Talking Turkey

The turkey is, of course, the centerpiece of Thanksgiving. But this simple main dish can become somewhat stressful, since there's so much emphasis on it.

On The Early Show Tuesday, cookbook author and cooking teacher Tori Ritchie offered advice on selecting your bird, preparing it with relative ease, and on making great gravy to go with it.

Ritchie was in the flagship store in Manhattan of specialty home furnishings retailer Williams-Sonoma for part two of a weeklong series surrounding the big day.

Ritchie's turkey recipe adds lots of flavor without too much effort. But before spelling it out, Ritchie offered what amounts to Turkey 101.

Choosing your turkey

A fresh turkey tastes better than a frozen one. Order your turkey at least a week in advance, pick it up a day ahead, and remove it from the refrigerator 1 to 1 1/2 hours before roasting. It will cook more evenly if it is at room temperature to start with. It also cooks more evenly if it hasn't been stuffed. Ritchie points out that using fresh turkeys enables you to avoid having to thaw your bird over a number of days; a frozen turkey weighing eight to 12 pounds requires two to three days in the fridge to fully thaw.

General advice

It's best to truss, but not stuff, the bird. It's also better to bake dressing alongside for safety and so the bird will cook faster and more evenly.

As for roasting: Start in a hot oven (400-425°), breast-side-up for about 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350/325° and roast 2 1/2 to 3 hours more (for a 12 to 16 pound turkey), until the breast is 165° and the thigh is 175°.

Let the turkey rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving. Tent the turkey while it's resting so the juices can saturate the bird.

Figure on needing 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of bird, per person, if you want leftovers. This is slightly more generous than some would recommend.

Preparing the turkey

Have turkey on a plastic board with paper towels alongside, for rinsing and patting dry.

Put some onion, celery, and parsley inside the bird. Sprinkle the cavity with salt and pepper.

Turn the wings under (this is optional) and tie the legs together with kitchen string, for trussing.

Have melted butter in a small pan on the stove and a container of herbes de Provence alongside.

Brush the turkey, sprinkle with herbs, salt and pepper, and transfer to roasting pan.

Put turkey in oven.

Test for doneness.

Making classic gravy

Have pan drippings in a gravy separator; have melted butter in a medium saucepan; add flour and cook roux. Add drippings and turkey stock; cook until thickened, about 2 minutes, then season with salt and pepper and sherry, if desired.

Making shortcut gravy

Have pan drippings in another gravy separator; have milk warmed in a medium saucepan; stir in turkey base and whisk; add pan drippings; whisk until desired thickness.

For recipes, go to Page 2.RECIPES

Herbes de Provence Roast Turkey

This is a classic, simple recipe flavored with a blend of thyme, marjoram, basil, lavender and other herbs. You can substitute dried thyme and oregano if preferred.

1 fresh or thawed frozen turkey, about 16 lb.
1 yellow onion, quartered
2 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch lengths
3 or 4 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
2 to 3 Tbs. herbes de Provence*
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 to 6 Tbs. (1⁄2 to 3⁄4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Let the turkey stand at room temperature for 1 to 1 1⁄2 hours. Do not leave the turkey at room temperature longer than 1 1⁄2 hours. Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 425°F.

Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey and reserve for making gravy, if desired. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place the onion, celery, parsley and 1 Tbs. of the herbes de Provence in the body cavity, and season with salt and pepper. If desired, truss the turkey with kitchen twine. Brush the turkey with some of the melted butter. Sprinkle with the remaining herbes de Provence and season with salt and pepper.

Place the turkey, breast side down, on a buttered roasting rack in a large roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes, basting with some of the remaining butter after 15 minutes.

Using 2 pair of tongs or heat-resistant kitchen gloves or mitts, turn the turkey breast side up and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Continue roasting, basting with the remaining butter and pan juices every 15 to 20 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast, away from the bone, registers 165°F, and into the thigh, 175°F.

Total roasting time should be 3 to 3 3⁄4 hours. Transfer the turkey to a warmed platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for about 20 minutes before carving.

Serves 12.

From Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

Turkey Gravy

Turkey gravy, the perfect complement to roast turkey, is especially delicious when made from the pan juices, enhanced with turkey or chicken stock.

Pan drippings from roasted turkey
3/4 cup water
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
2 cups turkey or chicken stock, lightly salted
2 Tbs. dry sherry (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Skim and discard any fat from the turkey drippings in the roasting pan. Add the water to the pan and set over medium heat. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom and sides of the pan. Transfer to a bowl.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. When it bubbles, add the flour and stir rapidly for a few seconds to cook the flour. Rapidly whisk in the reserved pan drippings and the stock. Cook until the gravy is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the sherry and season with salt and pepper.

Pour the gravy into a warmed sauceboat or wide-mouthed pitcher for serving. Makes 2 to 2 1/2 cups.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

Shortcut Turkey Gravy

This turkey gravy combines the drippings from your roasted turkey with purchased gravy base. After roasting the turkey, transfer it to a carving board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let the bird rest while you make the gravy.

Roasting pan with drippings from roasted turkey
3/4 cup (180ml) turkey or chicken stock
1 jar (18 oz./510g) Williams-Sonoma gravy base*
2 1/4 cups (560ml) milk

Set the roasting pan with the drippings over medium-high heat. Add the stock and bring to a brisk simmer, stirring with a French whisk to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom. Continue simmering for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Pour the contents of the pan into a fat separator; for smooth gravy, pour the liquid through the strainer. Set aside. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the gravy base and milk and heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture simmers. Pour the liquid from the fat separator into the saucepan, leaving the fat behind. Whisk to combine and cook until the desired thickness is reached.

Transfer the gravy to a warmed sauceboat and serve immediately. Makes about 1 quart (1 l).

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen

Available at Williams-Sonoma stores.