Roast Turkey with Wild Mushroom Gravy

From Good Housekeeping

Photo by Kate Mathis

Active time: 35 minutes

Total time: 4 hours 15 minutes

Makes 14 main-dish servings plus leftovers

1 (14-lb.) fresh or frozen (thawed) turkey

1 lemon

1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, chopped

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh sage leaves, chopped

2 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped

Salt and pepper

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped

1 medium celery stalk, coarsely chopped

2 small onions, each cut into quarters

2 Tbsp. margarine or butter

8 oz. sliced white mushrooms

6 oz. sliced cremini mushrooms

4 oz. sliced shiitake mushrooms

1 cup dry white wine

2 cans (14 to 14.5 oz. each) chicken broth (if needed)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Fresh herbs and fruit for garnish

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Remove neck and giblets from turkey cavity; set aside. Discard liver or save for another use. Cut neck into several large pieces. Rinse turkey inside and out with cold running water and drain well; pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey, breast side up, on small rack in large roasting pan (17” by 11 1/2”). Scatter neck and giblets in pan around turkey.
  2. Grate 1 teaspoon lemon peel and place in small bowl. Cut lemon in half and set aside. To grated lemon peel, add parsley, sage, thyme, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and stir until blended.
  3. To medium bowl, add oil, carrot, and celery; stir in 2 tablespoons herb mixture to coat vegetables. Place vegetable mixture in pan around turkey. Sprinkle remaining herb mixture inside body and neck cavities, and rub all over outside of turkey. Squeeze juice from lemon halves into both cavities, and place lemon halves and 4 onion quarters in body cavity. Place remaining 4 onion quarters in pan around turkey. Fold wings under back of turkey. If drumsticks are not held by band of skin or stuffing clamp, tie legs together with string.
  4. Cover turkey with loose tent of foil; roast 2 1/2 hours. Remove foil and roast 1 1/4 hours.
  5. About 20 minutes before turkey finishes roasting, cook mushrooms for gravy: In 12-inch nonstick skillet on medium, heat margarine until melted. Add all mushrooms and cook, covered, 6 minutes. Uncover and cook 11 to 12 minutes, or until tender and golden, stirring occasionally. Remove skillet from heat and set aside.
  6. Turkey is done when temperature on meat thermometer, inserted into thickest part of thigh next to body, reaches 175° to 180°F and breast temperature reaches 165°F.
  7. When turkey is done, carefully lift from roasting pan and tilt to allow juices to run into pan. Place turkey on platter; cover loosely with foil.
  8. Complete gravy: Remove rack from roasting pan. Strain pan drippings into 4-cup liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, leaving neck and giblets in pan. Let drippings stand for about 1 minute to allow fat to separate from meat juices. Spoon 1/4 cup fat from drippings into 2-quart saucepan. Discard any fat remaining in pan.
  9. Place roasting pan over 2 burners on top of range, and cook 2 to 4 minutes on medium-high to brown giblets, neck, and bits on bottom of pan, stirring constantly. Carefully add wine to roasting pan and boil about 3 minutes, or until wine is reduced by half, stirring until browned bits are loosened from bottom of pan. Strain wine mixture into meat juices in measuring cup; add any additional meat juices on platter. Discard neck and giblets. Add enough broth to meat-juice mixture in cup to equal 4 cups total. (Save any leftover broth for another use.)
  10. With wire whisk, mix flour into fat in saucepan; cook on medium 3 to 4 minutes, or until mixture turns golden-brown, whisking constantly. While still whisking, gradually add meat-juice mixture to saucepan; cook on medium-high until mixture boils and thickens, stirring frequently; boil 1 minute. Stir in mushroom mixture; heat through. Pour gravy into gravy boat and serve with turkey. Garnish platter with herbs and fruit. Makes about 6 cups gravy.