Sage Roasted Turkey and Apple Cider Gravy

When the Quiet Man called his South Dakota grandma to tell her he was going to be married, she had one question about his potential bride. I was listening in, and I was a little nervous. What would it be? Did she want to know if I loved the Quiet man with an eternal, burning passion? If I was a wiry, hard worker? If I had a criminal record for prior felonies? If I wanted children, preferably a dozen hearty boys? Nope. What she wanted to know was this: "Well, does she know how to make gravy?"

"Does she know how to make gravy?" The Quiet Man paused for a moment (he usually does, no matter what the question), and replied, "I think she does, Grandma, but she prefers to make tacos." That satisfied Grandma, who was very worried about the young whippersnapper girls these days who don't know how to cook a good meal for their hard working husbands. She had one quirky question for the Quiet Man, too-but that is a subject for an entirely different post.

Today we are here to talk about gravy, and although it is true that for 11/12 of the year I would rather make tacos, there is nothing that I'd rather make right now than gravy. Lots of it. (Especially if my brother-in-law Mikey is coming, and if I make gravy, then he's definitely coming.)

I have such a fantastic, easy, make ahead recipe from Bon Appetit that I must share. It's luscious, brown and savory with a hint of sage and a touch of apple cider sweetness. And once you see how simple it is to make, you'll be able to stand up to the scrumptious scrutiny of your future grandmother-in-law.
We're going to talk turkey for a minute too, because you really can't make gravy without the turkey's flavorful pan drippings. But this turkey is unbelievably delicious in it's own right.I love this recipe, but it requires a little foresight. Basically, I soak my turkey in a 2 day brine, which makes it juicy and flavorful. But you've got to plan ahead. For a 16 pound frozen turkey, you've got to start thawing the FRIDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING. The turkey will brine between Monday morning and Wednesday night. But look what you get for your advanced planning?

I'll leave complete instructions below, but let's get to that sumptuous gravy.

For the gravy, two days ahead of Thanksgiving, I make a gravy "base." You simply boil together purchased chicken broth and apple cider for about 20 minutes to intensify the flavor. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, you make a thickening roux by whisking flour into equal parts melted butter. The broth mixture and roux are combined with a little cream and some herb butter (which will also be rubbed onto the turkey), and reduced again at a low simmer. That's it! The only thing left to do is add the drippings from your roasting pan on Thanksgiving. Be vigilant about removing most of the fat from your drippings to make the best possible gravy. But you're done! That's it. There will be no lumps, no last minute panic attacks, no pasty packets of gravy mix. Base + turkey drippings= fantastic gravy...and a happier marriage? Maybe grandma had it right. See for yourself if you don't feel passionately committed to married life after you make gravy for yourself.

Money Saving Tips: Did you get your free turkey from a grocery store? If not, Wal-mart has them ridiculously cheap-less than $10. You should be able to find broth and cider on sale this week very easily. If you can't find fresh sage, use about 1/4 the amount in dried. Use any apples you have on hand for the roasting.

Sage Roasted Turkey with Apple Cider Gravy

Estimated Cost: $15.00 for 8 servings and oodles of leftovers

slightly adapted from Bon Appetit

Notes: Thaw turkey in fridge from Fri-Mon before Thanksgiving, brine from Mon-Wed night.

Brining

8 quarts cold water

1 cup salt

8 dried bay leaves

2 tablespoons black peppercorns

1 tablespoon allspice

1 16- to 17-pound turkey; giblets removed,

Herb butter and gravy

3 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley

3 tablespoons minced fresh sage

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

4 cups low-salt chicken broth

2 cups apple cider

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

1/2 cup whipping cream

Roasting

2 large Granny Smith apples, quartered, cored

2 large onions, quartered

1 cup apple cider

To brine the turkey:
Line extra-large pot or bowl with two 13-gallon (or larger) plastic bags, 1 inside the other. Combine 1 quart water, salt, bay leaves, peppercorns, and allspice in large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until salt dissolves. Remove from heat. Add 1 quart cold water and cool to lukewarm. Pour into plastic bags; mix in remaining 6 quarts water. Submerge turkey in brine to cover completely, gathering bags tightly to eliminate any air; tie bags closed. Refrigerate turkey in brine in pot at least 18 hours and up to 20 hours.
Line large roasting pan with 4 layers of paper towels. Remove turkey from brine and drain well; discard brine. Place turkey in prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

For herb butter and gravy:
Mix parsley, sage, and nutmeg in small bowl. Transfer half of chopped herb mixture to small bowl; mix in 1/2 cup butter.
Combine broth and apple cider in heavy large saucepan. Boil until reduced to 3 cups, about 20 minutes. Pour broth reduction into bowl. Melt remaining 1/4 cup butter in same saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour; stir 1 minute. Whisk in broth reduction, then cream, and remaining chopped herb mixture. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until gravy base is thickened and reduced to 2 3/4 cups, whisking often, about 20 minutes. Cool gravy base slightly. (Gravy base and herb butter can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.)To roast the turkey:
Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Remove turkey from roasting pan; drain any accumulated juices from main cavity. Discard paper towels from roasting pan. Melt herb butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Brush bottom of roasting pan with some of herb butter. Return turkey to prepared pan. Tuck wing tips under; tie legs together loosely to hold shape. Place some apple quarters and onion quarters in main cavity. Brush remaining herb butter over turkey; sprinkle with pepper. Scatter remaining apples and onions around turkey in pan.
Roast turkey 1 hour. Baste with 1/2 cup apple cider. Roast turkey 30 minutes. Baste with remaining 1/2 cup cider. Roast turkey until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175°F, basting turkey every 30 minutes with pan juices and covering breast loosely with foil if browning too quickly, about 2 hours longer (3 1/2 hours total). Transfer turkey to platter; let stand at least 30 minutes before carving (internal temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees).
Discard apples and onions from pan. Pour pan juices into large glass measuring cup; spoon off fat from surface. Pour degreased juices into gravy base and bring to boil over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally. Boil until gravy thickens enough to coat spoon and is reduced to 3 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Season gravy to taste with pepper.
Serve turkey with gravy.

These potatoes were born for gravy. They're just waiting....

I almost forgot to remind you to vote for my recipe at French's. There are only six days left to vote every day to send old Pru to NYC. Can we get to 500 votes this weekend? Help me find out. And thank you. Good-bye.
Next Up:

Brown Bag Apple Pie for my Cousin Julie