| 1. | Place the turkey in a container then store it in the fridge for defrosting. It takes about 3 days to thaw completely.
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| 2. | Place ingredients A in a large pot that can accommodate the turkey. Bright the mixture to a boil, skim off the foams at the surface of the brine, then cook over medium heat until the sugar and salt are melted. Set it aside. When the brine completely cools down, add the turkey. Cover and store in the fridge for 1 day. The brine needs to cover the turkey. |
| 3. | Remove the turkey from the fridge at the night before the roasting date and discard the brine. Rinse the turkey, drain and pat dry with paper towels. |
| 4. | Mix the butter with the minced rosemary and sage. Rub the herb butter under and outside the skin of the turkey and massage gently. Store the turkey in the fridge overnight. Be sure that it is uncovered so the skin of the roasted turkey will be crispy. |
| 5. | Lay Ingredients D on the bottom of a roast pan. |
| 6. | Remove the turkey from the fridge 2 hours before the roasting time. Tie the turkey legs together with a piece of kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey. Place the turkey on top of the veggies in the roast pan, breast side up. |
| 7. | Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). |
| 8. | Add 2 cups of chicken stock and 1 cup of apple cider to the roast pan. Roast the chicken until golden brown, approx. 40 minutes. |
| 9. | Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C). Continue to roast until the temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F(75°C), approx. 2 hours. Be sure that the thermometer is not touching a bone.
During roasting, baste the turkey every 30 minutes with the juice on the bottom of the roast pan and 1 cup of chicken stock. If the turkey is getting too dark, tent it with a piece foil paper.
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| 10. | Transfer the turkey to a chopping board and loosely cover with a piece of foil paper. The temperature of the turkey will slowly increase. Wait 25 minutes before you cut the turkey so the juice could be locked in the turkey. |
| 11. | Pour everything remaining on the roast pan through a sieve into a bowl. Using a ladle to press the vegetables in the sieve and squeeze out as much juice as you can. |
| 12. | Place the roast pan over 2 stove burners. Add the olive oil and flour, and cook in medium heat until becoming paste like and coloring slightly, about 2-3 minutes. Stir consistently. Turn the heat off and let the roux cools a little. Gradually add 2 cups of chicken stock, 1 cup of apple cider and the liquid in step 12 and whisk consistently until the mixture is smooth. Add the salt and black pepper and cook over medium until the gravy is thick. |
| 13. | Dismantle and plate the turkey. Serve with gravy. |
