California Roast Turkey and Gravy

Citrus zest and juice and fresh herbs imbue this traditional roast turkey with regional flavor. Buttering and salting the turkey 1 to 2 days before roasting seasons the bird inside and out without the fuss of wet brining. Be sure to let the bird warm up at room temperature before roasting so it cooks up juicy and tender.

For the turkey

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  1 16-lb. fresh turkey, neck, tail, and giblets reserved for the gravy
  
  


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  5 oz. (10 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened
  
  


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  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
  


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  1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh rosemary
  
  


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  1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh thyme
  
  


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  1 Tbs. minced garlic
  
  


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  2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
  
  


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  2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
  
  

For the gravy

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  1 small yellow onion, quartered
  
  


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  2 medium stalks celery, halved crosswise
  
  


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  2 Tbs. olive oil
  
  


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  3 cups lower-salt chicken broth
  
  


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  2 cups Madeira
  
  


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  2-1/4 oz. (1/2 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
  
  


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  1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  
  


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  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
  

Butter and salt the turkey

Line a 12x16-inch heavy-duty roasting pan with 2 layers of paper towels. Blot the turkey dry inside and out.

In a small bowl, combine the butter with 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper; stir in the rosemary, thyme, garlic, lemon zest, and orange zest. Set aside 1/4 cup of the butter mixture for making the gravy.

Slide your hand under the turkey’s skin to loosen it from the breast and
thigh meat. Using your fingers, spread the butter directly on the
breast and thigh meat, being careful not to tear the skin. Season the
turkey inside and out with 1-1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper. Tuck the
wings behind the neck and tie the legs together with kitchen twine.

Set the turkey breast side up in the prepared pan. Loosely cover with waxed paper or parchment and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days.

Make the broth for the gravy

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the turkey neck, tail, giblets (excluding the liver), onion, and celery with the oil; arrange in a single layer. Roast, stirring once, until well browned, about 40 minutes.

Transfer the roasted ingredients to a heavy-duty 5-quart pot. Pour 1 cup of the chicken broth onto the hot baking sheet and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spatula; transfer to the pot. Add the remaining broth and 1 quart water. Bring to a boil; lower the heat and simmer gently until reduced to 3 cups, about 1-1/2 hours. Strain through a medium-mesh sieve into a 2-quart measuring cup; discard the solids.

Roast the turkey

Uncover the turkey, discard the paper towels, and set the turkey on a V-rack in the roasting pan. Let sit for 1 hour at room temperature.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.

Roast the turkey, basting occasionally after 1 hour and rotating the pan halfway through, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F, 2 to 2-1/2 hours. If the skin gets too dark during roasting, tent with foil.

Tilt the turkey so the juice in the cavity runs into the roasting pan. Transfer the turkey to a platter or carving board. Remove the string, tent with foil, and let rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour before carving and serving.

Make the gravy

Pour the drippings from the turkey roasting pan into a fat separator and allow the fat to rise to the top. Transfer 1/4 cup of the fat to a 3- to 4-quart saucepan; discard the remaining fat and add the defatted drippings to the reserved broth in the measuring cup.

Add the Madeira to the roasting pan and boil over medium-high heat, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 10 minutes. Strain through a medium-mesh sieve set over the measuring cup of broth.

Add the reserved butter to the fat in the saucepan and melt over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Slowly whisk in the broth mixture and bring to a boil; then turn the heat down and simmer vigorously, whisking occasionally, until the gravy is reduced to 4 cups, 8 to 16 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Carve the turkey and serve with the hot gravy.

Tomato-Centric Cobb Salad

There's nothing wrong with the classic Cobb salad, but a few ingredient tweaks--more in-season tomatoes, the addition of tarragon, and a creamy blue cheese dressing instead of a vinaigrette plus cheese crumbles--makes this unforgettable.

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  2 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  
  


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  4 large croutons crumbled, or homemade bread crumbs, toasted in a skillet with olive oil, salt, and fresh rosemary or thyme
  
  


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  Squeeze of lemon juice
  
  


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  1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
  
  


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  1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh tarragon
  
  


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  2 Tbs. crumbled blue cheese (such as Maytag or Point Reyes Blue)
  
  


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  Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
  


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  2 large heirloom tomatoes, cut into slices, or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  
  


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  1 cup arugula or mâche greens, or 8 leaves romaine lettuce, chopped into 3/4-inch-wide ribbons (chiffonade)
  
  


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  1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
  
  


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  2 large Medium-Boiled Eggs, peeled and halved
  
  

Heat a small sauté pan over high heat. Add the bacon pieces to the hot pan and decrease the heat to low. Cook the bacon until crispy, then toss the croutons with the bacon and its rendered bacon fat; add a squeeze of lemon juice. Remove from the heat and set aside.

For the blue cheese dressing, combine the crème fraîche with the tarragon and blue cheese in a bowl and whisk until smooth; season with salt and pepper.

To assemble the salad, season the tomatoes with salt. Smear a large spoonful of the dressing onto each plate. Toss the greens in the remaining dressing and divide among the plates. Add the tomatoes, avocado slices, and 1 egg half to each plate. Top with the croutons and bacon and finish with some pepper. Serve immediately.

California Bread Stuffing

Dried currants, almonds, and the surprising addition of mild, creamy goat cheese make this bread stuffing the perfect partner for the California Roast Turkey and Gravy.

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  1 1-lb. loaf rustic white bread with crust, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (12 to 14 cups)
  
  


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  1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  
  


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  3 medium cloves garlic, minced
  
  


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  3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter; more for the baking dish
  
  


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  2 large yellow onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  
  


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  1 medium celery heart, sliced 1/2 inch thick
  
  


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  8 oz. pancetta, finely diced
  
  


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  3/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
  
  


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  3/4 cup dried currants
  
  


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  1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  
  


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  2 Tbs. minced fresh thyme
  
  


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  1 Tbs. minced fresh rosemary
  
  


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  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
  


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  2 large eggs
  
  


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  1-1/2 cups lower-salt chicken broth; more as needed
  
  


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  1/3 cup heavy cream
  
  


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  1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
  
  


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  10-1/2 oz. fresh goat cheese
  
  

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F.

Mix the bread cubes, oil, and garlic in a very large bowl, tossing to coat. Spread in a single layer on 2 large rimmed baking sheets; set the bowl aside. Bake, stirring, swapping positions, and rotating the pans halfway through, until just golden, about 12 minutes. Return the bread to the bowl. (The bread can be prepared to this point up to 3 days ahead. Cool, cover, and store at room temperature.)

Lower the oven temperature to 350°F. Melt 4 Tbs. of the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 15 minutes. Add to the bread.

Return the skillet to medium heat and melt the remaining 2 Tbs. of butter. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring, until browned. Add to the stuffing along with the almonds, currants, parsley, thyme, rosemary, 2 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. pepper. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.

Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish. Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl to blend and then whisk in the broth, cream, and lemon zest. Pour the egg mixture over the stuffing and gently toss to combine. Let the stuffing sit until the liquid is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes, tossing again if necessary. Add up to 1/2 cup additional broth if the stuffing seems dry; the mixture should be moist but not soggy.

Transfer half the stuffing to the prepared dish and crumble the goat cheese evenly over the top. Top with the remaining stuffing. Bake until lightly browned and crisp on top, about 40 minutes. Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.

Tomato-Centric Cobb Salad

There's nothing wrong with the classic Cobb salad, but a few ingredient tweaks--more in-season tomatoes, the addition of tarragon, and a creamy blue cheese dressing instead of a vinaigrette plus cheese crumbles--makes this unforgettable.

• 
  
  2 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  
  


• 
  
  4 large croutons crumbled, or homemade bread crumbs, toasted in a skillet with olive oil, salt, and fresh rosemary or thyme
  
  


• 
  
  Squeeze of lemon juice
  
  


• 
  
  1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh tarragon
  
  


• 
  
  2 Tbs. crumbled blue cheese (such as Maytag or Point Reyes Blue)
  
  


• 
  
  Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
  


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  2 large heirloom tomatoes, cut into slices, or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  
  


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  1 cup arugula or mâche greens, or 8 leaves romaine lettuce, chopped into 3/4-inch-wide ribbons (chiffonade)
  
  


• 
  
  1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
  
  


• 
  
  2 large Medium-Boiled Eggs, peeled and halved
  
  

Heat a small sauté pan over high heat. Add the bacon pieces to the hot pan and decrease the heat to low. Cook the bacon until crispy, then toss the croutons with the bacon and its rendered bacon fat; add a squeeze of lemon juice. Remove from the heat and set aside.

For the blue cheese dressing, combine the crème fraîche with the tarragon and blue cheese in a bowl and whisk until smooth; season with salt and pepper.

To assemble the salad, season the tomatoes with salt. Smear a large spoonful of the dressing onto each plate. Toss the greens in the remaining dressing and divide among the plates. Add the tomatoes, avocado slices, and 1 egg half to each plate. Top with the croutons and bacon and finish with some pepper. Serve immediately.