| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 4 hr 45 min |
| Active: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | 8 to 10 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dark pure maple syrup
- 2 heaping tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 heaping tablespoons prepared horseradish, drained
- 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 17-pound fresh turkey, patted dry (neck and giblets removed)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, slightly softened
- 12 cups homemade chicken stock
- 3 large carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 3 large stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 large onions, quartered
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 7 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Splash of dry white wine (optional)
- 1/4 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs (such as sage, parsley and tarragon)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Make the glaze: Whisk the maple syrup, mustard, horseradish and chile powder in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cover and let sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. (The glaze can be made up to 2 days in advance; store, covered, in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before using.)
- Prepare the turkey: Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. Preheat the oven to 450˚ F. Season the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper. Rub the outside of the turkey with the butter and season liberally with salt and pepper. Put 4 cups chicken stock in a medium saucepan and keep warm over low heat.
- Place the carrots, celery and onions in a large roasting pan and place a roasting rack on top. Put the turkey on the rack, place in the oven and roast until light golden brown, about 45 minutes. (Tent the turkey loosely with foil if it is browning too quickly.) Reduce the oven temperature to 350˚ F, baste with 2 cups warm stock and continue roasting, basting with 2 more cups warm stock halfway through, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 155˚, about 1 hour. After the turkey reaches 155˚ F, begin basting with the maple glaze; continue roasting, basting with the glaze every 10 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165˚ F, about 20 more minutes.
- Remove the turkey from the oven and transfer to a large cutting board. Tent loosely with foil and let rest at least 45 minutes before slicing. Strain the drippings into a bowl and discard the solids. Add enough of the remaining chicken stock to make 6 cups liquid.
- Make the gravy: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook until light golden brown, about 8 minutes. Slowly whisk in the stock-drippings mixture, then bring to a boil and whisk until the gravy begins thickening and the flour taste has been cooked out, about 10 minutes. Add more stock until you reach the desired consistency. If desired, add a splash of white wine and cook 2 more minutes. Stir in the herbs and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat the remaining stock in a saucepan over low heat. Remove the turkey legs and wings, then remove the dark meat and shred. Remove the breasts and cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices. Ladle some of the warm stock on top of the turkey and serve with the gravy.
Reviews
Best turkey I have EVER made!!!
This is a fantastic recipe. I agree with a previous reviewer that you should drain the drippings before the glazing, but I drained the drippings before and after. While making the gravy, I added a 1/2 cup of the drippings post-glaze and it was the best gravy I’ve ever made.
The glaze gives an incredibly delicious crisp skin to the bird!
I would advise pouring out the drippings for your gravy BEFORE you begin glazing the turkey. The gravy ended up too sweet for my taste, as a lot of the glaze ended up pouring off the bird and into the pan below.
Other than that slight disappointment, this recipe was perfect and highly recommended! My wife and I both loved it!
Been cooking this recipe for four years now. It is the best Turkey Day recipe I’ve ever tried. My family always looks forward to it. Can’t say enough about it. Definitely try this one!
I saw this on Bobby Flay’s Thanksgiving special and had to try it. WOW!! I made the recipe exactly as it was written and it was undoubtedly the best turkey I have ever had. Everyone RAVED about this. I love the skin (c’mon, who doesnt?!) and it was absolutely delectable. This is my go-to recipe every year now. Thanks Bobby for a fabulous recipe!
The maple glaze was FABULOUS. Just not sure where the other parts went wrong for me. The first hour was perfect (at 450 degrees). After decreasing to 350, things got a little ambiguous. My thermometer confirmed that my oven was operating at the correct temperature, but the turkey was definitely not ready at the times indicated above. Having to pull it out multiple times to confirm made the skin and some parts really rubbery. 🙁 Not sure I’d try this one again, but I’d absolutely make the delicious maple glaze again and use it on turkey wings for a weeknight dinner.
Absolutely the best turkey I’ve ever had. I DO NOT like turkey (or so I thought), and this recipe was just amazing. SO flavorful, tender, and delicious! Everyone raved about it.
Worked beautifully & tasted even better!