Grilled Butterflied Turkey with Celery Herb Rub
and Make ahead gravy
MAKE AHEAD TURKEY WHITE WINE GRAVY
To take the last-minute hassle out of gravy making, we created this recipe that relies on turkey broth, wine, and richly toasted flour rather than pan drippings for flavor. Before you start browning the flour, have broth measured and ready to whisk in to stop the flour from browning further. Well-browned flour thickens less than raw flour, so you’ll use quite a bit of flour to start.
Turkey backbone (optional; broken in half), neck, tail, loose skin, and giblets (except liver)
2 1/2 qts. reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups dry white wine, divided
2 large carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 large celery stalks, chopped (save leaves for Grilled Butterflied Turkey with Celery Herb Rub)
1 handful thyme sprigs, plus 1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
About 1 tsp. kosher salt
About 1 tsp. pepper
1 1/4 cups flour
Servings Makes 7 1/2 cups
1
Make turkey broth: In a 6- to 8-qt. pot, bring turkey pieces, chicken broth, 1 1/4 cups wine, the carrots, onion, celery, thyme sprigs, and 1 tsp. each salt and pepper to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until meat is tender when pierced, 1 1/2 hours. Strain broth into a bowl, pressing solids to extract juices, and discard solids. Measure 2 qts. broth and set aside. (Save extra for other uses.) Wipe pot clean with paper towels.
2
Set pot over medium heat, add flour, and cook, whisking constantly, until flour begins to smoke, smells slightly burnt, and has turned a rich medium brown, 10 to 15 minutes. (You'll use quite a bit of flour, since well-browned flour thickens less than raw flour.) Carefully whisk in 2 cups reserved broth and whisk into a smooth paste. Whisk in 1 1/2 qts. more broth, the remaining 1/4 cup wine, and chopped thyme. (Adding wine and herbs shortly before serving gives the gravy a big flavor boost.)
3
Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer 5 to 10 minutes to blend flavors, whisking often. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4
Make ahead: Up to 2 days, chilled. Reheat over medium heat, stirring.
3/4 cup kosher salt (if using Morton) or 1 cup (if using Jacobsen or Diamond Crystal)*
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1 turkey (12 to 14 lbs.), butterflied*
3 to 4 tbsp. olive oil
6 tablespoons chopped celery leaves
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
3 tablespoons chopped sage leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon ground pepper
Herb sprigs, such as sage, rosemary, thyme, and/or parsley
Step 1
1
Make a brine (it's a win over a dry salt rub because it penetrates all parts of the turkey more evenly). Heat salt and peppercorns with 1 1/2 qts. water in a 12-qt. stockpot over high heat, stirring, until dissolved. Remove brine from heat, stir in 3 qts. ice water, and let cool. Discard lumps of fat from butterflied turkey. Rinse turkey and set breast-down in pot. If needed, add more cold water so turkey is just covered. Chill, covered, 12 to 16 hours.
Step 2
2
One hour before cooking, set a cooling rack in a large rimmed baking sheet. Drain and rinse turkey, then set on rack to continue draining about 30 minutes.
Step 3
3
In a small bowl, combine celery leaves, rosemary, sage, thyme, and pepper.
Step 4
4
Remove rack from under turkey and drain liquid from baking sheet. Pat turkey dry and smear all over with oil. Season with herb mixture. With breast up, tuck wings under body (helpful for keeping the turkey fairly flat as it grills). Wrap ends of drumsticks with a quadruple thickness of foil.
Step 5
5
Meanwhile, prepare grill for indirect medium-high heat (400° to 450°). You'll cook the turkey over a cooler area, and over a pan of water, to cook the turkey very evenly--and so its dripping juices won't cause flare-ups. If using gas: Remove cooking grates. Turn all burners to high, close lid, and heat 10 minutes. Turn off center burner(s) and reduce heat for others to medium-high. Set a 12- by 18-in. foil roasting pan on turned-off burner and add 1 qt. hot tap water. Oil cooking grates and set in place (if drip pan sticks up, push down on grates to flatten pan a bit). If using charcoal: Ignite a full chimney of briquets (about 90) on firegrate. When coals are dotted with ash, in 20 minutes, bank evenly on opposite sides of firegrate and if needed, let burn to medium-high. (Be ready to add turkey as soon as fire is 450° to 475°.) Set a 12- by 18-in. foil roasting pan between coals and add 1 qt. hot tap water. Oil cooking grate and set in place.
Step 6
6
Set turkey, breast side up with legs facing in, on cooking grate over drip pan. Insert a digital wand-style thermometer (such as Polder) through thickest part of breast to the bone (testing the temperature at the bone, where it's coolest, gives the most consistent reading). Position the readout near the grill. If using charcoal: Beginning 15 minutes into cooking, add 5 briquets to each mound of coals every 30 minutes. Also occasionally clear ash with metal sweeper beneath grill. If temp drops to 375°, increase briquets to 8 to 10 on each side and leave grill uncovered a minute or two to ignite.
Step 7
7
Grill turkey, covered, until thermometer registers 160°*, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. With two wide spatulas, transfer turkey to a cutting board. Tent loosely with foil and let rest in a warm place about 15 minutes.
Step 8
8
Carve turkey, set on a platter, and tuck herb sprigs around meat.
Step 9
9
*Not all kosher salts are created equal--flaky Jacobsen and Diamond Crystal salts are fluffier than Morton's. Ask a butcher to butterfly turkey, or see How to Butterfly a Turkey, below; save backbone, neck, tail, and giblets (except liver) for gravy. After grilling, turkey temperature will rise 5 to 8 degrees as it rests.
Step 10
10
How to Butterfly a Turkey
Step 11
11
A butterflied turkey (meaning, one with the backbone removed and the turkey flattened like an open book) cooks evenly and quickly. For grilling, choose a 12- to 14-lb. turkey, which is small enough to fit within the indirect heat area and will serve 10 to 12 people.
Step 12
12
Set turkey breast down in a clean sink (you have more leverage at this level rather than on a counter). Remove any plastic or metal turkey truss and discard. With poultry shears**, cut along both sides of backbone and remove it; save for gravy. Cut off tail and loose skin and save for gravy.
Step 13
13
Turn turkey breast up. Using some muscle, press down hard on turkey with hands on top of each other to crack breast bones in several places and flatten breast so it's just a bit taller than legs.
Step 14
14
**We like Wüsthof classic poultry shears, which are spring-loaded and easily cut through bones. $80; williams-sonoma.com.
MAKE AHEAD TURKEY WHITE WINE GRAVY
To take the last-minute hassle out of gravy making, we created this recipe that relies on turkey broth, wine, and richly toasted flour rather than pan drippings for flavor. Before you start browning the flour, have broth measured and ready to whisk in to stop the flour from browning further. Well-browned flour thickens less than raw flour, so you’ll use quite a bit of flour to start.
Turkey backbone (optional; broken in half), neck, tail, loose skin, and giblets (except liver)
2 1/2 qts. reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups dry white wine, divided
2 large carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 large celery stalks, chopped (save leaves for Grilled Butterflied Turkey with Celery Herb Rub)
1 handful thyme sprigs, plus 1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
About 1 tsp. kosher salt
About 1 tsp. pepper
1 1/4 cups flour
Servings Makes 7 1/2 cups
1
Make turkey broth: In a 6- to 8-qt. pot, bring turkey pieces, chicken broth, 1 1/4 cups wine, the carrots, onion, celery, thyme sprigs, and 1 tsp. each salt and pepper to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until meat is tender when pierced, 1 1/2 hours. Strain broth into a bowl, pressing solids to extract juices, and discard solids. Measure 2 qts. broth and set aside. (Save extra for other uses.) Wipe pot clean with paper towels.
2
Set pot over medium heat, add flour, and cook, whisking constantly, until flour begins to smoke, smells slightly burnt, and has turned a rich medium brown, 10 to 15 minutes. (You'll use quite a bit of flour, since well-browned flour thickens less than raw flour.) Carefully whisk in 2 cups reserved broth and whisk into a smooth paste. Whisk in 1 1/2 qts. more broth, the remaining 1/4 cup wine, and chopped thyme. (Adding wine and herbs shortly before serving gives the gravy a big flavor boost.)
3
Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer 5 to 10 minutes to blend flavors, whisking often. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4
Make ahead: Up to 2 days, chilled. Reheat over medium heat, stirring.
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