Ingredients:
- 2 cups apple cider
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons fresh marjoram
- 1 lemon -- zest only
- 3/4 cup butter
- 14 pounds turkey -- giblets reserved
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup coarsely chopped carrot
- 2 cups chicken stock
- chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 small bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon apple brandy
Boil apple cider and maple
syrup in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup
(about 20 minutes). Remove from heat and mix in 1/2 of the thyme and
marjoram and all of the lemon zest. Add the butter and whisk until melted.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until cold. Preheat
oven to 375F degrees .Place oven rack in the lowest third of oven. Wash
and dry turkey. Place turkey in a large roasting pan. Slide hand under
skin of the breast to loosen breast skin. Rub 1/2 cup of the maple butter
mix under the skin of the breast. You can stuff the turkey at this point.
Rub 1/4 cup of the maple butter mixture over the outside of the turkey.
With kitchen string tie legs of turkey together loosely. Arrange the
chopped onion, chopped celery and chopped carrot around the turkey in the
roasting pan. If desired the neck and giblets may be added to the
vegetables. Sprinkle the remaining thyme and marjoram over the vegetables
and pour the chicken stock into the pan. Roast turkey at 375F for 30
minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350F, and cover turkey loosely with
foil. Continue to roast until very tender, basting occasionally with pan
juices. About 3 to 4 hours unstuffed, 4 to 5 hours stuffed. Pierce the leg
joint with a fork, if the juices run clear or faintly pink then the turkey
is done. Transfer turkey to a platter and cove with foil. Reserve pan
mixture for gravy.
Gravy: Strain pan juices into a measuring cup. Spoon fat from juices. Add
enough chicken stock to make 3 cups. Transfer liquid to a heavy saucepan
and bring to a boil. Mix 3 tablespoons of the reserved maple butter
mixture with the flour in a small bowl to form a paste. Whisk baste into
broth mixture. Add the chopped fresh thyme and bay leaf. Boil until
reduced and thickened slightly, whisking occasionally. Add apple brandy if
desired and season with salt and ground pepper to taste.