Roast turkey with sage paired with onion gravy is a delicious addition to any holiday menu.

Ingredients
Turkey

• 1 12-lb fresh free-range organic turkey
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 bunch fresh sage
• 2 small onions, peeled and quartered
• 1 tangerine, halved

Gravy

• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 2 slices bacon, chopped
• 2 sprigs fresh sage
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

Directions
1 Preheat the oven to 500°F.

2 Rinse and dry the turkey, first removing the neck and giblets from the cavity (reserve them for later). Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Using your fingers, rub the butter inside and outside the bird, making sure to get it in between the skin and the meat of the breasts.

3 Season generously with the salt and pepper inside and out. Place the sage, onions and tangerine inside the bird. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven. After 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 350°F.

4 Roast the bird for 15 to 20 minutes per pound (a 12-lb turkey should take about 3 to 3½ hours to cook). Baste the turkey with the pan drippings every 45 minutes to keep it moist and juicy and cover again with the foil.

5 During the last hour of cooking, remove the aluminum foil to crisp the skin and scatter the onion, carrot, garlic, celery, bacon, sage and thyme around the turkey in the roasting pan to caramelize for the delicious gravy.

6 Continue roasting for another hour. The turkey is ready when a meat thermometer registers 170°F in the centre of the thigh. Transfer the turkey to a platter and cover with foil; set the roasting pan aside. The turkey should rest for an hour before carving to allow the juices to settle. This will give you time to roast the potatoes and parsnips and make the gravy.

7 Place the turkey neck and giblets in a large saucepan and cover with the chicken stock. Simmer gently, covered, for 45 minutes to make a rich, enhanced stock for the gravy; strain and reserve.

8 Place the roasting pan with the caramelized vegetables on top of the stove over medium heat and stir to scrape up all the pan juices. Mix in the flour, stirring to combine, and pour in the enhanced chicken stock and any collected juices from the resting bird.

9 Stir as the flour thickens the gravy and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain the gravy, discarding the vegetables and herbs and pressing with the back of a ladle to retain as much of the juice as possible.

10 Keep the gravy warm in a saucepan and season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

Prep & cook time: 5 hours
Serves: 8 to 10