Flavour bomb: roast turkey with gravy

• unsalted butter↗200g g

  softened

• garlic cloves↗3 3

  chopped

• soy sauce↗2 tbsp tbsp
• Worcestershire sauce↗1 tbsp tbsp
• miso paste↗1 tbsp tbsp
• rosemary leaves1 tbsp tbsp

  chopped (keep sprigs for turkey)

• smoked paprika↗½ tsp tsp
• lemon↗1

  zest

• ready-to-roast turkey5-6kg kg

  with neck and livers

• onion↗2 2

  coarsely chopped

• carrot↗2 2

  coarsely chopped

• lemon (saved for flavoured butter), halved↗1 1

  (reserved from making the flavoured butter), halved

• garlic↗1 head of 1 head of

  halved

• rosemary sprigs↗small bunch of small bunch of

  (saved from butter, above)

• sunflower oil↗2 tbsp tbsp
• звичайне борошно↗2 tbsp
• червоне або біле виноlarge glass
• соєвий соус↗1 tbsp
• курячий або індичий бульйон600ml

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Combine all the butter ingredients in a bowl, mash them together with a pinch of salt and plenty of pepper, transfer to a sealed container and cover until use. Store in the refrigerator for up to three days or freeze for a month.

2. 2

   12–48 hours before cooking, loosen the turkey skin over the breast by sliding your hand underneath. Season the turkey on all sides, including under the skin, with 1–2 tbsp coarse sea salt. (The earlier you do this, the juicier the turkey will be.) Cut off the turkey neck. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan or tray, breast side up, and let it rest uncovered until ready to cook.

3. 3

   On the day of roasting, remove the turkey from the fridge at least 1 hour before cooking. Preheat the oven to 200 °C/180 °C fan/gas 6. Take the turkey out of the pan and add the onion, carrots, turkey neck and livers to the pan. If available, set a roasting rack, trivet or heat‑proof rack in or above the pan and place the turkey on top. Put the lemon halves into the turkey cavity together with garlic and rosemary. Spoon the flavored butter under the turkey skin, spread it over the breast and as far down as the legs. For a tidy look, tie the wings and legs with kitchen twine. Drizzle half the oil over the turkey and rub it in.

4. 4

   Place the turkey in the oven, roast for 1 hour, then remove, drizzle with the remaining oil, and return to the oven, turning the pan, for another hour. When the turkey reaches a total of 1 hour 45 minutes, check with a meat thermometer – the time depends on how long you salted the turkey and its breed. (If you don’t have a thermometer, see our tips below.) Ideally, the thickest part of the breast reaches about 65 °C and the thickest part of the thigh about 75 °C. If the temperature is lower, return the turkey to the oven in 15‑minute intervals and check again. Let the turkey rest for 10 minutes on a rack, then using tongs remove the lemon and garlic from the cavity and transfer them to a grooved board or platter to collect the juices. Let it rest for at least another 20 minutes (it will stay hot for at least 40 minutes).

5. 5

   Meanwhile, make the gravy. If the roasting pan used for the turkey is fire‑proof, place it directly over medium heat; if not, transfer the contents to a large shallow pot and place over heat together with the prepared lemon halves, garlic and rosemary sprigs. Sprinkle flour, stir to form a paste, then add wine and soy sauce, sauté for about 5 minutes until it becomes a thick paste. Add broth and all the juice remaining from the turkey rest, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Strain the gravy into a jug or another pot to reheat as needed. Slice the turkey and serve with your favorite sides or carve at the table.