Recipe: Roast Turkey with Sage Pan Gravy

(CBS News) This recipe comes courtesy of health, nutrition and fitness authority Cooking Light, which offers a lighter approach to some Thanksgiving classics. Cooking Light inspires readers to eat smart and live a healthier lifestyle, by translating cutting-edge nutrition research into recipes and guidance for the home cook.

For more turkey recipes go to cookinglight.com.
See also: How to carve a turkey (Cooking Light)

Roast Turkey with Sage Pan Gravy

This classic bird and its rich gravy can easily anchor any traditional holiday feast.

Yield: Serves 12 (serving size: about 6 ounces turkey and 1/4 cup gravy)
Hands-on: 1 Hour
Total: 2 Hours, 50 Minutes

Ingredients:

1 (12-pound) fresh or frozen turkey, thawed
3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage, divided
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 lemon, halved crosswise
6 garlic cloves, peeled
3 carrots, coarsely chopped
3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
1 bay leaf
3 cups no-salt-added chicken stock (such as Swanson), divided
2 cups water
3 tablespoons white wine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Remove giblets and neck from turkey; discard liver. Reserve turkey neck and giblets. Pat turkey dry with paper towels; trim and discard excess fat. Starting at neck cavity, loosen the skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between the skin and meat.

3. Combine 2 tablespoons sage, olive oil, butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Rub sage mixture under the loosened skin and over breasts and drumsticks. Squeeze juice from 1 half of lemon over turkey; place remaining lemon half in cavity. Tie legs together with kitchen string. Place reserved giblets, neck, garlic, carrots, celery, onion, and bay leaf in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Add 1 cup stock and 2 cups water to pan. Place roasting rack in pan. Arrange turkey, breast side up, on roasting rack. Bake turkey at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes, rotating pan every 30 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 425° (do not remove turkey from oven). Bake turkey an additional 30 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into meaty part of thigh registers 165 degrees. Remove turkey from pan; place on a cutting board. Let stand for 30 minutes. Carve turkey; discard skin.

4. Place a large zip-top plastic bag inside a 4-cup glass measure. Strain pan drippings through a colander into bag; discard solids. Let drippings stand 10 minutes. Seal bag; snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain pan drippings into a medium saucepan, stopping before fat layer reaches the opening. Add remaining 1 tablespoon sage, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, and wine to drippings in pan; bring to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes or until reduced to 2 1/2 cups. Combine flour and remaining 1/2 cup chicken stock in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Stir flour mixture into stock mixture in pan; bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring gravy constantly. Serve gravy with turkey.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving: Calories: 315
Fat: 8.8g
Saturated fat: 3g
Monounsaturated fat: 3.3g
Polyunsaturated fat: 1.6g
Protein: 51.9g
Carbohydrate: 3.2g
Fiber: 0.4g
Cholesterol: 172mg
Iron: 3.6mg
Sodium: 349mg
Calcium: 49mg

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