The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (165 page)

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Gravy is an ideal accompaniment to a variety of dishes, not just holiday roasts. We wanted a top-notch all-purpose gravy without having to rely on the juices and pan drippings from a roast. For the liquid component, equal amounts of chicken broth and beef broth struck just the right balance. To develop a pleasant roasted flavor without roasted meat, we found that if we extended the cooking time of our mirepoix (a combination of carrots, onions, and celery), the vegetables would brown and develop a rich fond on the bottom of the pan. After sautéing the vegetables in butter, we added flour to form a roux and cooked it for a long time until it was the color of milk chocolate; this toasted roux provided an unexpectedly rich, roasted flavor.

MAKES 2 CUPS

This gravy can be served with almost any type of poultry or meat or with mashed potatoes. If you would like to double the recipe, use a Dutch oven to give the vegetables ample space for browning and increase the cooking times by roughly 50 percent.

1.
Pulse carrot in food processor until broken into rough ¹⁄
₄
-inch pieces, about 5 pulses. Add celery and onion; pulse until all vegetables are broken into ¹⁄
₈
-inch pieces, about 5 pulses.

2.
Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add vegetables and cook, stirring often, until softened and well browned, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until thoroughly browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in chicken broth and beef broth; bring to boil, skimming off any foam that forms on surface. Add bay leaf, thyme, and peppercorns, reduce to simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and measures 3 cups, 20 to 25 minutes.

3.
Strain gravy into clean saucepan, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

TO MAKE AHEAD:
Finished gravy can be frozen for up to 1 month. To thaw either single or double recipe, place gravy and 1 tablespoon water in saucepan over low heat and bring slowly to simmer. Gravy may appear broken or curdled as it thaws, but vigorous whisking will recombine it.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Spices can give a holiday bird a serious flavor boost, provided they don’t fall off or turn into a soggy mess. We wanted a spice-rubbed turkey featuring succulent meat perfumed with spices and covered with crisp, flavor-packed, mahogany-colored skin. Determining when to apply the spice rub was key, and we discovered it was best to add it after brining. We brined and then air-dried the turkey for maximum skin crispness and then applied the rub not only to the skin but also to the meat underneath and inside the cavity. Lifting the skin had the added advantage of creating pockets of air between the skin and flesh that made it easier for the fat to render. For best flavor, we ground our own spices (coriander, cumin, allspice, and mustard seeds), then mixed them with paprika, ground ginger, thyme, cayenne, and ground cinnamon.

SERVES 10 TO 12

If using a self-basting turkey or kosher turkey, do not brine in step 1, and season with salt after rubbing the turkey with the spice mixture in step 4. Serve this turkey with chutney or a
SIMPLE CRANBERRY SAUCE
rather than gravy. See
“CARVING A WHOLE ROASTED TURKEY”
for information on carving the turkey.

1.
Dissolve salt in 2 gallons cold water in large container. Submerge turkey in brine, cover, and refrigerate or store in very cool spot (40 degrees or less) for 6 to 12 hours.

2.
Meanwhile, toast coriander, cumin, allspice, and mustard in small skillet over medium heat, shaking pan occasionally, until fragrant and wisps of smoke appear, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool mixture to room temperature, then grind to fine powder in spice grinder. Transfer mixture to small bowl and stir in paprika, ginger, thyme, cayenne, and cinnamon; cover and set aside.

3.
Remove turkey from brine and pat dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Place turkey, breast side up, on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan and refrigerate, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, mix 1 tablespoon spice rub with vegetable oil in separate bowl and set aside.

4. TO PREPARE THE TURKEY:
Remove turkey from refrigerator and wipe away any water collected in baking sheet; set turkey on baking sheet. Using your fingers, gently loosen skin covering each side of breast; place oil–spice rub mixture under skin, directly on meat in center of each breast. Gently press on skin to distribute mixture over meat. Rub 3 tablespoons spice rub inside turkey cavity. Rotate turkey breast side down; apply half of remaining spice rub to turkey skin; flip turkey breast side up and apply remaining spice rub, pressing and patting to make spices adhere; reapply any spice rub that falls onto baking sheet. Tuck wings behind back and tie ends of drumsticks together with kitchen twine. Place turkey breast side up on wire rack, set wire rack on baking sheet, and refrigerate, uncovered, 6 to 24 hours.

5. TO ROAST THE TURKEY:
Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line V-rack with heavy-duty aluminum foil and poke several holes in foil. Set V-rack in roasting pan and spray foil with vegetable oil spray. Place turkey breast side down on prepared V-rack. Reapply any spice rub that has fallen off. Roast for 45 minutes.

6.
Remove pan from oven. Using 2 large wads of paper towels, turn turkey wing side up. Return turkey to oven and continue to roast for 15 minutes. Remove turkey from oven and turn other wing side up; roast for another 15 minutes. Remove turkey from oven and turn it breast side up; roast until breast registers 160 degrees and thighs register 175 degrees, 30 to 45 minutes.

7.
Transfer turkey to carving board and let rest, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Carve turkey and serve.