- Turkey giblet stock:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Neck and giblets (excluding liver) from turkey
- 1 celery rib, coarsely chopped
- 1 carrot, coarsely chopped
- 1 onion, quartered
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- For turkey:
- 1 (12 pound) turkey (preferably kosher), feathers removed if necessary and neck and giblets (excluding liver) reserved for making stock
- 1 pound pearl onions (preferably red)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 pounds (2-inch) Lady apples
- For gravy:
- Pan juices from roast turkey
- Turkey giblet stock
- 1 cup apple cider
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Fried sage leaves
- Turkey giblet stock: Heat oil in a 3-quart saucepan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown neck and giblets. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until reduced to about 4 cups, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Pour stock through a fine sieve into a bowl. Skim off and discard any fat.
- Roast turkey: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper inside and out. Fold neck skin under body and secure with a small skewer. Tie drumsticks together with kitchen string and secure wings to body with small skewers.
- Put turkey on a rack set in a large flameproof roasting pan. Roast turkey in middle of oven 30 minutes.
- While turkey is roasting, blanch onions in boiling water 1 minute and rinse under cold water. Peel onions, then toss with 1 tablespoon melted butter and salt and pepper to taste. Toss apples with 1 tablespoon melted butter and salt and pepper to taste in another bowl.
- Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F. Brush remaining 1/4 cup melted butter over turkey and roast 30 minutes more.
- Baste turkey and scatter onions around it, then roast 30 minutes more.
- Baste turkey and add apples to roasting pan. Roast another 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until a thermometer inserted into fleshy part of a thigh registers 180 degrees F.
- Transfer turkey, onions, and apples to a heated platter, leaving juices in pan. Remove skewers and discard string. Let turkey stand at least 30 minutes, up to 45.
- Make gravy while turkey stands: Skim fat from pan juices and reserve 1/4 cup fat. Pour pan juices into a 2-quart glass measure and add enough turkey giblet stock to make 4 1/2 cups total. Set pan to straddle 2 burners. Add 1 cup stock mixture and deglaze by boiling over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits. Add remaining 3 1/2 cups stock mixture, cider, and vinegar and bring to a simmer. Transfer to glass measure.
- Whisk together reserved fat and flour in a large heavy saucepan and cook roux over moderately low heat, whisking, 3 minutes. Add hot stock mixture in a fast stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then simmer, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in any additional turkey juices from platter and season gravy with salt and pepper. Pour gravy through a fine sieve into a gravy boat.