This recipe from Gourmet, circa 1974, makes clever use of the pan drippings from a butter-basted turkey, deglazing the roasting pan with dry sherry, and then fortifying the liquid with a quick velouté (really just a fancy name for gravy). A cheesecloth soaked in butter saves you some of the hassle of constant basting, and a cranberry rope adds a colorful, make-ahead garnish to the final presentation.

　　This recipe is a part of our ‘70s-themed vintage Thanksgiving menu.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 12

　　1 18-pound turkey, liver reserved

　　½ cup (or more) chicken stock, turkey stock, or turkey giblet stock, divided

　　1½ recipes (3 cups) velouté sauce

　　12 cups cubed day-old bread, crusts reserved

　　½ cup minced parsley

　　2 tablespoons sage

　　1 tablespoon salt, plus more

　　1 teaspoon thyme

　　1 teaspoon marjoram

　　1 teaspoon pepper, plus more

　　2 cups minced onions

　　3½ sticks butter, divided

　　1 cup minced celery

　　1 egg

　　1¼ cups (or more) cream, divided

　　½ cup dry white wine or dry sherry

　　Fresh cranberries, threaded onto cooking twine (for garnish)

　　

Step 1

Dry an 18-pound turkey thoroughly and reserve the liver. (Make giblet stock from the remaining giblets if desired.)

　　

Step 2

Cut enough day-old bread, crusts reserved, into ½-inch cubes to measure 12 cups, and in a shallow pan, toast the cubes in a preheated very slow oven (275°F) oven until they are lightly browned.

　　

Step 3

In a large bowl, combine the cubes with ½ cup minced parsley, 2 tablespoons sage, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon each of thyme, marjoram, and pepper, and toss the mixture well. In a large heavy skillet, sauté 2 cups minced onions and the reserved liver, minced, in 2 sticks (1 cup) butter for 10 minutes. Add 1 cup minced celery and cook the mixture for 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the bowl and add 1 egg, lightly beaten, ½ cup stock, and ¼ cup cream. Combine the stuffing well and let it cool completely.

　　

Step 4

Sprinkle the turkey skin and cavities with salt and pepper and pack the cavities loosely with the stuffing. Sew up the openings, truss the turkey securely, and spread it with 1 stick (½ cup) butter, softened. On a rack in a roasting pan, roast the turkey on one side in a preheated hot oven (425°F) for 15 minutes. Turn the turkey to the other side and roast it for 15 minutes more. Reduce the heat to moderately slow (325°F), turn the turkey breast side up, and arrange a cheesecloth soaked in melted butter (using the remaining ½ stick of butter) over it. Roast the turkey, basting it every 20 minutes, for 3 hours and 30 minutes to 4 hours more, or until the juices run clear when the fleshy part of the thigh is pricked with a skewer or a thermometer inserted in the fleshy part of the thigh registers 185°F. Transfer the turkey to a warmed platter and remove the cheesecloth and trussing strings.

　　

Step 5

Skim the fat from the pan juices and deglaze the pan with ½ cup dry white wine or dry sherry over moderately high heat, stirring in the brown bits clinging to the bottom and sides of the pan. Add 1½ recipes (3 cups) velouté sauce, heated, reduce the heat to moderate, and bring the sauce to a boil. Add 1 cup cream and salt and pepper to taste, thin the sauce to the desired consistency with additional cream and stock, and strain it into a heated sauceboat. Drape a cranberry rope over the turkey.