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====== Slow-Roasted Turkey With Apple Gravy ======
from https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022729-slow-roasted-turkey-with-apple-gravy

Padma Lakshmi likes big, bold flavors — spices and citrus especially —
and infuses her Thanksgiving turkey with them. She prepares the bird
over a bed of herbs and produce, then uses those pan juices to create
a fruity yet savory gravy. To keep the turkey moist, Ms. Lakshmi
starts with a buttermilk brine, then roasts the bird at a low
temperature to make sure it cooks through but doesn’t dry out. But
first, an initial blast in a very hot oven darkens the turkey in spots
thanks to the sugar in the buttermilk brine. A final basting and
uncovered cooking in the oven helps even out the mottled skin and
ensures a delicate crispness. You can garnish the platter with the
fruits, vegetables and herbs used in the recipe or serve the bird
unadorned. —Genevieve Ko

Featured in: Padma Lakshmi’s Thanksgiving Turkey: Slow Roasted And Richly Sauced.

Ingredients
For the Brine:

  * 8 fresh bay leaves
  * 2 ½ quarts buttermilk
  * ½ cup granulated sugar
  * ½ cup coarse sea salt
  * 1 tablespoon black peppercorns, toasted and ground (see Tip)
  * 1 ½ teaspoons ground cayenne
  * 1 (14-pound) fresh or thawed frozen whole turkey, neck and giblets removed

For the Turkey:

  * 20 fresh bay leaves
  * 3 small Fuji or Honeycrisp apples, cored and cut into wedges
  * 2 small Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into wedges
  * 2 small fennel bulbs, sliced
  * 1 medium red onion, sliced
  * 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
  * 1 small bunch thyme
  * 10 slices fresh ginger
  * 12 garlic cloves, sliced
  * 1 orange, cut into 1-inch wedges
  * Coarse sea salt
  * 1 ½ tablespoons black peppercorns, toasted (see Tip), plus more toasted and ground for seasoning
  * 1 lemon, quartered
  * Extra-virgin olive oil
    
For the Gravy:

  * ½ cup unsalted butter
  * ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  * 2 tablespoons brandy, preferably Pomona or Calvados (optional)
  * Salt and pepper

Preparation

Brine the turkey: Tear the bay leaves to release their natural
oils. Place in a large bowl with the buttermilk, sugar, salt, black
pepper and cayenne, and stir to dissolve the sugar. Place the turkey
in a brining bag or clean unscented garbage bag, pour in the
buttermilk mixture and tightly tie the bag closed. Place in a pot or
bowl that holds it snugly, making sure the legs are fully immersed in
the brine, and refrigerate for at least 48 hours and up to 72 hours.

Make the turkey: Position a rack at the bottom of the oven and heat
oven (not convection) to 450 degrees. Tear the bay leaves to release
their natural oils. Spread the apples, fennel, onions, 12 bay leaves
and half of the thyme, ginger, garlic and orange across the bottom of
a large roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and the whole peppercorns.

Drain the turkey and wipe dry. (Discard the brine.) Place the turkey
in the pan breast side up, and rub its cavity with salt and ground
pepper. Stuff the cavity with the lemon and the remaining bay leaves,
thyme, ginger, garlic and orange. Tuck the wings underneath and tie
the legs together with kitchen twine. Sprinkle the turkey with salt
and ground pepper, and drizzle everything with oil. Drizzle more oil
all over the turkey and rub to generously and evenly coat the
skin. Transfer to the oven and roast until browned in spots all over
but not burned, 20 to 40 minutes. (Ovens vary widely in how quickly
they brown such a large bird, so start checking at 20 minutes and keep
going until it’s spotted all over.)

Pour 2 cups water into the pan, cover the turkey with foil and loosely
crimp around the edges of the pan. Reduce the oven temperature to 300
degrees and slide the pan back into the oven. Slow-roast until the
turkey is almost cooked through (a meat thermometer will register 150
degrees in the thickest part of the breast and 160 degrees in the
thigh), about 4 hours.

Uncover, baste all over with the pan juices and roast uncovered until
the skin is more evenly browned and the meat registers 155 degrees
in the breast and 165 degrees in the thigh, 30 to 45 minutes. The
internal temperature will continue to rise as the turkey
rests. Let cool slightly in the pan, then transfer the turkey to a
serving platter.


Make the gravy: 

Smash the fruits and vegetables
in the roasting pan. Set a colander with small holes or a
medium-mesh strainer over a bowl or pot, and pour in everything
from the pan, working in batches if needed. Press hard on the
solids to extract as much liquid as possible along with fruit and
vegetable pulp. Discard the solids in the colander; scrape any
strained pulp into the bowl. Skim and discard fat from the
strained juices.  Melt the butter in a large saucepan over
medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk until deep golden brown,
3 to 5 minutes. While whisking, add the defatted pan juices a
little at a time, whisking until smooth, then stir in the
brandy. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 4 to 5
minutes. Keep warm over low.  When ready to serve, season the
gravy to taste with salt and pepper. Carve the turkey and serve
with the hot gravy.