Stuffed Roasted Turkey & Gravy

We order our Thanksgiving turkey from the butcher in downtown Issaquah each year and brine ourselves. I usually cook a 10 to 12 pound bird, but the brine instructions will work for a larger turkey as well. Brine your turkey one to two days before cooking.

Stuffed Roasted Trukey & Gravy

We have found that the turkey breast remains moist if baked breast-side down for the first hour of roasting. Just be extremely careful when turning the turkey after the initial hour.

Print Recipe

Ingredients

BRINE

• 2 gallons water
• 1 1/2 cups canning or kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup brown sugar

STUFFING

• 1 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup currants
• 1 cup peeled diced red apples or apple of your choice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 16 cups dried bread cubes
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth or slightly more, if necessary for stuffing and/or gravy

Basting & Gravy

• 1/2 cup red wine
• 2 tablespoons butter melted
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon granules
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

BRINE

• In a food-grade plastic bucket large enough to hold your turkey, mix together the water, salt, garlic, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Store in a refrigerator, and soak turkey for 1 to 2 days before cooking.
• Remove turkey from brine before preparing stuffing. Pat and dry of excess liquid.

STUFFING

• In a saucepan, cook celery and onion in butter at medium-low heat until tender but not brown; add currants and apples and simmer on low for 5 minutes; remove from heat and stir in poultry seasoning, salt and pepper
• Place the bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked mixture. Drizzle with enough broth to moisten, tossing lightly.

ROASTED TURKEY

• Preheat oven to 325°F..
• Season cavity of turkey with salt. Lightly stuff cavity with bread mixture. Pull neck skin to back of turkey. Twist wing tips under back. Tie legs to tail. Place turkey, breast side down, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Oil outside of turkey and place in oven, bake for 1 hour.
• Prepare basting mixture by combining wine, melted butter and orange juice into a small sauce pan over low heat.
• Remove turkey from oven after 1 hour and carefully turn turkey breast side up for the remainder of the roasting time. Baste with wine mixture every 30 minutes until done.
• Recommended roasting times are provided in the table below. However, I prefer to take the temperature for doneness. Test the thigh meat and stuffing. Both should be 165°F.
• When done, transfer turkey to a serving platter and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

GRAVY

• Pour pan drippings into a large measuring cup. Skim fat; stir in remaining wine mixture. Add additional chicken broth, if necessary, to make 1.5 cups liquid.
• In a small saucepan combine cornstarch, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon bouillon granules and salt. Add cooking liquid all at once. Cook at medium heat and stir until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low and cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes more.