Recipe - Roast Turkey With Maple Herb Butter And Gravy

FOR TURKEY
2 cup Apple cider
1/3 cup Pure maple syrup
2 tablespoon Chopped fresh thyme or 2
teaspoons dried
2 tablespoon Chopped fresh marjoram or 2
teaspoons
; dried
1 One half teaspoon Grated lemon peel
Three fourths cup Butter; room temperature (1
; One half sticks)
1 Turkey; neck and giblets
; reserved (14pound)
2 cup Chopped onion
1 One half cup Chopped celery with leaves
1 cup Coarsely chopped carrot
2 cup Canned lowsalt chicken
broth

FOR GRAVY
3 cup Canned lowsalt chicken
broth; (about)
3 tablespoon All purpose flour
1 teaspoon Chopped fresh thyme or 1/2
teaspoon dried
1 small Bay leaf
2 tablespoon Apple brandy; (optional)

Make turkey:

Boil apple cider and maple syrup in heavy large saucepan over mediumhigh
heat until reduces to One half cup, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in
half of chopped thyme, half of marjoram and 1 One half teaspoons lemon peel. Add
butter and whisk until melted. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours. (Can be prepared 2 days
ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 375F. Pat turkey dry
with paper towels. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Slide
hand under skin of turkey breast to loosen shin. Rub One half cup maple butter
over breast under skin. If stuffing turkey, spoon stuffing into main
cavity. Rub One fourth cup maple butter over outside of turkey. Reserve remaining
maple butter for gravy. Tie legs together loosely to hold shape of turkey.
Arrange onion, celery, carrot and reserved turkey nick and giblets around
turkey in pan. Sprinkle vegetables with remaining 1 tablespoon thyme and
remaining 1 tablespoon marjoram. Pour 2 cups broth into pan.

Roast turkey 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350F. Cover entire
turkey loosely with heavyduty foil and roast until meat thermometer
inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180F or until juices rum
clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with skewer, basting
occasionally with pan juices, about 2 hours 25 minutes for unstuffed turkey
(2 hours 55 minutes for stuffed turkey). Transfer turkey to platter. Tent
turkey with aluminum foil and let stand 30 minutes; reserve mixture in pan
for gravy.

Make gravy:

Stain pan juices into large measuring cup, pressing on solids with back of
spoon. Spoon fat from pan juices. Add enough chicken broth to pan juices to
measure 3 cups. Transfer liquid to heavy medium saucepan and bring to boil.
Mix 3 tablespoons reserved maple butter and flour in small bowl to form
smooth paste. Whisk paste into broth mixture. Add chopped fresh thyme and
bay leaf. Boil until reduces to sauce consistency, whisking occasionally,
about 10 minutes. Mix in apple brandy, if desired. Season gravy to taste
with salt and pepper.

Brush turkey with any remaining maple butter and serve with gravy.

Serves 12.

Bon Appetit November 1994

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