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bacon bird with turkey neck gravy

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Chicken

Bacon Bird With Turkey Neck Gravy

When we were kids, my stepmom Jennie made fantastic turkey, wrapped in bacon and roasted to juicy perfection. Jennie is a great cook—following instincts and sense of flavor rather than recipes, and I don't remember her ever making a bad meal.

Ingredients

  • 1 (14-pound) turkey
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 Granny Smith apple
  • 1 large yellow onion
  • 8 sage leaves, plus 1 leafy sprig
  • 3 sprigs marjoram
  • 1 pound thick sliced bacon (you won't use it all, but when is extra bacon ever a bad thing? I use applewood smoked)
  • 1 (250-milliliter) bottle dry white wine
  • Gravy
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped sage
  • 1/2 cup (or more) milk
  • 1 cup (or more) turkey or chicken stock
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons brandy (or sherry for a sweeter gravy)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

  • Heat the oven to 325°F. Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey. I only use the neck for gravy, but if you want to add the giblets too, go for it. Rinse the turkey inside and out. Generously season the inside with salt and pepper. Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan and tuck the wings behind the head (or where the head used to be).
  • Cut the apple into quarters, remove the core, then quarter each quarter. Peel the onion and cut into similar-sized pieces. Place the sage sprig, the marjoram, and a few hunks of apple and onion inside the bird. Tuck a bit of apple and onion under the neck skin. Scatter the remaining apple and onion around the pan. Place the neck in the pan too.
  • Generously season the turkey with pepper, then with salt—the bacon adds salt, so don't go too crazy. Arrange the sage leaves across the breast and on each leg. Lay strips of bacon all over the turkey to encase; you may need to trim some of the bacon to cover—don't forget the legs and wings! Pour the wine into the pan. Bake for about 3 hours.
  • You can now mostly relax—the bacon is basting for you. Check now and again, and if it's getting too dry, add some water to the pan. Once the bacon has cooked completely, take the turkey out of the oven and remove the bacon. If some of it wants to stick, just leave it. Mostly it should come right off. Remove the neck from the pan and set both aside. Keep the kitchen vultures off the neck—whether or not you let them eat the bacon is up to you. Give the turkey a good basting and continue to bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F. My turkey took just under 4 hours. Let cool slightly.
  • Gravy
  • Pick the meat off the turkey neck and chop. You can also chop some of that crisp bacon if you want.
  • Pour the drippings from the pan into a separator—I use a baster to make the transfer.
  • In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until a little golden. Whisk in the sage. Slowly whisk in the milk—it's going to get super thick, don't worry. Whisk in the broth and brandy, and the gravy will relax again. Start pouring in the drippings carefully from the separator (try not to get too much of the plain old fat in there, a little is okay)—this is where you add a little, whisk a little, taste a little. Decide if you want more salt and pepper, or maybe a bit more drippings or broth. Get the thickness the way you like it—this is your gravy, not mine! Stir in the chopped turkey neck (and giblets and bacon, if using) and stir until warm. That's it! Carve the turkey and serve.

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