Recipe ingredients
- 2 cups apple cider
- 1/3 cup real maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram
- 2 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 3/4 cup butter
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 14 pounds whole turkey, neck and giblets reserved
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup coarsely chopped carrots
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons apple brandy, optional
Recipe method
- Boil apple cider and maple syrup in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and mix in 1/2 of the thyme and marjoram and all of the lemon zest.
- Add the butter and whisk until melted. Add salt and ground pepper to taste.
- Cover and refrigerate until cold. Syrup can be made up to 2 days ahead.
- Preheat oven to 375F. Place oven rack in the lowest third of oven.
- Wash and dry turkey and place in a large roasting pan.
- Slide hand under skin of the breast to loosen.
- Rub 1/2 cup of the maple butter mix under the breast skin.
- Rub 1/4 cup of the maple butter mixture over the outside of the turkey.
- With kitchen string, tie legs of turkey together loosely.
- Arrange the chopped onion, chopped celery and chopped carrot around the turkey in the roasting pan.
- If desired, the neck and giblets may be added to the vegetables.
- Sprinkle the remaining thyme and marjoram over the vegetables and pour the chicken stock into the pan.
- Roast turkey 30 minutes in the preheated oven.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350F and cover turkey loosely with foil.
- Continue to roast, about 3 to 4 hours unstuffed or 4 to 5 hours stuffed, until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 180F and stuffing reaches 165F.
- Transfer turkey to a platter and cover with foil. Reserve pan mixture for gravy.
- Allow turkey to sit about 25 minutes before removing stuffing and carving.
- To make gravy:
- Strain pan juices into a measuring cup.
- Spoon fat from juices.
- Add enough chicken stock to make 3 cups.
- Transfer liquid to a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil.
- In a small bowl, mix reserved maple butter mixture with flour to form a paste and whisk into the broth.
- Stir in thyme, bay leaf and apple brandy.
- Boil until reduced and slightly thickened.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Other thanksgiving recipes:
Maple roast turkey and gravy recipe
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