Passover Roasted or Smoked Turkey with Giblet Gravy

Although it is a beautiful thing to present a whole turkey on a platter at the table and carve it there, the logistics of the seder have made this very impractical. There is the matter of space, time, and the mess to clean up afterward. For these reasons and several others as well, we prefer to make the turkey a day ahead. A cold turkey is much easier to slice and slices beautifully. The juices can be poured off and refrigerated so that the fat congeals at the top and is easily separated from the juices which form a lovely gelatin when cold. These ingredients give the finest of giblet gravies. The day of the seder, the hostess need only warm up serving trays of the sliced turkey already in the delicious gravy. The cleanup is a breeze. An unstuffed turkey roasts faster and more evenly than a stuffed one, and there is no need to worry about salmonella from leaving the stuffing inside too long.

Roasted or Smoked Turkey

• 18-22 lb. kosher turkey with giblets
• fresh sage or pineapple sage leaves
• kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper
• KP paprika
• 1 medium onion
• 1 carrot
• 2 stalks of celery

• 2 peeled carrots
• 1 medium onion
• 1 parsnip
• 2 stalks of celery
• small sprig of dill
• small sprig of parsley
• 2 Telma chicken bouillon cubes

Remove neck, gizzard and heart from cavity of turkey. If there is a large piece of fat attached at the cavity, remove it and reserve. Freeze liver for another use.

Rinse turkey inside and out with warm water and drain well.

Loosen skin from breast meat carefully with your fingers. Slide sage leaves and reserved fat between skin and breast meat.

Rub skin with kosher salt and sprinkle with pepper and paprika.

Put onion, carrot and celery into cavity.

For Roasted Turkey:
Put in roaster pan and cover. Roast 3 to 3-1/2 hours at 350°F. Uncover for last half hour. The turkey should be just slightly undercooked, as it will be reheated in the gravy. If you are inexperienced about whether the turkey is cooked sufficiently, check internal temperature with a meat thermometer.

For Smoked Turkey:
Heat coals until red hot. Put turkey as prepared in beginning steps into a foil open roasting pan and center on grill over coals. Cover grill and smoke 3 to 3-1/2 hours until coals fade away. The turkey should be just slightly undercooked, as it will be reheated in the gravy. If you are inexperienced about whether the turkey is cooked sufficiently, check internal temperature with a meat thermometer.

For Giblet Stock:
Place the neck, gizzard and heart in a 3-quart pot and add carrots, onion, parsnip, celery, dill and parsley. Fill pot about three-quarters full of water and add chicken bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, skim if necessary, and simmer while the turkey is roasting. Cool and refrigerate.

When turkey is finished roasting, allow to cool, lift out of pan, letting juices drain back into the pan, and wrap the whole turkey in heavy duty aluminum foil. Put into a large plastic bag and place in refrigerator.

Pour all cooled juices into a jar and refrigerate. Be sure to scrape down into the juices any brown pieces that are clinging to the pan as this is the most flavorful part of the gravy.

Giblet Gravy

• 1/2 cup fat that has risen to the top of the turkey juices jar
• All of the gelatinized turkey juices
• 1/2 cup potato starch
• 1/2 cup cold water
• giblet stock

Dissolve potato starch completely in cold water.

Warm fat in a large skillet until it just begins to melt.

Add potato starch mixture to fat in skillet and stir to combine.

Add the gelatinized turkey juices.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until boiling.

Thin with as much giblet stock as necessary to reach the proper consistency. Any remaining can be added to soups to stretch them. If you like, dice up the giblets and add to the gravy.

Slice turkey when cold. Cover with giblet gravy. Can be frozen at this point. Heat in oven at 350°F., covered, until heated through and serve.