Recipe Review: Black Truffle Roast Turkey with White Wine Shallot Gravy

I honestly don’t think there’s any roast turkey better than my sister’s. When I think her roast turkey can’t get any better, she floors me, and there I am amazed and drooling with turkey in both hands. I’m not sure what the magic ingredient or trick is. It doesn’t seem to matter what kitchen she’s in. I think she has the magic touch with roast turkeys and I want to try every recipe with her. Here’s one that I love for a truly special occasion, Black Truffle Roast Turkey with White Wine Shallot Gravy.
For the gravy, whisking is very important when adding the flour to prevent lumps from forming and also to blend in as much flavor from the scraped caramelized bits of turkey meat. It’s a better idea to make the gravy ahead of time, so that you’re not rushing to get the meal to the table.

Recipe: by Shelley Wiseman
Yield: 8 Servings
Time: Total 3 1/2 hour, 45 minutes active
Ingredients:
1 (12- to 14-lb) turkey at room temperature 1 hour, neck and giblets (excluding liver) reserved for turkey stock
6 oz black-truffle butter, softened, divided
3 cups water, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
2 cups dry white wine
4 cups hot classic turkey stock
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Equipment:
kitchen string; a 17- by 14-inch flameproof roasting pan with a flat rack; a 2-qt measuring cup or a fat separator

1. Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in lower third.

2. Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Working from large cavity end, gently run your fingers between skin and meat to loosen skin, being careful not to tear skin. Push two thirds of truffle butter (4 oz) under skin, including thighs and drumsticks, and massage skin from outside to spread butter evenly. Mix 2 1/2 tsp salt and 1 1/2 tsp pepper in a small bowl and sprinkle it evenly in turkey cavities and all over skin. Fold neck skin under body, then tuck wing tips under breast and tie drumsticks together with string.

3. Put turkey on rack in roasting pan and pour in 2 cups water. Roast, rotating pan 180 degrees after 1 hour of roasting and adding remaining cup water, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into fleshy part of each thigh (test both; close to but not touching bone) registers 170°F, 1 3/4 to 2 hours total.

4. Carefully tilt turkey so juices from inside large cavity run into pan. Transfer turkey to a platter and let stand, uncovered, 30 minutes (temperature of thigh meat will rise to 175 to 180°F). Discard string.

5. Strain pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into 2-qt measuring cup and skim off fat (or use a fat separator), reserving fat. Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners and cook shallots in 1/4 cup reserved fat over medium heat, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Add wine and boil, stirring and scraping up brown bits…Read More

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