barbara and harry s excellent roast turkey with gravy

Turkey

Barbara & Harry s Excellent Roast Turkey with Gravy

My husband, Harry, doesn’t cook. When I met him, he was subsisting on frozen stir-fry dinners. The occasional egg. Jarred spaghetti sauce. Canned soup and vegetables. (His Food52 handle is eateronly. Seriously.) When we married and hosted our first Thanksgiving dinner, he insisted on being in charge of the turkey. I was skeptical. But ours is a second marriage, and the currency of second marriages is generosity and acceptance. What the hell. Make the turkey.

Ingredients

1 kosher turkey, rinsed well and dried (don't brine kosher turkeys)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1-2 teaspoons onion powder
1-2 teaspoons garlic powder
1-2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1/2-1 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2-1 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
3-4 cups chopped onions
water (or chicken broth--my choice)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 cup dry sherry

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Make a paste of oil and seasonings and rub the outside and cavity of the turkey with the paste. Stuff the turkey with your favorite stuffing. Place the chopped onions in the bottom of the roasting pan, and place the turkey, breast side up, on top of the onions. Roast the turkey uncovered for 15-20 minutes. When the onions have started to brown, add just enough water (chicken broth) to cover the onions in the roasting pan. Roast the turkey, covered loosely with foil, basting periodically.
For the gravy
About ½ hour before turkey is finished roasting, make the einbrun. Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add flour, and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the mixture clumps together and turns golden. It will smell nutty. Continue cooking until the mixture has a dark golden color, being careful to stir constantly so that it doesn’t burn. Set aside.
Add einbrun to the onions in the bottom of the roasting pan. Continue roasting the turkey, uncovered, until it is finished roasting (165 degrees in thigh). Remove turkey from roasting pan.
Pour sherry into pan drippings, and stir, scraping up any brown bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Return roasting pan to oven and continue to roast gravy for about 15-20 minutes, until it is reduced and somewhat thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning. You can pour it into a sauce pan and let it reduce on top of the stove while the turkey rests if you prefer. Pour gravy into a pitcher and serve hot.