Roasted Turkey with Stuffing and Gravy (Dry-Brined)

Rubbing a turkey inside and out with a mixture of coarse salt and crushed bay leaves imbues the meat with moisture and flavor. Allow 48 hours to prepare this showstopping turkey.  For a beautiful, natural garnish, arrange fresh sage and bay leaves, cracked walnuts, and cranberries around the roasted turkey. Taste the gravy before deciding whether to season with salt.

Turkey:
coarse sea salt
black pepper, freshly cracked
14 dried bay leaves, 10 crushed, 4 left whole
1 (22-24 lb) whole fresh turkey, giblets and neck reserved for gravy
1 recipe Turkey Giblet Stock
6 oz (1½ sticks) butter, softened + more for baking dish if needed
1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
1 recipe Leek Celery Root Stuffing
1 cup chicken stock or water, plus more if needed

Gravy:
pan drippings, reserved from turkey
1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
¼ cup all-purpose flour, unbleached
4 cups turkey giblet stock, turkey stock or chicken stock
1 oz (2 Tbsp.) butter, softened
¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped
coarse sea salt
black pepper, freshly cracked

Make the Turkey:
Combine 2/3 cup salt and crushed bay leaves in a small bowl. Rinse the inside and outside of the turkey, and pat dry with paper towels. Rub 2 Tbsp. salt mixture evenly inside turkey cavity, 2 Tbsp. on each leg portion, 1½ tsp. on each wing, and 2 Tbsp. on each breast. Place the turkey in a large oven bag and seal it tightly, removing any trapped air. Place on a rimmed baking sheet, and refrigerate for 48 hours.

Remove the turkey from the bag, and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Combine 1 stick butter, the wine, and whole bay leaves in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C/200°C fan, Gas Mark 7). Place oven rack in lowest position.

Rinse the inside and outside of the turkey, and pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Tuck wings under the turkey. Season the cavity with salt and pepper, and loosely fill it with 4 cups of stuffing. Bake the remaining stuffing in a buttered casserole dish for the last 45 minutes. Tie legs together with kitchen string. Rub the remaining ½ stick butter on the turkey, and season with salt and pepper. Pour water into the roasting pan.

Place the turkey, legs first, into the oven. Roast for 30 minutes, then baste with butter-wine mixture. Reduce temperature to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4) and roast, basting with butter-wine mixture every 30 minutes, for 2½ hours. (Add more water to the roasting pan if necessary to prevent pan drippings from burning.) Rotate pan, and roast until skin is golden brown and the thickest part of thigh (avoiding bone) and center of stuffing register 165°F on an instant-read thermometer for 30-45 minutes more. (If the turkey is done before the stuffing, remove the turkey from the oven and spoon the stuffing into a buttered baking dish, and continue to roast until golden and the center registers 165°F.) Transfer turkey to a rimmed baking sheet, reserving pan juices and roasting pan, and let rest for 30 minutes before carving.

Make the Pan Gravy:
Pour reserved pan juices into a glass measuring cup or a gravy separator, and let stand until fat rises to the surface, about 10 minutes. Pour or spoon off the fat.

Place reserved roasting pan on 2 burners over medium heat. Add wine, and bring to a gentle simmer, scraping browned bits with a wooden spoon. Whisk flour and giblet stock in a large bowl until combined. Add defatted pan juices, whisking to combine, then pour into roasting pan. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half and thickened, 10-15 minutes.

Remove pan from heat, and whisk in butter. Strain through a sieve and discard solids. Stir in parsley. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Carve the Turkey:
Place the turkey in front of you, breast side up, and use your hand to hold it steady. Cut through kitchen string, and discard. Remove drumsticks first by placing a knife against the thigh, cutting alongside the body, and slicing through the skin to expose the joint. Apply pressure at the joint with the tip of the knife, then twist the knife, and cut through the joint to release the drumstick. Repeat on the other side.

Use a long-handled spoon to scoop out the stuffing, and transfer it to a serving bowl. Slice the thigh meat from the bone.

Place the knife horizontally at the bottom curve of the breast, and slice in toward the rib cage along the length of the breast to create a "guide cut." Then make a vertical slice from the top down alongside the rib cage to loosen the breast meat. Cut the breast vertically into ¼”-thick slices, being careful to preserve some skin. Repeat on the other side. Insert the knife tip at the wing joint closest to the turkey, and twist to release the wing. Repeat on the other side.

Cook's Note:  You can salt the turkey and make giblet stock up to two days in advance. Prepare ingredients for stuffing the day before; assemble and bake just before serving.