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Thanksgiving: Make-Ahead Roast Turkey and Gravy

Source of Recipe

From "Cook's Illustrated All Time Best Holiday Entertaining"


Recipe Introduction

"What's the secret to roasting turkey ahead of time? Turkey parts. We first roasted a breast and legs in a V-rack over a pan filled with onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, using the vegetables for a rich make-ahead stock; we bolstered its flavor by roasting extra legs. The next day, we cut the breast from the bone and protected the delicate white meat by removing the skin, slicing the meat, and drizzling it with stock. Before reheating alongside the legs, we replaced the skin and wrapped the breast in foil. Enhanced turkey parts will work well here. If you prefer un-enhanced parts, brine them, dissolving 1 cup of salt in 2 gallons of cold water, submerging the parts, covering, and refrigerating for 3 to 6 hours. Omit the salt in step 1."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 onions, chopped
â—¦ 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
â—¦ 2 celery ribs, chopped
â—¦ 2 cloves garlic, peeled
â—¦ 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
â—¦ 4 (1 ½- to 1 ¾-pound) turkey leg quarters, trimmed
â—¦ 1 (6- to 7-pound) bone-in whole turkey breast, trimmed
â—¦ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
â—¦ Salt and pepper
â—¦ 4 cups chicken broth
â—¦ 4 cups water
â—¦ 1 bay leaf
â—¦ ½ cup all-purpose flour


Recipe

Adjust oven racks to middle and lowest positions and heat oven to 325 degrees. Place onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and thyme in large roasting pan. Set V-rack in pan. Pat turkey parts dry with paper towels. Arrange 2 legs and breast, skin side up, in V-rack. Evenly brush each piece with melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Place remaining 2 legs in 13-by-9-inch baking dish and season with salt and pepper.

Place pan on upper rack and dish on lower rack. Roast until breast registers 160 degrees and thighs register 175 degrees, 2 to 2 ½ hours. Transfer 2 legs and breast to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and let cool completely, about 2 hours.

Transfer vegetables and remaining 2 legs to large pot, scraping up any browned bits. Add broth, water, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon pepper to pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until reduced to 5 cups, 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours. Pour stock through fine-mesh strainer into large container; discard solids. Let cool for 1 hour, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days. Wrap cooled legs and breast tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Scrape fat from top of chilled stock and reserve 5 tablespoons fat. Bring stock to simmer in medium saucepan over medium heat. Measure out and reserve ¼ cup stock. Heat reserved fat in large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Slowly whisk in remaining 4 ¾ cups stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened and reduced to 4 cups, 12 to 14 minutes.

Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Transfer legs and breast to carving board. Separate legs into thighs and drumsticks and arrange on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Cut breast meat from bone into 2 single breasts. Working with one breast at a time, remove skin and set aside. Slice breast crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices and place on 18-by-12-inch sheet of aluminum foil, keeping slices together. Pour 2 tablespoons reserved stock over breast and top with reserved skin. Wrap breast tightly and place on rack with legs. Roast until meat is heated through and thighs and drumsticks are crispy, 20 to 25 minutes. Discard breast skin. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing gravy separately.

Serves 10 to 12