Baked Turkey with Herb Bread Stuffing and Gravy

This is an old-fashioned recipe from when our Grannies used to make holiday turkey. My Mum carried on the tradition never deviating nor changing it up as it was "tradition". To this day when I think of sage I think of this stuffing, the other herbs would vary depending on what was on hand, but the stage stood out as there was twice as much or more, and the butter... oh my. Delicious to be sure.

Stuffing:
1 cup butter (300 mL)
4 cups onions, chopped (1 L)
4 cups celery, chopped (1 L)
8 oz mushrooms, chopped (250 g)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. dried rubbed sage (30 mL)
1 Tbsp. dried thyme (15 mL)
1 Tbsp. dried marjoram (15 mL)
2 tsp. sea salt (10 mL)
1 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground (5 mL)
12 cups bread cubes (about 12-14 slices) (3 L)
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped (125 mL)
1 cup turkey gravy stock (250 mL)

Turkey:
1 (12-14 lb) whole turkey (5.4-6.3 kg)
2 Tbsp. butter, melted (30 mL)
6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges
2 carrots, cut into chunks
1 large stalk celery, cut into chunks
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crumbled (5 mL)
½ tsp. dried thyme (2 mL)
½ tsp. dried marjoram (2 mL)
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Gravy:
¼ cup all-purpose flour, unbleached (60 mL)
½ cup white wine or additional stock (125 mL)
3 cups turkey gravy stock (750 mL)
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

Bread Cubes:
Toast cubed bread on a baking sheet in the oven for 15 minutes. Or, I like to chop up 12-14 slices of sourdough bread in 1" cubes and put them in a large bowl covered with tea towels. I stir them around a couple of times a day for two days.

Stuffing:
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat; cook onions, celery, mushrooms, garlic, sage, thyme, marjoram, salt and pepper, stirring often, for 15 minutes or until tender. In a large bowl, combine onion mixture, bread cubes and parsley. Spoon into a greased 12-cup (3 L) casserole dish. To bake, add enough turkey stock to moisten the stuffing and toss. (If you plan to stuff the bird, omit stock.) Cover with lid or foil and place in the oven for the last hour of roasting turkey, uncovering for last 30 minutes to brown and crisp the top.

Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C/140°C fan, Gas Mark 3).

Turkey:
Remove neck and giblets from the bird; reserve to make stock. Rinse turkey with cold water; pat dry. Secure legs by tying with string or tucking under the skin around the tail; fold wings back and secure neck skin with a skewer. Place turkey, breast side up, on a greased rack in a large roasting pan or broiler pan. Brush the bird with melted butter. Lightly crush garlic with the side of a knife; scatter garlic, onion, carrots and celery in the pan. Season turkey and vegetables with rosemary, thyme, marjoram, salt and pepper. Insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the inner turkey thigh, being careful not to touch the bone. Roast turkey for 3¼-3½ hours; no need to baste. (If turkey starts to brown too quickly, tent bird loosely with heavy-duty foil, shiny side down.) Turkey is done when the meat thermometer registers 165°F (74°C) for unstuffed birds; 170°F (77°C) if stuffed. Remove from oven; cover with foil and let stand for 15 minutes for easy carving.

Gravy:
Skim fat from the roasting pan; place over medium heat. Stir in flour; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add wine; cook, stirring, until reduced by half. Stir in stock; bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the bottom of the pan, until gravy thickens. Strain through a fine sieve into a saucepan, pressing down on vegetables; discard the vegetables. Season gravy with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 8-10 servings, plus leftovers.

Cook's Notes:

Turkey Gravy Stock: Pat neck and giblets dry. (Do not use liver.) In a large saucepan, heat 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) vegetable oil over medium-high heat; cook neck and giblets, stirring, for 8 minutes or until nicely browned. Add 1 each chopped onion, carrot and celery stalk including leaves along with 1 tsp (5 mL) dried thyme; cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until vegetables are lightly colored. Add 1 cup (250 mL) white wine, if desired. Stir in 6 cups (1.5 L) water; season lightly with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 3 hours. Strain stock through a cheesecloth-lined or fine sieve; discard solids. Makes about 4 cups (1 L) stock.

Sausage-Apple Stuffing: Cook 1 lb (500 g) bulk sausage meat in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up with the back of a spoon, until no longer pink; drain off fat. Add 2 peeled, finely chopped apples; combine with bread stuffing mixture.