PERFECT ROAST TURKEY by Martha Stewart

If your roasting pan only fits sideways in the oven, turn the pan every hour so the turkey cooks and browns evenly. For step-by-step photos, see our Roast Turkey and Gravy feature.

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 (20 pound) fresh whole turkey giblets and neck removed from cavity and reserved
2. 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter melted, plus
3. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
4. 1 (750 milliliter) bottle dry white wine
5. 2 teaspoons salt
6. 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
7. Classic Stuffing
8. 1 cup dry red or white wine for gravy (optional)
9. Giblet Stock

COOKING DIRECTIONS:

1. Rinse turkey with cool water, and dry with paper towels. Let stand for 2 hours at room temperature.
2. Place rack on lowest level in oven. Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Combine melted butter and white wine in a bowl. Fold a large piece of cheesecloth into quarters and cut it into a 17-inch, four-layer square. Immerse cheesecloth in the butter and wine; let soak.
3. Place turkey, breast side up, on a roasting rack in a heavy metal roasting pan. If the turkey comes with a pop-up timer, remove it; an instant-read thermometer is a much more accurate indication of doneness. Fold wing tips under turkey. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper inside turkey. Fill large cavity and neck cavity loosely with as much stuffing as they hold comfortably; do not pack tightly. (Cook remaining stuffing in a buttered baking dish for 45 minutes at 375 degrees.) Tie legs together loosely with kitchen string (a bow will be easy to untie later). Fold neck flap under, and secure with toothpicks. Rub turkey with the softened butter, and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and pepper.
4. Lift cheesecloth out of liquid, and squeeze it slightly, leaving it very damp. Spread it evenly over the breast and about halfway down the sides of the turkey; it can cover some of the leg area. Place turkey, legs first, in oven. Cook for 30 minutes. Using a pastry brush, baste cheesecloth and exposed parts of turkey with butter and wine. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and continue to cook for 2 1/2 more hours, basting every 30 minutes and watching pan juices; if the pan gets too full, spoon out juices, reserving them for gravy.
5. After this third hour of cooking, carefully remove and discard cheesecloth. Turn roasting pan so that the breast is facing the back of the oven. Baste turkey with pan juices. If there are not enough juices, continue to use butter and wine. The skin gets fragile as it browns, so baste carefully. Cook 1 more hour, basting after 30 minutes.
6. After this fourth hour of cooking, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. Do not poke into a bone. The temperature should reach 180 degrees F (stuffing should be between 140 degrees and 160 degrees F) and the turkey should be golden brown. The breast does not need to be checked for temperature. If legs are not yet fully cooked, baste turkey, return to oven, and cook another 20 to 30 minutes.
7. When fully cooked, transfer turkey to a serving platter, and let rest for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the gravy. Pour all the pan juices into a glass measuring cup. Let stand until grease rises to the surface, about 10 minutes, then skim it off. Meanwhile, place roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup dry red or white wine, or water, to the pan. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the pan until liquid boils and all the crisp bits are unstuck from pan. Add giblet stock to pan. Stir well, and bring back to a boil. Cook until liquid has reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the defatted pan juices, and cook over medium-high heat 10 minutes more. You will have about 2 1/2 cups of gravy. Season to taste, strain into a warm gravy boat, and serve with turkey.

Yield: 14 servings

NUTRITION INFO Per Serving:

• Calories: 1276 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 7 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0 g
• Fat: 71 g
• Protein: 132 g
• Sugars: 1 g

Roast Turkey with Apples, Onions, Fried Sage Leaves, and Apple Cider Gravy by epicurious.com

Lady apples - small, hard winter apple that is yellow with a reddish cheek - are often used decoratively but we love them for their flavor. Their widely available in markets this time of year. Said to be one of the oldest known apple varieties, they originated in the Forest of Api, France, during medieval times.

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2. Neck and giblets (excluding liver) from turkey
3. 1 celery rib, coarsely chopped
4. 1 carrot, coarsely chopped
5. 1 onion, quartered
6. 4 cups water
7. 2 cups chicken broth
8. 1 bay leaf
9. 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
10. 1 (12 pound) turkey (preferably kosher), feathers removed if necessary and neck and giblets (excluding liver) reserved for making stock
11. 1 pound pearl onions (preferably red)
12. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
13. 2 pounds (2-inch) Lady apples
14. Pan juices from roast turkey
15. 1 cup apple cider
16. 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
17. 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
18. Fried sage leaves

COOKING DIRECTIONS:

1. Turkey giblet stock: Heat oil in a 3-quart saucepan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown neck and giblets. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until reduced to about 4 cups, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Pour stock through a fine sieve into a bowl. Skim off and discard any fat.
2. Roast turkey: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
3. Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper inside and out. Fold neck skin under body and secure with a small skewer. Tie drumsticks together with kitchen string and secure wings to body with small skewers.
4. Put turkey on a rack set in a large flameproof roasting pan. Roast turkey in middle of oven 30 minutes.
5. While turkey is roasting, blanch onions in boiling water 1 minute and rinse under cold water. Peel onions, then toss with 1 tablespoon melted butter and salt and pepper to taste. Toss apples with 1 tablespoon melted butter and salt and pepper to taste in another bowl.
6. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F. Brush remaining 1/4 cup melted butter over turkey and roast 30 minutes more.
7. Baste turkey and scatter onions around it, then roast 30 minutes more.
8. Baste turkey and add apples to roasting pan. Roast another 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until a thermometer inserted into fleshy part of a thigh registers 180 degrees F.
9. Transfer turkey, onions, and apples to a heated platter, leaving juices in pan. Remove skewers and discard string. Let turkey stand at least 30 minutes, up to 45.
10. Make gravy while turkey stands: Skim fat from pan juices and reserve 1/4 cup fat. Pour pan juices into a 2-quart glass measure and add enough turkey giblet stock to make 4 1/2 cups total. Set pan to straddle 2 burners. Add 1 cup stock mixture and deglaze by boiling over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits. Add remaining 3 1/2 cups stock mixture, cider, and vinegar and bring to a simmer. Transfer to glass measure.
11. 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.
12. Stir in any additional turkey juices from platter and season gravy with salt and pepper. Pour gravy through a fine sieve into a gravy boat.

Yield: 8 servings

NUTRITION INFO per serving:

• Calories: 1376 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 35 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4 g
• Fat: 71 g
• Protein: 139 g
• Sugars: 20 g

Notes:

Cooks' notes

Giblet stock can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely, uncovered, then chill, covered.

Onions can be blanched and peeled 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.

We recommend making the turkey giblet stock and fried sage leaves ahead, though they can be prepared while the turkey is in the oven.

Porcini-Rubbed Turkey with Shiitake-Madeira Gravy by Epicurious.com

With its use of dried porch in the turkey rub and fresh shiitakes in the light gravy, this recipe from the late food writer Michael McLaughlin is a fine example of his signature style: deeply flavorful seasonal cooking. You can make the turkey stock for the gravy up to two days ahead.

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3. 14 pounds whole turkey; neck, heart, and gizzard reserved for stock
4. 4 cups low-salt chicken broth
5. 1 large onion, cut into 8 pieces
6. 4 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
7. 4 garlic cloves, peeled
8. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
9. 6 cups turkey stock
10. 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
11. 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
12. 1 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps sliced
13. 1/2 cup Madeira

COOKING DIRECTIONS:

1. For turkey: Grind dried porcini in processor until almost reduced to powder, with some larger bits remaining, about 4 minutes. Transfer to sieve. Shake powdered porcini into bowl; mix in 2 tablespoons butter. Reserve larger bits in sieve. Rinse turkey inside and out; pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey on small rack set in large roasting pan. Rub porcini butter over outside of turkey; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bring porcini bits and chicken broth to boil in small saucepan. Remove from heat; reserve for basting. (Turkey and porcini broth can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill.)
2. Set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. If stuffing turkey, spoon stuffing loosely into main cavity and neck cavity. Tuck wing tips under; tie legs together loosely. Roast turkey 1 hour 15 minutes, covering loosely with foil if browning quickly. Toss onion, carrots, garlic, and oil in bowl to coat; scatter in pan around turkey. Baste with 1 cup porcini broth. Continue to roast turkey until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175 degrees F, basting with 3/4 cup porcini broth and pan juices every 45 minutes, about 2 hours 30 minutes for unstuffed and 3 hours for stuffed. Transfer turkey to platter; let stand 30 minutes (internal temperature will increase 5 to 10 degrees).
3. For gravy: Place roasting pan over 2 burners. Add turkey stock and any remaining porcini broth and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Strain turkey broth into heavy large saucepan; spoon off fat.
4. Mix 4 tablespoons butter and flour in bowl to form paste. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms. Cover; cook until mushrooms release liquids, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add Madeira; boil until wine evaporates, about 2 minutes. Add mushroom mixture to turkey broth; bring to boil. Whisk in flour paste. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until gravy thickens, whisking occasionally, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve turkey with gravy.

Yield: 10 servings