Slow-Roasted Turkey With Cream Gravy

Total Time: 10 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 10 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 12 lbs fresh whole turkey, thawed
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 10 cups cold water
• 4 celery ribs, quartered and divided
• 2 medium onions, peeled, quartered, and divided
• 2 carrots, quartered and divided
• cooking spray
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Recipe

• 1 Place breast halves and leg quarters in a large bowl; sprinkle with salt. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight.
• 2 Combine reserved giblets, wings and backbone in a large Dutch oven. Add 10 cups water, 8 celery pieces, 4 onion quarters, and 4 carrot pieces. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 5 hours or until mixture measures 8 cups. Cool to room temperature. Cover and chill stock 8 hours or overnight.
• 3 Skim solidified fat from surface of stock; discard fat. Return stock to high heat; bring to a boil. Boil for 30 minutes or until stock measures 3 cups. Strain mixture througha sieve, reserving stock. Discard the solids.
• 4 Remove turkey from refrigerator, and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• 5 Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• 6 Arrange turkey pieces skin side up, in a roasting pan, and arrange remaining 8 celery pieces, 4 onion quarters, and 4 carrot pieces in pan. Brush turkey skin with 2 tablespoons cream; sprinkle with black pepper. Bake at 325 degrees F for 1 1/2 hours or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of breast registers 165 degrees F, basting every 30 minutes with 2 1/2 tablesppons stock. Remove from oven. Place breast halves and leg quarters on a jelly-roll pan or cutting board. Let stand, covered, for 30 minutes. Discard skin.
• 7 Add 1 cup stock to bottom of roasting pan; carefully scrape browned bits from bottom of pan. Place a zip-top plastic bag inside a 2-cup glass measure. Pour drippings into bag; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to top). Seal bag, and carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Strain drippings through a sieve into a medium saucepan, stopping before the fat layer reaches the opening; discard fat and solids. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups stock to pan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Combine remaining 6 tablespoons cream and cornstarch, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Stir until sauce thickens.