Maple-glazed turkey with Dijon Gravy

Makes 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients:

Maple butter

¾ cup pure maple syrup
4 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram
¼ cup coriander seeds, coarsely cracked in resealable plastic bag
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

Turkey

1 16 to 18 lb turkey; neck, gizzard and heart reserved
2 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped celery with leaves
2 cups sliced peeled parsnips (about 5 medium)
3 cups canned low-salt chicken broth

Gravy

2 ½ cups canned low-salt chicken broth
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 small bay leaf
2 tablespoons Madeira
1 to 2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram

Directions:

For Maple Butter:

• Boil maple syrup and 2 tablespoons marjoram in heavy medium saucepan until reduced to ½ cup, about 4 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Mix in 1 tablespoon marjoram, coriander, lemon peel and pepper.
• Add butter and whisk until well blended.
• Freeze until butter is firm but still spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. (can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

For Turkey:

• Set rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 375F.  Rinse turkey inside and out; pat dry with paper towels.
  Place turkey on small rack set in large roasting pan.
  Starting at neck end, carefully slide hand between skin and breast meat to loosen skin.
• Rub ½ cup maple butter over breast meat under skin.  If stuffing turkey, spoon stuffing into neck and main cavities.
• Tie legs together loosely to hold shape.
  Rub ¼ cup maple butter over outside of turkey.  Reserve remaining maple butter for gravy.
• Arrange onions, celery, parsnips and reserved turkey parts around turkey in pan.  Sprinkle vegetables with remaining 1 tablespoon marjoram.
• Roast turkey 30 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350F.  Cover entire turkey (not pan) with foil and roast 1 ½ hours.
  Add 2 cups broth to pan; roast turkey 1 ½ hours.
  Remove foil.
• Add 1 cup broth to pan and roast turkey until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175F, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 30 minutes longer if unstuffed or 1 hour longer if stuffed.
• Transfer turkey to platter; tent with foil and let stand 30 minutes (internal temperature of turkey will increase 5 to 10 degrees).
• Reserve mixture in the pan for gravy.

For Gravy:

• Strain pan juices into large measuring cup, pressing on solids; discard solids in strainer.
• Spoon fat from top of pan juices; discard fat.
  Add enough chicken broth to pan juices in cup to measure 4 ½ cups.
• Melt ¼ cup maple butter and 3 tablespoons butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Add flour; whisk constantly until mixture is deep brown, about 8 minutes (mixture will resemble lumpy oatmeal-like paste).
• Gradually which in broth mixture; bring to boil.
• Add bay leaf and boil until thickened to sauce consistency, whisking occasionally about 10 minutes.  Whisk in Madeira, 1 tablespoon mustard and marjoram.
• Simmer 2 minutes.
• Taste, adding more mustard if desired.
  Season gravy with salt and pepper.
• Brush turkey with maple butter.

Serve turkey with gravy.

Bon Appetit – November 2001, pg. 193