Roast Turkey with Cream Gravy

Name: Roast Turkey with Cream Gravy
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 whole turkey; 2½ cups water; 4 cups turkey giblet stock; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour; ¾ cup heavy cream; equipment

A classic roast turkey served with a rich cream gravy made from pan drippings. Perfect for special occasions, this recipe yields a beautifully golden brown bird with a luxurious gravy enriched with heavy cream.

8 servings

4 hr 15 min

Published October 4, 2025

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Ingredients

•1 whole turkey
•2½ cups water
•4 cups turkey giblet stock
•2 tablespoons unsalted butter
•5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
•¾ cup heavy cream
•equipment

Cooking Instructions

1.
Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Put turkey on rack in roasting pan and season inside and out with 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Fold neck skin under body, then tuck wing tips under breast and tie drumsticks together with string. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
60 min
2.
Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in lower third.
15 min
3.
Add 1 cup water to pan and roast, without basting, rotating pan halfway through, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into fleshy part of each thigh (test both; do not touch bone) registers 165 to 170°F, 1 3/4 to 2 hours total.
120 min
4.
Carefully tilt turkey so juices from inside large cavity run into pan. Transfer turkey to a platter (reserve juices in roasting pan) and let rest, uncovered, 30 minutes (temperature of thigh meat will rise to 170 to 175°F). Discard string.
30 min
5.
Strain pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into 2-quart measure and skim off fat (or use a fat separator), reserving fat. Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add remaining 1 1/2 cups water and deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Strain through sieve into measuring cup containing pan juices. Add enough turkey giblet stock to pan juices to bring total to 5 cups.
10 min
6.
Put 5 tablespoons reserved fat (if there is less, add melted butter) in a 4-quart heavy saucepan and whisk in flour. Cook roux over medium heat, whisking, 3 minutes. Add stock mixture in a fast stream, whisking constantly, then add cream, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Bring to a boil, whisking, then stir in any turkey juices from platter and simmer 5 minutes.
15 min
7.
Serve turkey with gravy.
5 min
8.
Lagier Meredith Mount Veeder Napa Valley Syrah '06

Cooking Instructions

Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Put turkey on rack in roasting pan and season inside and out with 1 tablespoon salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Fold neck skin under body, then tuck wing tips under breast and tie drumsticks together with string. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour.

60 min

Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in lower third.

15 min

Add 1 cup water to pan and roast, without basting, rotating pan halfway through, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into fleshy part of each thigh (test both; do not touch bone) registers 165 to 170°F, 1 3/4 to 2 hours total.

120 min

Carefully tilt turkey so juices from inside large cavity run into pan. Transfer turkey to a platter (reserve juices in roasting pan) and let rest, uncovered, 30 minutes (temperature of thigh meat will rise to 170 to 175°F). Discard string.

30 min

Strain pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into 2-quart measure and skim off fat (or use a fat separator), reserving fat. Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add remaining 1 1/2 cups water and deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Strain through sieve into measuring cup containing pan juices. Add enough turkey giblet stock to pan juices to bring total to 5 cups.

10 min

Put 5 tablespoons reserved fat (if there is less, add melted butter) in a 4-quart heavy saucepan and whisk in flour. Cook roux over medium heat, whisking, 3 minutes. Add stock mixture in a fast stream, whisking constantly, then add cream, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Bring to a boil, whisking, then stir in any turkey juices from platter and simmer 5 minutes.

15 min

Serve turkey with gravy.

5 min

Lagier Meredith Mount Veeder Napa Valley Syrah '06