Roast Turkey with Gravy

Preparation

1. Position the oven rack in the lower third and preheat the oven to 230 °C. Set the neck and giblets (without liver) aside for the gravy and pat the turkey thoroughly dry.
2. Carefully loosen the skin over the breast from the neck opening and slide the pieces of butter underneath, taking care not to tear the skin. Fold the neck skin under the body, tuck the wing tips under the breast and tie the legs together with kitchen string.
3. Mix the salt and pepper and rub the bird with it inside and out. Set it breast side up on a rack in a large roasting tin; if the tin is dark, pour the cold water into the base.
4. Roast, turning the tin through 180 degrees halfway through, until a thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh (not touching the bone) shows 77 °C, which takes about 1¾ to 2½ hours. If the breast browns too much beforehand, cover it loosely with foil.
5. About an hour before the end of the cooking time, sear the neck and giblets in butter and olive oil in a heavy pan until brown. Roast the diced vegetables with them, deglaze with white wine, top up with stock, add salt, pepper, thyme and sugar and simmer uncovered for at least 30 minutes.
6. Take the turkey out, letting the juices from the cavity run into the tin, and put it on a platter. Do not clean the tin. Rest the bird for 30 minutes, during which the thigh temperature rises to about 82 °C.
7. Remove the giblets from the liquid and purée the sauce with the vegetables, stirring in the cranberry sauce if you like. Pour the contents of the roasting tin into a tall, narrow container, skim off the fat and add the clear meat juices to the sauce. Bring to the boil, season and reduce a little more if needed.
8. Carve the turkey and serve with the hot gravy.

Drink with it

• Red wine · excellent match

  Spätburgunder, Pinot Noir or Beaujolais Cru

  Juicy red fruit and acidity suit the lean meat and the cranberry sauce, and the soft tannins do not dry out the breast.

  Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosing ↗

• White wine · excellent match

  Lightly oaked Chardonnay

  Creamy body and light toasty notes from the cask meet the browned skin and the butter, and the acidity carries the gravy.

• Fortified wine · good match

  Amontillado or dry Madeira (Sercial), lightly chilled

  Nutty richness without tannin picks up the roasted flavours and the thyme in the gravy.

  Port wine: understanding Ruby, Tawny, and Vintage ↗

• Dark beer · good match

  Märzen or dark lager

  Malty roasted notes pick up the gravy and the browned skin, and the carbonation keeps the richness fresh.

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