Roast Young Turkeys

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy roasting pan with rack, about 16 by 13 inches (41 by 33 cm)
• •Sturdy poultry trussing needle or sanitized needle-nose kitchen pliers
• •Butcher's twine
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •2-quart saucepan and fine-mesh sieve
• •3-cup heatproof bowl, rack, and deep lidded pot for the optional veal stuffing

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare oven and stock

   Set a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat it to 425°F (220°C). Pat the turkey dry inside and out. Put the neck, heart, and gizzard in a saucepan with the poultry stock, reserving the liver for another use, and hold them at a bare simmer for 45 minutes. Strain the strengthened stock and keep it warm for the gravy.

2. 2

   Draw the leg tendons

   Lay one leg with its inner face upward. At the narrow hock end, make two shallow incisions through the skin and tendon sheath, one just above and one just below the last joint, stopping when the ivory cords appear. Slip a sturdy trussing needle beneath one tendon, wind the cord around the needle by turning it, and pull steadily toward the hock; remove the tendons one at a time and repeat on the other leg. If a cord snaps, expose only enough of its end to grip it with sanitized needle-nose kitchen pliers, then pull in line with the leg. Do not dig through the meat looking for it.

3. 3

   Fill and truss

   Season the cavity with one-third of the salt and pepper. Spoon in the chilled Sage and Onions Stuffing (for Turkeys, Ducks and Geese) (No. 1944) immediately before roasting, filling the cavity loosely because tightly packed stuffing heats too slowly. Put any excess in a buttered covered baking dish to cook beside the turkey during its final 40 minutes. If you are serving the veal alternative, leave the cavity empty. Fold the neck skin underneath, tuck the wing tips back, and tie the legs together without wrenching them tightly against the breast.

4. 4

   Make the bardage

   Rub 2 tablespoons of the butter over the turkey and season the outside with the remaining salt and pepper. Lay the bacon over the breast and upper thighs in overlapping slices, leaving no lean breast meat exposed, then secure the bardage with two loose loops of butcher's twine. Set the turkey breast-side up on the rack in the roasting pan and pour 1/2 cup of the hot water beneath it.

5. 5

   Begin the roast

   Roast at 425°F (220°C) for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven to 350°F (175°C) without opening the door. After another 45 minutes, baste the legs and exposed joints with the pan fat and rotate the pan. Continue roasting, basting every 30 minutes rather than fussing over it constantly. If the fond on the pan floor turns from deep brown toward black, add a small splash of hot water around the rack. The water protects the fond; it does not wash the bird.

6. 6

   Poach the alternative

   If using the alternative accompaniment, butter a 3-cup heatproof bowl and pack it firmly with the Veal Stuffing (For Veal and Pork) (No. 1945). Cover tightly with buttered parchment and foil, then place the bowl on a rack inside a deep lidded pot with gently simmering water below, but not touching, the bowl. Cook in the enclosed moist heat for 60 to 75 minutes, replenishing the water if needed, until the centre reaches 160°F (71°C). Rest it for 10 minutes before unmoulding and cutting it into thick slices.

7. 7

   Brown and test

   After about 1 hour 45 minutes of total roasting, lift off the bacon and place it on a small baking sheet. Baste the exposed breast with pan fat and return the turkey to the oven until the skin is deep gold. Begin checking the temperature after 2 hours 15 minutes total: the breast must reach 165°F (74°C), the inner thigh 170°F (77°C), and the centre of the cavity stuffing 165°F (74°C). If the breast is ready before the thighs, cover it again with bacon or foil while the legs finish. If the meat is ready but the stuffing is below temperature, spoon the stuffing into its buttered dish, cover it, and bake it to 165°F (74°C) while the bird rests. No sacrifice required.

8. 8

   Rest and crisp

   Tilt the turkey carefully so the cavity juices run into the roasting pan, then transfer the bird to a warm platter. Rest it for 30 to 40 minutes under a very loose tent of foil; wrap it tightly and the skin softens. During the final minutes of resting, broil the reserved bacon just until its edges crisp, watching continuously because it can pass from bronze to burnt very quickly.

9. 9

   Build the gravy

   Spoon excess fat from the roasting pan, leaving 2 tablespoons with the browned fond. If the pan is not safe for the stovetop, scrape everything into a saucepan. Stir in the flour over medium heat and cook this roux for 2 minutes, then whisk in the warm strengthened stock a little at a time, scraping up every brown trace. Simmer for 8 to 12 minutes, until the gravy coats the back of a spoon, then taste before adding salt because the bacon has already spoken. If it is lumpy, strain it; if it looks greasy, skim the surface and whisk in a spoonful of hot stock. Ça se rattrape. Finish off the heat with 1 tablespoon of butter for gloss.

10. 10

    Carve and serve

    Remove the trussing twine and spoon the sage-and-onion stuffing into a warm serving bowl. Take off the legs at the joints, separate the thighs and drumsticks, and carve the breast into generous slices. Arrange the meat on the platter with the crisp bacon and, if chosen, slices of the moulded veal stuffing. Bring the gravy and warm Bread sauce separately so each guest can have both. Never apologize at your own table. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask the butcher for the smallest young turkey available and request that the leg tendons be drawn while the bird is being prepared. The operation is entirely possible at home, but a butcher has better access to the hock before the feet are removed.
• •Choose thin unsmoked streaky bacon. Heavy smoke overwhelms the sage and bread sauce, while lean bacon gives too little fat to protect the breast. The bacon is working here, not merely decorating the bird.
• •Use either the cavity stuffing or the separately poached veal stuffing, not both unless you are feeding a larger table. The source offers them as alternatives, and the bird remains balanced when you treat them that way.
• •Trust temperature over the clock. Young turkeys vary in build, and the bacon slows the breast's colouring; a thermometer settles the question without repeated stabbing and guesswork.
• •A cru Beaujolais or supple red Burgundy has enough freshness for the sage, bacon, and Bread sauce without bullying the turkey. Cooking well is not cooking fancy.

Advance Preparation

• •The Sage and Onions Stuffing (for Turkeys, Ducks and Geese) (No. 1944) or Veal Stuffing (For Veal and Pork) (No. 1945) can be completed a day ahead according to its own entry and kept chilled. Never fill the raw turkey until immediately before it enters the oven.
• •The leg tendons can be removed the morning of the meal. Keep the prepared bird uncovered in the cold afterward; the dry surface browns more readily beneath the bacon.
• •The Bread sauce can be prepared a day ahead and reheated gently. If it tightens in the cold, loosen it with a little milk while warming.
• •Carve leftovers within two hours of serving and chill the meat, stuffing, and gravy in separate shallow containers. They keep for up to three days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 1000g)