Roast Turkey Half with Sweet and Savoury Gravy

Our Roast Turkey Half with Sweet and Savoury Gravy is everything you need in a main course: Delicious, heart-warming, and enough portions for the whole family to enjoy. This recipe is especially ideal for holiday hosting, combining the classic Turkey dinner with a wonderfully-balanced sweet and savoury gravy. 

The Oval Casserole, featuring an elongated shape, is the ideal piece of cookware to prepare this recipe, roasting the turkey until it is perfectly browned. But would a turkey dinner truly be complete without gravy? Be sure to grab your Saucier because you’re going to need it. This piece of cookware comes equipped with a curved interior, helping you stir ingredients with ease. Combining apricot jam and leeks with a range of spices, including rosemary, thyme, and tarragon, the Sweet and Savoury Gravy brings the dish together. 

Whether you are hosting guests for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just another Saturday get-together with friends and family, you can’t go wrong with our Roast Turkey Half with Sweet and Savoury Gravy. This recipe takes just over three hours to prepare, providing up to six servings. Here are all the ingredients you’ll need and the steps to follow before tackling this recipe! 

In a small pot, heat 2 cups (500 ml) water with the salt and honey until both are dissolved. Pour into a large plastic container and add the remaining water and aromatics. Let the brine cool before adding the turkey. Add cold water as needed so the turkey is completely submerged. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours.

Rinse the turkey and pat very dry. Discard the brine. Set the turkey on a rack and refrigerate to dry out the skin for at least 2 hours (or up to 1 day). 

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).

In a bowl, cream ¼ cup of the butter with the chopped herbs and spices (set the remaining butter aside to finish the sauce). Rub the turkey all over and underneath the skin with the butter mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

In a 3.8 L Oval Casserole, combine the remaining ingredients, arranging the leeks, shallots and garlic along the bottom of the casserole. Season with salt and pepper. Add the turkey, skin-side up.

Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F/165°C. Continue to roast for about 1 hour 30 minutes, basting the bird a few times. The bird is done when a thermometer inserted into the thigh without touching bone reads 180°F/82°C. If the turkey skin is browning too quickly, tent with foil.

Set the turkey aside on a cutting board and tent with foil. Let rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Meanwhile, strain the sauce into a 2 L Saucier. Keep the leeks and shallots aside to serve with the turkey, if desired. Add the remaining 2 tbsp butter to the sauce and whisk to combine. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken slightly. Adjust the seasoning.

Serve the turkey with the sauce, leeks and shallots. Also great with our Crispy Iranian Rice with Saffron recipe and a green vegetable.

Note

• Ask your butcher to butterfly and halve the turkey for you. To do it yourself, cut along either side of the spine with very sharp kitchen scissors. Turn the bird over and press down firmly to flatten. Cut through the breast to halve the turkey.
• If you would like to cook both turkey halves, simply double the sauce section of the recipe (no need to double the brine). You will need to use a casserole or roaster that easily fits both halves.
• Use any leftover cooked turkey for our Turkey Soup with Pearl Couscous recipe.