Thanksgiving Turkey and Gravy

Ingredients:

1 Turkey, fresh or frozen and thawed
Several sprigs of fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage, finely chopped (Save a few sprigs of each to stuff into the cavity of the turkey.)
2 sticks of butter, one cold, one at room temperature
Salt and Pepper
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
2 large carrots, roughly chopped
Aluminum foil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Blend the chopped herbs into the cold stick of butter, either by hand or with a food processor.  Set aside.  Rub a quarter of the room temperature stick of butter between your hands and massage the butter into the skin of the turkey.  Re-butter your hands as needed to massage butter into the entire bird.  Loosen the skin and put chunks of the herbed butter under the skin all over the turkey.  Sprinkle salt and pepper over the outside of the turkey.  Place the chunks of onion, celery, carrot, and the sprigs of herbs into the cavity of the turkey.  Put the turkey on a rack in a deep baking or roasting pan with the breast side up.

Mold a piece of aluminum foil over the breast of the turkey.  Remove it, spray the bottom side with non-stick cooking spray (like Pam) and set aside.  Place the turkey, breast side up, in the 500 degree oven for 30 minutes.  If the breast is not nicely browned, leave it in for another 10 minutes.  When it is nicely browned, cover the breast with the aluminum foil breast plate.  Put your meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and reduce the heat of the oven to 350 degrees.  Set your meat thermometer for 161 degrees.  The temperature of the white meat will rise to 165 degrees while the turkey rests after cooking.  The dark meat will be at 180 degrees at this point.  It should take an 18 pound turkey about 2-2½ hours after the oven temperature has been lowered if you don’t open the oven door.  No basting is necessary!

Once the turkey has reached 161 degrees, take it out of the oven, lift it out of the baking pan and place it on a platter or slicing board.  Cover the entire turkey with foil and LET IT REST FOR 20 MINUTES.  Do not skip this step!  While the turkey is resting, you can make gravy from the pan drippings. 

To make gravy:
Ingredients:
Pan drippings from roasted turkey
Store-bought chicken or turkey stock (optional)
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup water
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
Spoon off most of the grease from the top of the pan drippings or use a fat separator to remove most of the fat.  In a tall container, blend together the flour and water.  I use an immersion blender to make it really smooth.  A shaker or regular blender would also work just as well, but be sure not to have any lumps.  Strain it if necessary.

If your turkey pan can’t be heated on your stovetop, transfer the pan drippings to a pan that is safe to use on your stovetop.  Be sure to get all the little brown bits from the bottom of the pan if you do this!  Add some store-bought chicken or turkey stock to the drippings if you want more gravy than the turkey provided.  Heat the pan drippings (and stock) to a boil.  Stir in the flour water a little at a time until the gravy is thickened.  Don’t go overboard at first; it will thicken as it cooks.  Taste your gravy and season with salt and pepper.