Ingredients
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1 (8 -10 lb) whole turkey, gibblets included
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1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter, divided & softened
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1/4 cup flour
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3 cups turkey broth
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1 (0.75 oz) pkg sage
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sliced blood oranges and kumquats
Steps
1
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Remove and discard giblets from turkey. Place the turkey, breast side down on a clean work surface. Using poultry shears, start at the tail end and cut along both sides of the backbone. Discard the backbone.
2
Flip the turkey over, breast side up. With your hands, press down on the breastbone until the turkey is laying as flat as possible. Tuck the wing tips behind the breast and rotate the legs inward so the tips of the drumsticks point away from the breasts.
3
Line a large baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top. Lay the turkey flat on the wire rack, breast side up. Rub ½ stick butter over the skin and season with salt (in moderation) and pepper. Roast 50–60 min., until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the turkey thigh reads 165°F. Loosely cover the turkey with foil and let rest 20 min.
4
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt a stick of butter on medium-high. Stir in the flour and cook 2 min. Whisk in the turkey broth and sage until smooth. Heat to a simmer. Cook 6–8 min., until thickened, whisking often. Season with salt (in moderation) and pepper. Remove and discard sage leaves from gravy. Slice turkey and serve with gravy. Garnish platter with sliced oranges and kumquats.
Tips
Hit a tough spot while snipping out the backbone? Use just the tip of the shears to make cuts to get through it.
