Gaggenau 400 series convection oven

Appliance: BO, BOP and EB Ovens

Servings: 6-8

Heritage turkeys, raised in a natural environment, have a delicious rich flavor. Characteristically they have less breast meat and more strongly developed legs and are best cooked at a moderately low temperature until tender with a brief high heat finish for even browning.

White jug full of turkey gravy

Convection is ideal for roasting turkey for better moisture retention and flavor, to ensure the turkey remains moist it is recommended to roast it on the rack in the oven pan and use the oven core temperature probe to avoid overcooking. Allow approximately 1 hour 45 minutes to roast a 13-15lb turkey. A light stuffing of aromatic herbs with onion, apple and celery is ideal to add flavor but traditional bread stuffing is best baked in a casserole dish to ensure proper cooking.

The neck and giblets can be used to make a turkey stock for gravy and adding 2 cups of chicken stock to the roasting pan will provide more delicious juices that can be used for gravy.

Heritage turkeys are typically shipped frozen so allow at least 3 days for the bird to fully defrost.

Ingredients

1 13-15lb (6-7kg) heritage turkey, full defrosted, neck and giblets removed

1 medium yellow onion, chopped into large chunks

3 cloves garlic, smashed

2 stalks celery, cut into 1” slices

1 Granny Smith apple cut into 1” chunks

2 sprigs fresh thyme

4 leafs fresh sage

2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil

4 tbsp (115 g) softened unsalted butter

2 cups (480 ml) chicken stock (optional)

Instructions

Remove the turkey from the packaging a day or two in advance of cooking, remove the neck and giblets and drain any liquid that has accumulated in the cavity. Pat the bird dry with paper towels and season it all over with kosher salt. Place the bird on a shallow rimmed baking pan and refrigerate it uncovered for a day to dry out the skin.

Allow the turkey to sit outside of the refrigerator for at least an hour prior to cooking. Prior to roasting, combine the onion, garlic, celery, apple, thyme, sage and olive oil and stuff the mixture into the cavity. Tie the legs with kitchen twine leaving some space between the legs and the body so the heated air can penetrate evenly into the meat.

When ready to begin cooking, heat the oven in the Convection mode to 325°F/165°C . Place the turkey on the rack in the oven roasting pan and slather with the softened butter. Insert the core temperature probe into the thigh taking care the sensor isn’t touching the bone. Slide the tray into the oven and insert the probe into the receptacle inside the oven, add the chicken stock to the pan if using and close the door. Touch the Probe symbol and use the right knob to select an internal temperature of 160°F/70°C then touch the Probe symbol one more time to activate.

After the probe has been in the oven for approximately 20 minutes, a timer will appear on the display showing the estimated cooking time. When the timer shows 15 minutes cooking time left, increase the oven temperature to 400°F/205°C for the remainder of the cooking time.

When the core temperature probe reaches the programmed internal temperature the oven will turn off automatically. Remove the turkey and set it aside to rest for 30 minutes before carving. Pour the juices from the roasting pan into a saucepan or large jug and when settled skim off any fat that rises to the surface before adding to your stock to make gravy.

Once the turkey is resting you can add your side dishes to the oven and they will be ready to serve once the resting, carving and gravy making process has been completed.

View the printable pdf recipe