Honey & Rosemary Brined Turkey with Herb Riesling Gravy

Rosemary & Honey Brined Turkey with Herb Riesling Gravy (serves 8-10)

Ingredients:
For the Brine

• 4 cups water
• 3/4 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup honey
• 32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 6 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 (12- to 14-pound) fresh turkey, neck and giblets removed and reserved (discard liver)

For Roasting the Turkey

• 1/2 onion, peeled and cut in half
• 1 Fuji or Honeycrisp apple, quartered
• 1 bulb garlic, halved
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• 1/3 cup canola oil

For the Gravy

• Reserved turkey neck and giblets
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, unpeeled and chopped
• 1 carrot, unpeeled and diced
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup Riesling
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup all-purpose (gluten free) flour
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 2 stems rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and finely chopped

Instructions:

1. For the brine, bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Add salt, honey, broth, peppercorns and rosemary and bring back to a boil, stirring to dissolve salt. Cool at room temperature, then refrigerate until needed. 
2. About 6 to 8 hours before you plan to roast your turkey, place brine mixture in a large clean bucket, stock pot or cooler and stir in 1 gallon of ice water. Place turkey in the bucket, breast side down, cover and refrigerate 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Make sure the turkey is fully submerged, adding more ice water if necessary.
3. To roast the turkey, preheat oven to 450°F. Remove turkey from brine and rinse thoroughly, inside and out, with cool water; pat dry. Discard brine solution. Season turkey cavity with salt and pepper. Stuff turkey with onion, apple, garlic and rosemary. Place on a roasting rack set inside a large roasting pan and tuck the wings back. Brush the entire turkey with oil.
4. Cover breast portion with foil and place turkey on lowest rack in oven and roast 30 minutes, then turn heat down to 350°F and roast 2 to 2 1/2 hours longer, until a thermometer reads 165°F when inserted between the breast and thigh without touching the bone. Remove foil from breast about 45 minutes before the turkey is done. Remove turkey from pan, place on a platter and tent with foil. Let the turkey rest 20 minutes before carving. 
5. For the gravy, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add turkey neck and giblets, onions and carrots and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add broth, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook 30 minutes. Strain, discarding the solids, and refrigerate broth until ready to use. 
6. While turkey rests, pour pan drippings into a measuring cup and freeze for 15 minutes. Skim off any fat. Heat roasting pan over medium heat and add Riesling, scraping up any browned bits. Pour in giblet broth and skimmed pan drippings and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Whisk in butter until melted, then whisk in flour. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Stir in chopped herbs and add salt and pepper to taste.