Name: Roast Vermont Turkey with Giblet Gravy and Sausage and Sage Dressing, for Thanksgiving
Yield: Serves about 10 as an entrée
Ingredients: 1 Vermont or other fresh turkey, about 10 pounds, fattened on corn and walnuts, killed 3 days earlier; kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 lemon; 1/2 apple; 1/2 medium onion; 10 sprigs fresh thyme; 4 branches fresh rosemary; 2 branches fresh sage; 10 sprigs Italian parsley; 4 bay leaves; 1/4 cup vegetable oil; trimmings from the turkey; 1/2 medium onion; 2 stalks celery; 1 carrot; 2 bay leaves; 10 black peppercorns; 5 Italian parsley stems; 6 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 8 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 teaspoon water; 1 large leek, white part only, cut in 1/4-inch dice; 3 cups turkey stock; giblets from turkey, finely diced; 1 hard-boiled egg, finely diced; salt and freshly ground pepper; Country Sausage and Sage Dressing; Cranberry Relish

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Roast Vermont Turkey with Giblet Gravy and Sausage and Sage Dressing, for Thanksgiving

Turkey may not have played as big a part in the first Thanksgiving, held back in 1621, as it does in our contemporary celebration. If turkey was served at all, it was probably one of many game birds, that were served along with venison, oysters, clams, lobsters, and eels, as well as succotash, beach plums, sweet potatoes, leeks and cornbread. My own Thanksgiving menu is intended to pay homage to the foods of the first Thanksgiving , as well as to the foods that have become associated with this holiday. I believe that holidays by their own nature demand that traditional foods be served. In America, there is no stronger correlation between the food and the day than that of the venerable Thanksgiving Day turkey.

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