Serves 8 (with leftovers)
- Active Time:30 min
- Start to Finish:4 3/4 hr (includes bringing turkey to room temperature; does not include making stock)
If you’re eager for your turkey to have a luscious, crisp skin, you’ll love this glaze, which takes it to a whole new level—maple syrup caramelizes on the surface, creating a superthin, almost glasslike, slightly sticky coating all over. And because the syrup is steeped with black peppercorns before glazing, it adds a nuanced floral quality along with a hint of heat.
November 2007
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1
(14-pound) turkey at room temperature 1 hour, any feathers and quills removed with tweezers or needlenose pliers, and neck and giblets removed and reserved for another use if desired
-
2 to 2 1/2
cups
water, divided
-
1 1/2
teaspoons
black peppercorns
-
2/3
cup
Grade B maple syrup
-
1/2
cup
malt vinegar
-
1/2
cup
all-purpose flour
-
5
cups
turkey stock, heated to liquefy if gelled
Make turkey:
-
Preheat oven to 425ºF with rack in lowest position.
-
Rinse turkey inside and out, then pat dry. Put turkey on rack in roasting pan and sprinkle turkey cavities and skin with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Fold neck skin under body, then tie drumsticks together with kitchen string and tuck wings under body.
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Add 1 cup water to pan and roast, without basting, 1 hour.
Make glaze when turkey goes in oven:
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Place peppercorns in a small sealable bag or wrap securely in a kitchen towel, then crack with a rolling pin or bottom of a heavy skillet. Transfer to a small heavy saucepan and add syrup, then cook over medium-low heat until heated through. Remove from heat and let syrup steep until ready to glaze turkey.
Glaze turkey:
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After turkey has roasted 1 hour, rotate pan and add 1 cup water to pan. Roast, without basting, 45 minutes more.
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Just before 45 minutes is up, pour syrup through a small fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, discarding peppercorns.
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Brush turkey all over with syrup and continue to roast (if bottom of pan is completely dry, add remaining cup water) until an instant-read thermometer inserted into fleshy part of thighs (test both; close to but not touching bone) registers 170ºF, 15 to 20 minutes more (total roasting time: about 2 hours).
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Carefully tilt turkey so juices from inside large cavity run into roasting pan, then transfer turkey to a platter, reserving juices in roasting pan. Let turkey stand, uncovered, 30 minutes (temperature of thigh meat will rise to 175ºF).
Make gravy while turkey stands:
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Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add vinegar and deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 2 minutes. Strain through cleaned fine-mesh sieve into measuring cup and let stand until fat rises to top. Skim off and reserve fat. (If using a fat separator, strain pan juices through sieve into separator and let stand until fat rises to top, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully pour pan juices from separator into measuring cup, reserving fat.)
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Heat 6 tablespoons reserved fat (if you don't have enough fat, substitute butter) in a heavy medium saucepan and whisk in flour. Cook roux over medium heat, whisking, 5 minutes. Add pan juices and stock in a fast stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then bring to a boil, whisking. Stir in any turkey juices from platter and briskly simmer, whisking occasionally, until gravy is thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
