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Wine Basted Roast Turkey
Serves 12-14
Preheat oven to 425˚ with rack in lowest position.
2 cups Legoe Bay Viognier
Stuffing of your choice
1 fresh whole turkey (18-20 lb)
2 t. coarse salt
½ cup (one stick) butter, melted
1 t. freshly ground pepper
½ cup (one stick) butter at room temperature
1 large piece of cheesecloth
Rinse turkey thoroughly in cold water, pat dry with a clean towel. Mix the room temperature butter with the salt and pepper. Loosen the turkey’s skin at the tail end, spread ½ the butter mixture under the skin. Rub the remaining butter mixture inside the body cavities of the bird.
In a mixing bowl, blend the melted butter and Viognier and soak the cheesecloth in the mixture while you stuff the turkey. Loosely fill the body cavities with stuffing and secure them. Tuck the wings under the body, tie the legs together with twine, and place the breast side up in roasting pan.
Remove the cheesecloth from the butter/wine mixture and spread over the turkey’s breast. Brush some of the remaining butter/wine mixture over the bird and the cheesecloth. Reserve the rest for basting.
Place turkey in the oven, roast 30 minutes, brush with butter/wine mixture, reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and roast 1½ hours. Remove and discard the cheesecloth, rotate pan. Roast 1 to 2 hours more, basting with the butter/wine frequently, until the internal temperature reaches 165˚ (chef recommended for moistness) to 180˚ (FDA recommendation). Remove turkey from pan to a platter to rest for 30 minutes before carving, reserving juices in the pan to prepare gravy. (See White Wine Gravy below.)
White Wine Gravy
¾ cup Legoe Bay Viognier
1¼ cups low sodium chicken stock
Juices in roasting pan
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
Coarse salt and pepper
Pour pan juices from turkey into a measuring cup, separating off the fat. Reserve 3 tablespoons of fat. Put roasting pan over 2 burners on stove top, add wine and bring to a boil, loosening the browned bits then set aside.
In a large saucepan, whisk together 3 T. of fat and 3 T. of flour over medium heat to make a roux. Cook and stir constantly until the mixture is brown and fragrant.
Whisking continuously, add chicken stock, reduce heat to a simmer. Add pan juices and wine deglazing liquid, and simmer for approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Accompanies Wine Basted Roasted Turkey. Serve your turkey and gravy hot and your Legoe Bay Viognier well chilled.
