Roasted Turkey with Herbs

Ingredients:

Turkey

• 1 whole fresh turkey (7.5 kg), well washed and dried
• 140 g unsalted butter, slightly softened
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 3 large carrots, cut into 2.5cm thick pieces.
• 3 large stalks celery, cut into 2.5cm thick pieces.
• 2 large onions, cut into quarters
• 8 cups homemade chicken broth, divided in half, plus extra for gravy

Sage gravy

• Turkey neck
• 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 1 cup white wine
• 4 cups sage-infused broth
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage

Preparation:

1. Turkey:
   
   Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. Combine the butter, sage, rosemary, thyme, and parsley in a food processor and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Preheat oven to 230°C. Pour 4 cups of chicken broth into a medium saucepan and keep warm over low heat.
3. Season the turkey cavity with salt and pepper and fill it with half the carrots, celery, and onion. Rub the entire turkey with herb butter and season generously with salt and pepper.
4. Arrange the remaining vegetables in the bottom of a large baking dish. Place the turkey on top of the vegetables, place in the oven, and roast until lightly golden brown, 45 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and continue roasting, basting with warm chicken broth every 15 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into a thigh registers 160°F (71°C), about 2 hours to 2 hours 15 minutes longer. Remove the turkey from the oven, transfer to a baking sheet, cover with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
5. Sage gravy:
   
   Strain the liquid from the roasting pan into a medium saucepan (there should be about 4 cups, if not, add more broth to reach 4 cups). Add the neck, bring to a boil, add the sage leaves, remove from heat, and let steep for 15 minutes. Discard the sage leaves.
6. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until evaporated. Stir in the stock and cook until the sauce thickens and becomes smooth, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with finely chopped sage.