Thanksgiving Turkey with One-Pot Giblet Gravy and Potatoes

 

There is no flour or corn starch in this gravy, only because it's not necessary with the starchy potatoes. You'll be surprised! 

This has a turkey with dumplings vibe. Perfectly seasoned.

Ingredients for the turkey:

• Frozen 17ish pound turkey
• 1 bulb of garlic 
• 1 lemon
• 1 yellow onion

Directions for the turkey:

1. Defrost the turkey (unopened) in a sink filled with cold tap water for 8 hours, rotating every hour unless completely submerged. A workaround for this step is to cover the turkey with a 16-cup (or 4-quart) glass storage container that has been turned upside down.
2. Open the packaging, remove the neck (and "oxtail" weirdly, in this case) from the pelvic cavity, and remove the bag of giblets from the shoulder cavity.
3. Rinse the turkey really well on both sides under the tap.
4. Transfer to a large baking dish (the foil ones are fine) and stuff the pelvic cavity with the garlic bulb (cut in half, crosswise), and lemon (cut in half, crosswise), and onion (trimmed, and cut in half, crosswise). You can stuff some of this in the shoulder cavity if you run out of room. 
5. Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 hours and 53 minutes.
6. Remove from oven, and allow to cool completely - about 1 hour. 
7. Pull all of the meat off the carcass before saving the turkey in the fridge, otherwise it'll be basically impossible to separate. 
8. save the carcass to make bone broth for the one-pot giblet gravy and potatoes.

Ingredients for the one-pot giblet gravy and potatoes:

• The heart, liver, and neck from a turkey. 
• 1 turkey carcass
• The pan drippings, and fond from 1 whole roasted turkey.
• 4 cups water 
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dried sage
• 1 tbsp garlic powder 
• 1 tsp dried black pepper 
• 1 bunch fresh thyme 
• 2 yellow onions 
• 2 tbsp lemon juice 
• Salt to taste

Directions for the one-pot giblet gravy:

1. In a large pot, boil the neck and turkey carcass over high heat with 32 ounces water (until boiling).
2. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 2 hours, flipping carcass occasionally.
3. While that's cooking, dice onions and cook them in a skillet (like the Always Pan) with 1.5 tbsp of reserved turkey fat, on high heat for 5 minutes. 
4. Reduce skillet to low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring regularly. Set aside. 
5. Mince the liver and heart. Set aside. 
6. Peel and chop potatoes, and toss them into an instant pot, or any modern pressure cooker. 
7. Strain the broth from the turkey carcass, and add it to the potatoes. 
8. Add the pan drippings and fond, minced heart and liver, caramelized onions, soy sauce, sage, garlic, pepper, lemon juice, and top with fresh thyme (to be fished out later). 
9. Separate the meat from the neck bone, and mince the meat. Add this to the instant pot. 
10. Discard turkey carcass and neck. 
11. Close the lid on the pressure cooker, and set the vent to sealed. 
12. Cook on high pressure for 40 minutes. 
13. Fish out the thyme, and stir the potatoes (gently. Don't mash 'em) and gravy. 
14. Taste for salt, and add as necessary. 
15. Serve with previously cooked turkey. 

See this post for green bean casserole, cheese corn casserole, stovetop stuffing, and cranberry sauce.