Smoked Paprika and Fennel Seed Roast Turkey is a type of recipe with Sweet Onion Gravy and Fennel Salt from chef Tom Douglas is the chef and co-owner (along with his wife, Jackie Cross) of six Seattle restaurants: Dahlia Lounge, Etta’s, Palace Kitchen, Lola, Serious Pie, and Seatown Snack Bar.

Ingredients 

Makes about 10 servings

For the Fennel Salt:

3 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon fennel seeds, toasted and ground

(see end of recipe for instruction)

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1. To make the fennel salt, combine the salt, fennel seeds and pepper in a small bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the mixture for sprinkling on the turkey and transfer the rest of the fennel salt to a couple of small, shallow dishes for passing at the table. Set aside.

Smoked Paprika and Fennel Seed Roast Turkey

For the Smoked Paprika and Fennel Butter:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon fennel seeds, toasted and ground

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves

(save the stems for the cavity)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. To make the paprika-fennel butter, put the butter in a small bowl. Add the fennel seeds, paprika, sage, salt and pepper, and mix until well blended (or combine the ingredients in a food processor.) Set aside.

For the Turkey 

One 12-pound turkey, excess fat discarded

2 ounces whole coffee beans

6 garlic cloves, peeled

The zest of 1 lemon, removed in long strips with

a vegetable peeler

4 large leaves of sage, plus the stems from

the chopped sage

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 medium onion (about 12 ounces) peeled,

cut in half, and thinly sliced

1. Trim the wing tips from the turkey and remove the gizzards and neck and set aside for stock. (See turkey-enriched stock recipe on next page.) Remove the livers and discard. Rinse the turkey and pat it dry with paper towels.

2. When you are ready to roast the turkey, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the turkey on a work surface and loosen the skin over the breasts by running your hands under the skin. Rub the smoked paprika-fennel butter under the skin and over the breasts. Sprinkle the reserved 2 tablespoons of fennel salt all over the skin of the

turkey and also sprinkle a little inside the cavity, then place the coffee beans, garlic cloves, lemon zest and sage sprigs inside the cavity. Leave the turkey legs untrussed for even heat circulation.

3. Brush the roasting pan lightly with a little of the melted butter. Make a bed of the onions in the center of the pan. Place the prepared turkey directly over the onions, (i.e. no rack) Brush or baste the turkey with the rest of the melted butter and place the pan in the oven.

4. A fter the first hour of roasting, baste the turkey with the fat that has collected in the pan and rotate the pan. Continue to roast, basting every 20 minutes until the turkey is done, about an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half longer. (If the turkey is browning too much, tent with foil). (Total roasting time is 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 hours.) The turkey is done when a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 to 170 degrees. Remove the pan from the oven and set the turkey on a large platter to rest, tented with foil, for about 20 minutes while you make the gravy.

For the Sweet Onion Gravy

7 tablespoons all purpose flour

4 1/2 to 5 cups turkey-enriched stock, hot

1. To make the gravy, set the roasting pan with the onions, juices, and drippings over the burner (or straddle over 2 burners) over medium-high heat. Stir up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or wooden spatula and allow the onions to get a little more browned, stirring for a few minutes.

2. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the contents of the pan and stir with the wooden spoon for a few minutes until the flour is well combined with the onions, fat and juices in the pan.

3. Start adding the stock, a ladleful at a time, using a whisk to whisk out the lumps before you add more stock. Continue gradually adding stock, whisking each time until smooth, until you’ve added about 4 1/2 cups of stock. Also add any juices that have collected on the platter around the turkey. Lower the heat to medium and simmer the gravy, whisking occasionally, for about 8 to 10 minutes. The gravy should be thick enough to coat a spoon. If it seems too thick, add the remaining 1/2 cup stock. Season to taste with salt and pepper and transfer the gravy to a gravy boat.

For the Turkey-Enriched Stock

Yields about 5 cups

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Turkey neck, wing tips, and gizzards

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 quarts chicken broth (preferably homemade,

or low-sodium purchased)

1/2 onion, cut in chunks

1/2 carrot, cut in chunks

1/2 celery stalk, cut in chunks

2 parsley sprigs

1 bay leaf

8 black peppercorns

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the turkey parts and brown them on all sides, stirring and turning the parts as needed, about 10 minutes.

2. Pour in the wine and bring it to a boil, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer the stock gently for about an hour, occasionally skimming off the foam that rises to the top.

3. Pour the stock through a sieve and discard the solids. Allow the stock to cool and skim off the fat.

Recipe Notes 

- To toast fennel seed: put the fennel seeds in a small heavy pan and toast over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring, until fragrant and browned. (Be careful not to burn.) Take the fennel seeds out of the pan to prevent burning. Allow to cool, then grind in a clean electric coffee bean grinder.

- Be sure to use a roasting pan that can go directly over the burner for making the gravy.

- This recipe looks like it contains a lot of salt, but most of it is put in small dishes to pass to your guests at the table (i.e. you won’t use up all the salt in this meal.)

Make Ahead Tips 

- You can make the fennel butter a few days ahead and store covered and refrigerated. You can make the fennel salt a few days ahead and store tightly covered at room temperature.

- The stock can be made a day ahead or more (i.e. you can make it as soon as your turkey is purchased and thawed) and kept covered and refrigerated.