Deep-South Roasted Turkey and Gravy

Prep Time:
35 mins
Total Time:
3 hrs 35 mins
Servings:
enough to feed one hungry family and a few unwanted relatives
Ingredients
-
1/3 cup salt
-
1 fresh turkey
-
1 onion, roughly chopped
-
1 carrot, roughly chopped
-
1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
-
1 tablespoon kosher salt
-
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
-
Poultry Seasoning
-
2 cups chicken broth
-
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
-
1 tablespoon Kitchen Bouquet
Directions
1.
Dissolve salt in a small amount of warm water; add ice and enough cold water to equal 1 gallon.
2.
In an ice chest, place turkey and enough brine to completely cover turkey. (You may need more than 1 gallon.) Close ice chest lid. For best results, let turkey sit in brine for 24 hours.
3.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
4.
Remove turkey from brine and pat dry. Place onion, carrot, and celery inside cavity of turkey. Truss turkey. Sprinkle skin of turkey with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Place turkey on a roasting rack in a roasting pan.
5.
Sprinkle turkey liberally with Poultry Seasoning. Pour chicken broth into bottom of roasting pan.
6.
Roast turkey for 12 minutes per pound (approximately 2 hours 45 minutes). Do not baste or open the oven door during roasting process. Turkey is done when a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh reaches 180 degrees. Remove roasting rack and place turkey on a cookie sheet. Let turkey rest for 2 minutes per pound before serving.
7.
Remove drippings from pan. Using a fat separator, remove fat from juices. Reserve broth and fat. (You should have 1/4 cup fat. If you do not, add a bit of oil to make up the difference.)
8.
Heat reserved broth in a microwave oven.
9.
In a medium skillet, place turkey fat. Add flour to fat, stirring to blend. Cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add hot broth and simmer until thickened. Add canned chicken broth if gravy is too thick. Add Kitchen Bouquet.
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