Roast Turkey with Maple Herb Butter and Gravy

Source: Bon Appetit, November 1994

• Maple Butter
  • 2 cups apple cider
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram
  • 1.5 teaspoons grated lemon peel
  • 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) butter, room temperature
• Turkey
  • 1 14-pound Turkey, neck and giblets reserved
  • 2 cups chopped onions
  • 1.5 cups chopped celery with leaves
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped carrot
  • 2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
• Gravy
  • 3 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
  • 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 small bay leaf
  • 2 tablespoons apple brandy (optional)

• Maple Butter
  1. Boil apple cider and maple syrup in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in half of chopped thyme, half of marjoram and 1.5 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.)
• Turkey
  1. Position rack in lowest 1/3 of oven and preheat to 375F.
  2. Rinse turkey; pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Loosen skin over breast by running hand gently between skin and meat. Rub 1/2 cup maple butter over breast under skin.
  3. If stuffing turkey, spoon stuffing into main cavity. Rub 1/4 cup maple butter over outside of turkey. Reserve remaining maple butter for gravy. Tie legs together loosely to hold shape of turkey.
  4. Arrange onion, celery, carrot and reserved turkey neck and giblets around turkey in pan. Sprinkle vegetables with remaining 1 tablespoon thyme and remaining 1 tablespoon marjoram. Pour 2 cups broth into pan.
  5. Roast turkey 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350F. Cover entire turkey loosely with heavy-duty foil and roast until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180F or until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with skewer, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 2 hours 25 minutes for unstuffed turkey (30 minutes longer for stuffed).
  6. Transfer turkey to platter. Tent turkey with aluminum foil and let stand 30 minutes; reserve mixture in pan for gravy.
• Gravy
  1. Strain 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.
  2. Transfer liquid to heavy medum saucepan and bring to boil. Mix 3 tablespoons reserved maple butter and flour in small bol to form smooth paste. Whisk paste into broth mixture. Add chopped fresh thyme and bay leaf. Boil until reduced 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.