Roast Turkey with White Wine Gravy

12 to 14-pound turkey (reserving neck and giblets, but excluding liver,
for making stock)
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
8 sprigs mixed fresh herbs such as thyme, sage, rosemary, and/or marjoram
1 1/2 cups water
For gravy:
1 large onion
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
4 cups Turkey Giblet Stock plus additional for thinning gravy
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Garnish: large bouquet of mixed fresh herb sprigs

Preheat oven to 325 F. Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Fold neck
skin under body and fasten with a small skewer. Using small skewers
secure wings to body. Transfer turkey to a rack set in a roasting pan and
melt butter. Brush inside of turkey with some butter and season with salt
and pepper. Put herb sprigs inside body cavity. Brush outside of turkey
with remaining butter and season with salt and pepper. Loosely tie
drumsticks together with kitchen string. Roast turkey in middle of oven 1
hour. Add water to pan and roast turkey, basting every 20 minutes, 2 hours
more, or until a meat thermometer inserted in fleshy part of a thigh
registers 175 F. and juices run clear when thigh is pierced. Transfer
turkey to a heated platter and reserve juices in pan. Remove skewers and
discard string. Let turkey stand 30 minutes. While turkey is standing,
make gravy: Finely chop onion. Skim fat from reserved pan juices and
reserve 1/2 cup fat (for sauteing onions, below, and for stuffing). On
top of stove deglaze pan with wine over moderately high heat, scraping up
brown bits, and boil mixture until reduced to about 1/2 cup. Add 4 cups
stock and bring to a simmer. Pour wine mixture through a sieve into a
saucepan. In a large, heavy skillet saute onion in 1/4 cup reserved fat
over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until browned, about 15
minutes. Stir in flour and cook roux over moderately low heat, whisking,
3 minutes. Bring wine mixture to a simmer. Add hot wine mixture to roux in
a fast stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, and simmer, whisking
occasionally, 10 minutes. Whisk in additional stock to thin gravy to
desired consistency. Season gravy with salt and pepper and transfer to a
heated sauceboat. Garnish turkey with herb bouquet and serve with gravy.


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