Cheesecloth turkey calls for draping the lightweight fabric over your bird, which will help keep the wine and drippings in place on the skin as you baste. The end result is a beautiful, deeply flavored turkey for your holiday table.

Ingredients

• 1 turkey (14 to 16 pounds)
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh sage
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 celery ribs, quartered
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, quartered
• 1 cup butter, cubed
• 2 cups white wine
• gravy:
• 2 to 3 cups chicken broth
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Remove giblets from turkey; cover and refrigerate for gravy. Pat turkey dry; place breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. In a small bowl, combine softened butter, thyme and sage. With fingers, carefully loosen skin from turkey breast; rub butter mixture under skin. Sprinkle salt and pepper over turkey and inside cavity; fill cavity with celery, onion and carrot.
2. In a large saucepan, melt cubed butter; stir in wine. Saturate a four-layered 17-in. square of cheesecloth in butter mixture; drape over turkey. Bake turkey, uncovered, 3 hours; baste with wine mixture every 30 minutes, keeping cheesecloth moist at all times.
3. Remove and discard cheesecloth. Bake turkey until a thermometer inserted in the thigh reads 170°-175°, basting occasionally with pan drippings, 45 minutes to 1-1/4 hours longer. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.)
4. Remove turkey to a serving platter; cover and let stand 20 minutes before carving. Discard vegetables from cavity. Pour drippings and loosened brown bits into a measuring cup. Skim fat, reserving 1/3 cup. Add enough broth to remaining drippings to measure 4 cups.
5. For gravy, chop refrigerated giblets. In a large saucepan, saute giblets in reserved fat until browned. Stir in flour until blended; gradually stir in broth mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve with turkey.