Ingredients for - Cheesecloth Turkey
How to cook deliciously - Cheesecloth Turkey
1. Stage
Heat your oven to 325°F. Remove the giblets from the turkey, cover them, and refrigerate them for use in the gravy. Pat the turkey dry, and place it breast side up in a roasting pan. In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, thyme and sage. Carefully loosen the skin from the turkey breast with your fingers, and rub the butter mixture under the skin. Season the turkey inside and out with salt and pepper, then place the celery, onion and carrot inside the cavity.
2. Stage
In a saucepan, melt the cubed butter and stir in the wine. Fold your cheesecloth to make a square, 17 inches on each side and 4 layers thick. Saturate the cheesecloth with the wine and butter mixture, and drape it over the turkey.
3. Stage
Roast the turkey, uncovered, for 3 hours. Baste it with the wine mixture every 30 minutes, making sure the cheesecloth remains moist and never dries out.
4. Stage
Remove the cheesecloth from the turkey, and discard it. Continue roasting the turkey for another 45 minutes to 1 ¼ hours, basting it occasionally with the pan juices, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of its thigh reads 170 to 175°F. If the turkey appears to be browning too quickly, cover it loosely with foil.
5. Stage
Move the turkey to a serving platter. Cover the bird and let it rest for 20 minutes before carving it. Remove the celery, onion and carrot from the cavity, and discard them. Pour the drippings into a measuring cup, scraping the roasting pan to get the browned-on bits as well. Skim the fat from the drippings, reserving ⅓ cup for the next step. Add enough chicken broth to the drippings to total 4 full cups.
6. Stage
Chop the refrigerated giblets. In a large saucepan, saute the giblets in the reserved fat until they’re well browned. Stir in the flour until it’s well blended with the fat, making a roux. Gradually stir in the broth mixture. Bring it to a boil and cook it for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, or until it’s fully thickened. Serve the giblet gravy with the turkey.