Roast Turkey with Oranges, Bay Leaves, Red Onions, and Pan Gravy
- 1 (12- to 14-lb) turkey (preferably kosher), any quills removed if necessary and neck and giblets (excluding liver) reserved for making stock
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 navel oranges, each cut into 8 wedges
- 3 small red onions, each cut into 8 wedges
- 5 bay leaves (not California)
- 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
- Pan juices from roast turkey
- About 4 cups turkey stock (page 198)
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- Garnish: 4 roasted onions, each cut into 8 wedges (optional); fresh bay leaves (do not eat)
- Special equipment: small metal skewers or wooden toothpicks; kitchen string
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry.
- Sprinkle turkey inside and out with salt and pepper, then fold neck skin under body and secure with small skewer.
- Stuff large cavity with oranges, 1 onion, and bay leaves.
- Tie drumsticks together with kitchen string and secure wings to body with small skewers.
- Put turkey on a rack set in a large flameproof roasting pan and roast in middle of oven 30 minutes.
- While turkey is roasting, toss remaining 2 onions with 2 tablespoons melted butter.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350F.
- Brush remaining 1/4 cup butter over turkey and roast 30 minutes more.
- Baste turkey and scatter buttered onion wedges around it, then roast, basting turkey every 30 minutes (add a little water to pan if onions get too dark) until an instant-read thermometer inserted into fleshy part of a thigh (do not touch bone) registers 170F, 1 1/2 to 2 hours more (total roasting time: 2 1/2 to 3 hours).
- Transfer turkey to a platter (do not clean roasting pan) and let stand 25 minutes (temperature will rise to 180F).
- Transfer pan juices with onions to a 2-quart glass measure, then skim off and reserve 1/4 cup fat.
- Add enough turkey stock to pan juices to make 4 1/2 cups total.
- Set roasting pan across 2 burners, then add 1 cup stock mixture and deglaze pan by boiling over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits.
- Add remaining stock mixture and bring to a simmer.
- Pour stock through a fine sieve back into glass measure and discard onions.
- Whisk together reserved fat and flour in a large heavy saucepan and cook roux over moderately low heat, whisking, 3 minutes.
- Add hot stock mixture in a fast stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in any additional turkey juices accumulated on platter and season gravy with salt and pepper.
- Serve turkey with gravy on the side.
turkey, salt, black pepper, oranges, red onions, bay leaves, unsalted butter, pan, turkey stock, flour, onions, metal skewers
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/roast-turkey-with-oranges-bay-leaves-red-onions-and-pan-gravy-105729 (may not work)