For Turkey and Gravy:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the turkey in a roasting pan. Remove the neck and innards from the cavity. Place the neck in the roasting pan; discard innards unless you wish to prepare them separately.
- Tie the legs of the turkey together; fold and tuck wings under the body. Combine the butter and sage in a small bowl; brush mixture on the turkey. Season with salt and pepper and roast the turkey, uncovered, 1 1/2 hours hours. Baste turkey with pan juices, and then give the pan a 180-degree turn. Roast turkey another 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Insert an instant-read meat thermometer deep into an inner thigh of the turkey, not touching the bone. If it registers 185°F, the turkey is ready. If it doesn’t, baste the bird again and roast 15 to 30 minutes more, or until the 185°F temperature is achieved.
- Transfer turkey to a large platter. Tent with foil and rest the bird until you’re ready to carve, at least 15 minutes.
- To make gravy, skim excess fat from the pan drippings. Place the pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add 3 cups of the stock and bring to a boil. Place the flour and the remaining stock in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Whisk the mixture into the pan and simmer until thickened gravy forms, about 5 minutes. Carve the turkey and serve the gravy in a sauceboat alongside.
Dressing:
- Place bread in a large bowl. Melt 2 Tbsp. of the butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add onion, apple and celery and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Spoon the onion mixture over the bread. Add the remaining ingredients and toss to combine.
- Grease a 9" x 13" casserole dish with the remaining butter. Spoon the dressing into the casserole dish. (Dressing can be made to this point a few hours in advance. Cool to room temperature, cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to bake.)
- Bake dressing in 375°F oven for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 20 to 25 minutes more, or until the dressing is hot and crisp and golden on top (see Note).
Note: If you don’t have a second oven or toaster oven to bake the dressing in, you can put the dressing in the oven you do have the moment the turkey is taken out. By the time the turkey rests, you make gravy, carve the bird and set the meat on the platter, and ready the other side dishes and set them out, the dressing should be hot and ready.
Dried sage leaves is dried crumbled sage, not finely powdered, ground sage. It’s sold in bottles in our spice and herb aisle.
Recipe Options: If you would like to stuff the bird, rather than cook the dressing on the side, do so just before you put turkey it in the oven. Fill the main cavity, making sure it's loosely stuffed, not packed in. If you pack it in, it won't get hot enough to kill any bacteria present in the turkey. Also stuff the cavity behind the large flap of skin at the neck end of the bird. You can pack the dressing tighter here, as it's closer to the heat. Any leftover stuffing can be baked in a casserole dish as described in the recipe.
Remove the stuffing from the turkey as soon as the bird is cooked. Transfer to a heatproof serving dish and keep warm in the oven while the turkey rests before carving. If the stuffing does not feel hot, bake until it reaches a bacteria-killing 165 degrees F when tested with an instant-read thermometer.