chef john's boneless whole turkey

Ingredients

• Servings: 20
• 1 (15 pound) whole turkey, boned
• kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 3 cups prepared stuffing, or more to taste
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, or more to taste

Recipe

Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 50 mins

Ready Time: 2 hrs 10 mins


• preheat oven to 450 degrees f (230 degrees c).
• place turkey, skin-side down, on a work surface and arrange meat with your hands into a flat, even surface. season with salt and black pepper. press stuffing all over the surface of the meat.
• fold long edges of turkey around stuffing into the center of the bird and carefully turn turkey seam-side down. tie the leg-end of the turkey with kitchen twine to cinch the turkey together. repeat ties at 2-inch intervals along the length of the turkey, ending with a single tie along the length of the turkey. season with salt and place in a large roasting pan.
• roast turkey in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. reduce heat to 325 degrees f (165 degrees c) and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the turkey reads 155 degrees f (68 degrees c), about 1 1/2 hours. transfer turkey to a platter; remove and discard twine. let rest until internal temperature increases to 165 degrees f (74 degrees c), about 20 minutes.
• place roasting pan over medium-high heat and stir cream into pan drippings. cook and stir until sauce thickens and reduces, 3 to 7 minutes. pour through a fine mesh sieve into a gravy boat or bowl. slice turkey crosswise and top slices with gravy.