Unless you have access to multiple ovens, only a very large turkey will do when you’ve got a crowd coming to dinner. But finding a container large enough to brine a gargantuan bird can be tricky, and turning the bird in the oven (our usual method for evenly cooked meat) can be tricky.
We wanted the Norman Rockwell picture of perfection: a crisp, mahogany skin wrapped around tender, moist meat. And it had to be easy to prepare in a real home kitchen. We chose a Butterball turkey, which has already been brined for juicy flavor (a kosher bird, which has been salted, works well, too).
A combination of high and low heat produced a tender, juicy bird with deeply browned skin. We boosted the savory flavor with the addition of onion, carrot and celery, and a quartered lemon added bright, clean flavor.
After roasting, we allowed the turkey to rest so the juices could redistribute. If you are reluctant to rotate the turkey, skip the step of lining the V-rack with foil and roast the bird breast side up for the full time.
You can’t serve turkey without gravy (and if you ask us, the same goes for mashed potatoes and stuffing, too), but this key part of any holiday feast is often left to the last minute, frantically cobbled together once the bird emerges from the oven.
Our make-ahead gravy relieves some of the stress of holiday hosting and even boasts bigger turkey flavor than your typical gravy recipe. Good gravy comes from good stock, so we started by roasting turkey parts with chopped carrots, celery, onions and garlic.
Once the meat was deeply browned and the vegetables caramelized, we transferred everything to a Dutch oven. Chicken broth and white wine plus some sprigs of thyme promised flavorful, savory complexity.
Following a lengthy simmer, we strained out the solids and proceeded with our gravy making (though the stock can be refrigerated or frozen for later use). We used the stock’s fat to build a roux, browning a cup of flour in the heated fat before whisking in the stock.
The finished gravy boasted all the body of a traditional preparation, but it was ready with time to spare and offered incredible meaty depth. If you wish to make this gravy at the same time as your turkey, you may add the giblets and neck along with the thighs or wings. Discard the strong-tasting liver before using the giblets.
For more flavor, after roasting the turkey, skim the drippings from the pan and slowly add them to the gravy (tasting as you go so the gravy does not become overly salty).
ROAST TURKEY FOR A CROWD
Servings: 20-24
Start to finish: 3 hours 30 minutes (plus 30 minutes for resting)
3 onions, chopped coarse
3 carrots, chopped coarse
3 celery ribs, chopped coarse
1 lemon, quartered
2 sprigs fresh thyme
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 (18- to 22-pound) turkey, neck and giblets removed and reserved for gravy, if desired
1 cup water, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
MAKE-AHEAD TURKEY GRAVY
Makes about 2 quarts
Start to finish: 4 hours 30 minutes
6 turkey thighs, trimmed, or 9 wings, separated at joints
Reserved turkey giblets and neck, optional
2 medium carrots, chopped coarse
2 medium celery ribs, chopped coarse
2 medium onions, chopped coarse
1 head garlic, halved
Vegetable oil spray
10 cups chicken broth, plus extra as needed
2 cups dry white wine
12 sprigs fresh thyme
Unsalted butter, as needed
1 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper
Defatted turkey drippings, optional
Nutrition information per serving of turkey: 567 calories; 287 calories from fat; 32 g fat (10 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 215 mg cholesterol; 500 mg sodium; 3 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 66 g protein.
Nutrition information per serving of gravy: 92 calories; 39 calories from fat; 4 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 4 mg cholesterol; 69 mg sodium; 7 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 2 g protein.
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