Dinner tonight: Ligurian holiday turkey with herbed gravy

Roast turkey lends itself well to rubs and pastes because the slow cooking allows the flavours to permeate the meat. Store-bought pesto saves loads of prep time and imparts a fresh herb and garlic flavour to turkey.

Prep time 40 min

Cook time 3 hr 20 min

Serves 8

• 1 whole turkey (6 to 7 kg or 12 to 14 lbs)
• 125 ml plus 50 ml (1/2 c plus 1/4 c) prepared pesto sauce, divided
• 1 onion, quartered1 lemon, halved
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
• 5 ml (1 tsp) salt
• 1 ml (1/4 tsp) freshly ground black pepper
• 250 ml (1 c) chopped onion
• 125 ml (1/2 c) chopped celery
• 125 ml (1/2 c) chopped carrots
• 2 cans (411 g/14 1/2 oz each) low-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 1 L plus 15 ml (4 c plus 1 tbsp) water
• 20 g (4 tsp) cornstarch

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Coat a roasting pan and rack with cooking spray.
2. Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey. Carefully slide your fingers under the turkey skin and separate it from the breast, thighs and legs of the turkey. Rub 125 millilitres (1/2 cup) of the pesto under the skin over the breast meat, legs and thighs and in the cavity of the turkey. Stuff the onion and lemon in the cavity of the turkey. Truss the legs with cotton string and tuck the wing tips under the bird.
3. Set the turkey, breast side up, on the rack. Rub the skin with the oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
4. Place the turkey neck, onion, celery, carrots, one can of the chicken broth and one litre (four cups) of the water in the bottom of the roasting pan.
5. Place the turkey on the rack in the roasting pan in the lower third of the oven and cook 20 minutes. Loosely cover the turkey with foil and reduce the oven temperature to 180°C (350°F). Continue roasting the turkey, adding water to the pan as it evaporates, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 79°C (175°F), about three hours 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, then transfer the turkey to a serving platter and loosely cover with foil.
6. Remove the rack from the roasting pan and pour off the liquid into a measuring cup, skimming off any fat. Discard the solids from the pan and set it over two burners on low heat.
7. Pour in the pan juices and, with a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits. Add enough chicken broth to make the liquid equal 500 millilitres (two cups). Transfer the mixture to a small pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Stir in the remaining 50 millilitres (1/4 cup) pesto. Return to a boil. In a glass measure, stir together the cornstarch and the remaining 15 millilitres (one tablespoon) water until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add to the pot and cook until the gravy thickens, about one minute.

• To boost the flavour in the gravy, omit the cornstarch and instead sauté 30 millilitres (two tablespoons) flour in 30 millilitres (two tablespoons) of the turkey fat in the small pot before adding the liquid.
• Once the gravy thickens, remove from the heat and swirl in 30 millilitres (two tablespoons) unsalted butter.

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