Maple Roasted Turkey and Gravy

Maple Roasted Turkey

My plan for Thanksgiving this year is to keep ‘all things simple.’ We are going to be out of town on the actual holiday, so we had our celebration early. I made a small bird, because we are a small family. Also, I didn’t want a pile of leftovers, because we are a small family. I heard about maple roasted chicken and figured I could do it with a turkey. They are both fowl? Right?

Right! This was so easy. Prep only took 15 minutes and then I could go on to make the rest of my meal. I only had to baste the turkey twice. This was the moistest turkey I have EVER tasted. The sugar in the syrup carnalized and held in the juices. The maple, garlic and thyme were a perfect flavor combination.  You could probably use rosemary instead, but I really liked the thyme.

Servings:  6-8

Hardware:  Knives & a chopping board, measuring cups, a whisk, a silicone spatula, a large spoon, a sauce pot, kitchen twine, paper towels, a 12-inch skillet that can be used on top of the stove and in the oven (I used cast iron), a thermometer, a serving platter, foil, a strainer, and a small bowl

Time: Prep-15 minutes, Cook-2 ¾-3 hours, Turkey in 4 hours

Ingredients

• 8-pound turkey whole chicken
• Salt and black pepper
• 5-6 sprigs thyme
• 4-5 stalks celery
• 1 large onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 stick of unsalted butter
• ⅓ cup maple syrup
• Cooking spray
• 3 tablespoons of cornstarch
• 3 cups chicken broth
  

1. Heat the oven to 375˚ degrees. Clean the celery and slice each stalk in half. Wash and save the celery tops. Peel and quarter the onion. Peel the garlic and crush it. Set aside.
2. In the saucepan, melt the butter on medium-low. Add a large sprig or two of thyme, a garlic clove and the maple syrup and cook while whisking for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. Pat the turkey dry. Remove the giblets and save them for something else. Generously sprinkle the turkey with salt and pepper, inside and out. Place a quarter of the onion, the celery greens, the rest of the garlic and the rest of the thyme into the cavity.
4. Spray the skillet with cooking spray and heat over high heat. Put the celery stalks and the rest of the onion into the skillet. When the skillet is hot, place the turkey, breast side up, on top of the veggies. Tuck the wings under and tie the legs together.
5. Pour about ⅓ of the maple mixture over the turkey and salt and pepper again. Place the turkey in the oven. Roast the turkey for 2-3 hours or until the thermometer reads 165˚ when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh. Pour another ⅓ of the mixture over the turkey every hour.
6. When the turkey has reached the desired temperature, place it onto the serving try and remove the veggies and herbs from the cavity. Tent it in foil and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
7. Now, make the gravy. Mix the cornstarch in the small bowl with ½ cup of COLD water until the cornstarch dissolves. Strain the pan juices into the sauce pot, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Whisk in the cornstarch-y water. Boil while whisking until the gravy thickens. Taste it and adjust the salt. Carve the turkey. Serve warm. Be thankful.