage leaves. Place 1 pan on each oven rack and roast until beginning to brown, about 30 minutes.
• Lower heat to 400°F, switch positions of pans, and rotate each pan 180°. Continue roasting until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast, avoiding bone, registers 165°, about 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Transfer turkey parts to platter and tent with foil.
• Make gravy:
• Pour pan juices into 4-cup glass measuring cup, let stand until fat rises to top, 2 to 3 minutes, then skim off and reserve fat.
• Set 1 roasting pan across 2 burners, add 2 cups chicken broth, and bring to simmer over moderately high heat, scraping up any browned bits. Add simmering broth to pan juices in measuring cup, then add additional chicken broth, if needed, to equal 4 cups liquid.
• In medium saucepan over moderately low heat, melt butter, then whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until smooth, approximately 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in broth mixture and any collected juices from platter holding turkey, then raise heat to moderately high and boil mixture, uncovered, until thickened, about 8 minutes.
• Season gravy with salt and pepper to taste. Carve turkey pieces and garnish with sage; serve with gravy.

Steps:

• Remove giblets and neck from turkey. Reserve turkey neck; refrigerate, covered, overnight. Place turkey in a 15x10-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., 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., Place turkey in oven, legs facing toward back of oven. Roast, uncovered, 40 minutes., 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., 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., 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.

Steps:

• For the rich turkey stock: Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the turkey neck, bones and any meaty trimmings; sear on all sides until nicely browned. This can take about 15 minutes total. Transfer to a plate, then add the onion, carrot and celery, stirring to coat in the pan fat. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring, until browned at the edges. At this point, the giblets (heart, liver, gizzard) can be added and sauteed until lightly browned, if desired. Transfer the contents of the pot to a plate; reserve for later use.
• Use paper towels to wipe out any fat from the pot. Place it over medium-high heat; when it is quite hot, add the broth and use a wooden spoon to dislodge any browned bits in the bottom of the pot. Add the bones, trimmings and vegetables, stirring to combine, then add the bay leaves and thyme, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Once the liquid starts to bubble at the edges, reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and cook for 30 minutes, occasionally skimming off any foam or scum that rises to the top. Then cover and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, during which time you can add the heart and gizzard to cook for 15 minutes and 45 minutes, respectively, then remove to cool and reserve for later use, if desired.
• Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer into an 8-cup container, discarding the solids. You should have about 6 cups. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate so that any remaining fat rises to the top and can be discarded.
• For the stuffing: Line a bowl with a few layers of paper towels.
• Heat a teaspoon or two of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage meat in several pinches/pieces. Cook for about 5 minutes, until it is no longer pink (but not fully browned), stirring often to break up the meat. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to the paper towel-lined bowl to drain.
• Add the remaining oil and the butter to the skillet; increase the heat to medium-high and add the onion, celery, mushrooms, sage, salt and pepper, stirring to combine. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have slightly softened. Return the drained sausage to the skillet, then add the broth and cook for about 1 minute, stirring.
• While the vegetables are cooking, place the cornbread cubes in a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked vegetables and sausage, and toss to combine, crumbling some of the cornbread to form a stuffing that is moist yet loose. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Cool completely, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the turkey: Discard any pieces of fat or excess skin and any pop-up plastic timer. Use paper towels to pat the turkey dry, and place it on a large clean cutting board.
• Use a sharp knife to dislodge and remove the wishbone. Use the shears to snip off the nubbins and smaller parts of the wings. Use a large butcher's knife to carefully cut off the ends of the drumsticks bone; discard the nubs. Use a sharp knife to cut the leg-thigh section from the bird, keeping them together as one large piece. Use a small sharp knife, preferably a fish knife, to cut the flesh away from the bone in each thigh, then snap the bone at the joint and remove it (save for stock).
• Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 375 degrees. Have a two large roasting pans ready, one with a flat rack that fits inside it.
• Season the inside of each boned thigh-leg piece with salt and pepper, then use about 1/2 cup of the cooled stuffing to to fill it. Close the flaps of meat and skin over the stuffing, using toothpicks to secure the flesh. Use the oil to lightly coat the stuffed leg pieces; place them seam side up on the rack inside the roasting pan.
• Use the remaining stuffing to form a large mound at the center of the remaining roasting pan. Drape the backbone-less turkey over the stuffing, so that it covers the stuffing completely and creates a kind of turkey tent. Grease the skin with a little of the oil, then season with the 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste. Add the diced onion, carrots and celery around the turkey. Place the roasting pan with the stuffed legs on the upper rack and the pan with the whole turkey breast/stuffing on the lower rack. Roast for 30 minutes.
• While the turkey parts are roasting, combine the cider, hot pepper sauce and salt in a liquid measuring cup.
• Remove the pan of stuffed legs from the oven; turn them seam side down on the rack, then use a pastry brush to baste them with half of the cider mixture. Return them to the oven and roast for about 1 hour, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the drumstick meat registers 170 degrees. The legs should be browned and crisp. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool for a few minutes.
• As soon as you have returned the stuffed and basted legs to the oven, remove the pan with the turkey breast/stuffing. Use the remaining cider mixture to baste the skin, then return the pan to the oven and roast for 1 hour, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the breast meat (close to the bone) registers 155 to 160 degrees. Transfer the whole turkey breast to a serving platter, and transfer the stuffing to a serving bowl; cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm.
• Pour any drippings from the roasting pan with the rack into the roasting pan with the vegetables. Place the filled roasting pan over medium heat (2 burners if needed). Carefully add the vermouth, using a wooden spatula to dislodge any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Then add 3 cups of the rich turkey stock until heated through. Remove from the heat; strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium saucepan, discarding any solids.
• Place the saucepan over medium heat so the strained mixture heats through. Add the roasted giblets or gizzard, if desired, and allow to heat through. Then use an immersion (stick) blender to puree them in the liquid.
• Whisk together the potato starch or arrowroot and the port in a small measuring cup. Add to the saucepan, whisking, and cook until the liquid in the pan thickens slightly to form a gravy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat and keep warm on the lowest setting.
• When ready to serve, discard the toothpicks in the stuffed legs, then, if desired, use needlenose pliers to carefully dislodge and remove any white tendons that should now be visible on the drumsticks. Arrange the legs in natural positions on either side of the turkey breast; if desired, spoon some of the warm gravy over the turkey pieces before taking the platter and the bowl of warm stuffing to the table. Pour the remaining gravy into a warmed gravy boat.
• To serve, cut the stuffed thighs crosswise into 1/2- or 3/4-inch slices that show stuffing at their center. Carve the remaining turkey at the table; pass the gravy at the table.