Roast Turkey with Madeira Pan Gravy

(Ngoc Ming Ngo)

Such an easy and spectacular recipe – madeira (not cooking wine; the kind that’s good enough to drink) imparts richness, acidity, and sweetness all at once. Madeira works well with all kinds of poultry and can be whisked into a lavish gravy with ease. And since Thanksgiving is a time for celebration, what better way than to cook with the perfectly paired wine!

Cook Time:

Prep Time:30 min

Total Time:5 hours

Servings: 18

Ingredients:

1 (18- to 20-lb.) fresh turkey, neck and giblets removed and reserved

1 teaspoon each kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, mixed

8 cup stuffing of choice

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup cup chicken broth Madeira Pan Gravy (see recipe below)

3 cup chicken broth

Reserved neck and giblets from turkey (excluding liver)

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

3 garlic cloves, smashed

Roasting pan and its contents, from Roast Turkey

1 cup Madeira wine

1/3 cup cup all-purpose flour

Kosher salt and pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Rinse turkey thoroughly inside and out with cold water; pat dry. Sprinkle neck and body cavities with half of the salt mixture. Loosely stuff neck cavity with about 2 cups stuffing. Fold skin over; secure with skewers. Loosely stuff body cavity with remaining 6 cups stuffing; cover exposed stuffing in body cavity with foil.

Tie drumsticks together with kitchen twine. Tuck wings under, or secure to sides of breast with skewers. Brush butter over turkey and season with remaining salt mixture. Insert meat thermometer into center of thigh next to body, not touching bone.

Place turkey, breast side up, in roasting pan; loosely tent with foil. Add broth to roasting pan. Roast 3 1/2 hours, basting every 30 minutes with pan juices, or until thermometer registers 160°F. Remove foil. Continue to roast 1 hour, or until turkey-breast skin is crisp and golden, and thigh registers 175°F (an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of stuffing should register 160°F).

Transfer bird to platter or carving board and tent with foil. Let rest 30 minutes. Remove stuffing from turkey cavities to bowl. Carve turkey. Serve with Madeira Pan Gravy (see recipe below)

While turkey roasts, to large saucepan, add broth, 3 cups water, neck, and giblets; bring to boiling. Skim foam from surface and discard. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 1 1/2 hours; discard solids. You’ll need 5 cups turkey broth to make pan gravy.

When turkey is roasted, pour drippings from pan through sieve into an 8-cup glass measure. Skim off 1/3-cup rendered fat from surface of drippings for gravy; spoon off and discard all remaining fat from drippings until only dark pan juices remain.

Place roasting pan across 2 stovetop burners on medium. Deglaze pan with Madeira wine, scraping up browned bits with wooden spoon or metal spatula from bottom and sides of pan, until wine has reduced to 1/2 cup; pour into skimmed pan juices. Add reserved fat to pan; whisk in flour. Cook, whisking, until smooth and bubbly; whisk in skimmed pan juices. Gradually whisk in 5 cups turkey broth, and bring to boiling. Boil about 8 minutes, or until thickened. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Pour into server.