Oven-Blasted Turkey

- One 12-to 14-pound fresh turkey, neck and giblets reserved for another use, and fat at tail area discarded
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 medium celery rib with leaves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 4 cups Head Start Gravy
Instructions:
In the late 1990s, there was a fad for turkeys roasted at a very high oven temperature. The method was introduced to mainstream America in Barbara Kafka’s cookbook Roasting.
- Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Place the turkey in a large bowl and then in the sink, directly under a thin stream of lukewarm water. Let the water run over the turkey until the turkey has lost its chill, about 15 minutes.
- Drain the turkey and pat the skin dry. Turn the turkey on its breast. Mix the onion, celery, rosemary, sage, thyme, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and ½ teaspoon of the pepper in a medium bowl. Fill the neck cavity with the vegetable-herb mixture. Using a thin metal skewer, pin the turkey’s neck skin to the back. Fill the large body cavity with the remaining vegetable-herb stuffing. Place the turkey on a roasting rack in a heavy-duty roasting pan. Brush the turkey all over with the melted butter, then season with the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Roast the turkey, basting with the pan juices after 45 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 180°F, about 1¾ hours.
- Transfer the turkey to a serving platter and let stand for at least 20 minutes before carving. If the drippings are black and taste burned, discard them and serve the turkey with the reheated gravy. If the drippings look and taste fine, pour them into a separator cup, leaving the browned bits in the pan. Let stand for 5 minutes, then pour off, reserving the drippings and discarding the fat. Return the dark drippings to the pan and place the pan on two burners over mediumhigh heat. Add the gravy and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits in the pan with a wooden spatula. Simmer until the gravy thickens. Strain and transfer to a warmed gravy boat.
- Carve the turkey and serve with the gravy.