Great Turkey and Gravy Recipes

Golden-Brown Turkey
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10 to 12-lb Turkey*
½ cup butter or margarine, melted
Old-Fashioned Dressing**
½ cup butter or margarine
1 cup finely chopped onion
3 cups finely chopped celery
¾ cup finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon pepper
1 egg, slightly beaten
12 cups fine fresh white-bread crumbs
  1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Remove giblets from turkey; set aside for gravy. Wash and dry turkey very well inside and out.
  2. Make old-fashioned Dressing: Melt 1/2 cup butter in skillet over low heat.  Add onion and celery: sauté until golden-about 5 minutes.  Toss lightly with rest of dressing ingredients in large bowl just until well mixed.
  3. Spoon dressing into neck cavity.
  4. Bring skin of neck over back: fasten with poultry pin.
  5. Spoon dressing into body cavity. Do not pack. Bake any leftover dressing in covered casserole.
  6. Insert about 5 poultry pins, at regular intervals, to draw body opening together.  With long piece of twine, lace cavity closed, bootlace fashion; tie with knot.
  7. Bend wing tips under body or fasten wings to body with poultry pins.  With twine, tie ends of legs together. Brush turkey all over with some of melted butter.
  8. Insert meat thermometer in inside of thigh at thickest part.  Turn, breast side down, on rack in shallow roasting pan.
  9. Roast, uncovered, 2 hours.  Turn breast side up.  Saturate cheesecloth square with rest of melted butter; place over turkey breast.  (Or brush turkey with rest of butter;  cover breast loosely with square of foil.)  Roast 2 to 2-1/2 hours longer.
  10. As cheesecloth dries out, moisten with pan drippings. (Or brush turkey with drippings.)
  11. Turkey is done when meat thermometer registers 185 to 190°F; leg joint should move freely when twisted, and fleshy part of drumstick should feel soft.
  12. Place turkey on heated platter; remove cheesecloth or foil, twine, and poultry pins. Let stand 20 to 30 minutes.
  13. Meanwhile, make Giblet Gravy.
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Giblet Gravy
(Takes a long time but not difficult & very good)
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Giblets and neck from turkey
1 celery stalk, cut up
1 bay leaf
1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small carrot, pared and cut up
2½ teaspoons salt
4 whole black peppers
½ cup roast-turkey drippings
½ cup unsifted all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon pepper
  1. Split gizzard with sharp knife, if necessary, remove inner sac; scrape gizzard lining. Wash giblets.  Refrigerate liver.
  2. Place giblets (except liver) in medium saucepan with neck, celery, bay leaf, onion, carrot, 1/2 teaspoon salt, black peppers, and 6 cups water; bring to boiling.
  3. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 2-1/2 hours, or until giblets are tender.  Add liver; simmer 15 minutes longer.
  4. Strain broth, pressing vegetables through sieve along with broth.  Measure; add water to make 5 cups.
  5. Chop giblets coarsely; set aside.
  6. When turkey has been removed to heated platter, pour off drippings in roasting pan.  Return 1/2 cup drippings to pan.
  7. Stir in flour, to make a smooth mixture; brown it slightly over low heat, stirring to loosen any brown bits in pan.  Remove from heat.  Gradually stir in broth.
  8. Return to heat; bring to boiling, stirring.  Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes stirring.
  9. Add 2 teaspoons salt, pepper, and giblets; simmer 5 minutes.
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