16-20 pound turkey, thawed if frozen
1 Lemon, cut into wedges
1 Onion, cut into quarters
1 head of Garlic, cut in half
1 bunch of fresh parsley
1 bunch of fresh thyme
2 tablespoons of sea salt
2 teaspoons of black pepper
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1 pound (4 sticks) of butter
1 bottle of chardonnay
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1/3 cup of flour
tools :
cotton twine turkey baster
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Remove innards from the turkey cavity and place turkey on a roasting rack in a large roasting pan. Pat the entire bird down with a paper towel. Stuff the cavity with lemon wedges, onion quarters, garlic, parsley and thyme. Tie the legs together with twine.
Rub one stick of butter all over the outside of the turkey and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.
Basting Liquid : In a saucepan, melt 3 sticks of butter with the entire bottle of wine. Keep simmering on the stove while turkey roasts.
Roast for approximately 4 hours, basting every 30 minutes. Breast meat should read 180 degrees on a thermometer.
Remove turkey from the oven and transfer it to a serving platter. Let the turkey rest for 30 minutes before carving.
Gravy : Pour the drippings from the pan into a saucepan. Spoon off some of the fat from the top and discard. Put 1/3 cup of flour into a glass measuring cup. Add 1 cup of hot pan drippings and mix together with the flour until smooth. Pour this mixture into the rest of the pan drippings in the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking until smooth and bubbling. Serve warm.