Roast Turkey with Gravy

Name: Roast Turkey with Gravy
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 2 d 5 h 15 min
Total time: 2 d 6 h
Ingredients: 5½ kg (12 lb) whole turkey, thawed, giblets and neck removed and kept; 55 g (3 tbsp) fine sea salt, 1% of the bird's weight; 1 tbsp light brown sugar; 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 60 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, soft; 2 onions, quartered; 2 carrots, in chunks; 1 lemon, halved; 1 bunch thyme or sage; 500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock, Chicken Stock or store-bought, for the pan; Gravy, made with the pan drippings and 1 L stock

Dry-brined, roasted unstuffed, and taken out at the right temperature

Serves: 10
Hands-on: 45 min
Total: 2 d 6 h
Level: Some skill

A whole turkey is a big roast chicken with higher stakes. Dry-brining two or three days ahead seasons the meat and crisps the skin, roasting it unstuffed lets it cook evenly, and a thermometer tells you exactly when to pull it. Everything about timing hinges on the size of your bird — use the guide in step 5.

Ingredients

Turkey

5½ kgwhole turkey, thawed (12 lb)giblets and neck removed and kept
55 gfine sea salt (3 tbsp)1% of the bird's weight
1 tbsplight brown sugar
2 tspfreshly ground black pepper
60 gunsalted butter (4 tbsp)soft
2onionsquartered
2carrotsin chunks
1lemonhalved
1 bunchthyme or sage
500 mlchicken stock (2 cups)Chicken Stock or store-bought, for the pan

Gravy

Gravymade with the pan drippings and 1 L stock

Allergens: milk, celery, gluten, sulphites
Season: Winter, Autumn

Method

Two to three days before, pat the turkey dry inside and out. Mix the salt, sugar and pepper and sprinkle evenly over the skin and inside the cavity, a little more on the thick breast. Refrigerate uncovered on a tray. 2 days
Take the turkey out of the fridge 1½ hours before roasting. Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F) with a rack in the lowest position. 1 h 30 min
Put the onions, carrots and the neck in a large roasting pan. Fill the cavity loosely with the lemon and herbs — don't stuff it with dressing; it slows cooking and is a safety risk.
Rub the soft butter all over the skin. Set the turkey breast up on the vegetables (or on a rack). Tuck the wing tips under and tie the legs loosely. Pour the stock into the pan.
Roast 30 minutes at 220°C (425°F), then turn the oven down to 170°C (340°F). Keep roasting until done: about 2½–3 hours total for a 5.5 kg bird (roughly 30 minutes per kg in all). Add a splash of water if the pan runs dry. If the breast browns too fast, cover it loosely with foil. 2 h 45 min
Start checking 45 minutes before the expected time. The turkey is done when the thickest part of the thigh, not touching bone, reads 74°C (165°F) and the breast at its thickest is at least 65°C (149°F). Juices should run clear.
Lift the turkey onto a board and rest, loosely covered with foil, for 40–60 minutes. The breast will climb to about 71°C (160°F) and hold above 65°C for many minutes, which makes it safe; the bird stays hot for an hour — use that time to make the gravy and finish the sides. 45 min
Make the gravy in the roasting pan with the drippings (Gravy).
Carve: remove the legs and split into thighs and drumsticks; slice the thigh meat off the bone. Cut each breast off whole, then slice it crosswise into thick slices. Serve with the gravy.

Why it works

Dry-brining works like the roast chicken's overnight salting, but a turkey needs longer because the meat is thicker; the salt has time to spread through and the skin dries for crisping. Starting hot browns the skin, then lowering the heat cooks the big bird evenly without drying the surface. A long rest is crucial: carryover heat finishes the breast while the juices settle, and a large bird holds heat for an hour.

Common mistakes

Not thawing completely. A 5.5 kg turkey needs about 3 days in the fridge (roughly 1 day per 2 kg).
Trusting the pop-up timer or time alone. Check the thigh with a thermometer.
Cutting too early. A big bird needs at least 40 minutes' rest.

Variations

Turkey crown: For a 2.5 kg bone-in breast crown, dry-brine with 25 g salt; roast at 190°C (375°F) for 1¼–1½ hours until the breast reaches 65°C (149°F), then rest 30 minutes; it climbs to about 70°C (158°F) and holds there, which makes it safe.
Spatchcocked turkey: Spatchcock like Spatchcock Chicken Traybake and roast at 220°C (425°F) for 80–90 minutes.

Make ahead and storage

Dry-brine up to 3 days ahead. Make the stock and the gravy base a day ahead. Leftover meat keeps 4 days in the fridge and freezes for 3 months; make stock from the carcass.

Notes

For a fan oven, start at 200°C (400°F) and lower to 150°C (300°F). For bigger birds: 7 kg ≈ 3–3½ hours, 4 kg ≈ 2 hours — always confirm with a thermometer. Stuffing: bake it separately in a dish until 74°C (165°F) in the center. If you do stuff the bird, stuff it loosely just before roasting (never the night before) and roast until the center of the stuffing also reads 74°C (165°F). The gravy adds sulphites (wine), and soy or fish if you use the optional soy or Worcestershire sauce. A 5.5 kg bird serves 10–12, with leftovers.