To start, remove the turkey from the brine and let it drain briefly before placing onto a tray. Discard the brine and pat the turkey dry. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat it to 350° degrees Fahrenheit. Let the turkey sit at room temperature for one hour.

Meanwhile, you can prepare the short stock. Also, now is a good time to take the compound butter out of the fridge.

To make the short stock, first prepare your mise en place. Chop the onions, carrots and celery. Place into a bowl and set aside.

Using a heavy knife, carefully chop up the bones, including the reserved turkey neck. You could also ask the butcher to do this for you.

Preheat a large, stainless-steel fry pan over high heat. Once hot, add the oil and half of the bones. Let the bones brown and caramelize before adding half of the vegetables. Let the vegetables caramelize slightly. Deglaze with half of the white wine, scraping up any bits from the bottom. Transfer to the roasting pan and repeat with the second batch.

Once done, add the stock to the roasting pan. Place the V-rack over top and cover with foil. Poke a few holes to let the juices run through. Coat the foil with a bit of oil then set the pan aside while you prepare the turkey.

To season the bird, have your mise en place ready. Season the cavity with the salt and pepper and add the vegetables and herbs. Rub the outside skin with a bit of oil. Then add about a third of the compound butter just underneath the skin. Place the turkey, breast-side-down onto the v-rack, and transfer to the oven. Set your timer for one hour.

Now, you have a whole hour to prep the potatoes.

To start the potatoes, peel and remove any eyes. Rinse the potatoes, cut in half lengthwise and dice into 1 1/2" -inch cubes.
Place the potatoes into a pot. Cover with cold water.

Now that the turkey has been in the oven for one hour, let’s flip it over.

Before you remove the turkey from the oven, melt the compound butter. Then, using two cloths, carefully flip the turkey over. Brush the top with some of the melted butter and return to the oven. Set the timer for hour number 2.

Now, we have an hour to make the stuffing.

To prepare the stuffing, first finely dice the onions. Melt the butter in a large fry pan over medium-low heat. Start to sweat the onions while you finely dice the celery and carrots. Add these to the onions. Chop the fresh sage and thyme. Add all of the herbs and spices and let cook until the onions are translucent.

Once done, add the vegetable mixture to the bread. Toss to combine. Whisk the eggs and stock together. Pour this over the bread and toss again. Butter a large casserole dish. Add the stuffing and cover.

You can just set this aside, while you check the turkey. This is also a good time to take out the cranberry sauce.

Quickly brush the turkey with a bit more butter and set your timer for the third hour.

If you have used the apple cider brine, the sugar in the brine will make the turkey color a lot faster. If this happens, just cover it with foil to prevent the skin from over-browning.

TIMING NOTE: At the 2 hour 30 minute mark of the turkey roasting, place the stuffing into the oven alongside the turkey.

Then start to cook the potatoes.

Add the salt and bay leaves to the potatoes and bring to a boil over high heat. Skim occasionally, and as soon as the potatoes come to a boil, turn the heat down and let simmer for about 15 to 17 minutes.

Test the potatoes for doneness. Once they’re done, remove the bay leaves and drain. Return the potatoes to the pot and mash while they are still hot. Cover and set aside, while you heat up the butter and cream.

But first, check the turkey again.

At the 3-hour mark, test the turkey for doneness by inserting a thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. Then test the same area from the inside of the cavity. The inside reading will always be lower, so this is where you should take your final reading from.

Brush with the remaining butter and return to the oven for about 15-30 minutes. Because all ovens cook differently, and your turkey may be slightly bigger or smaller, the timing now will all depend on the reading you get from your turkey.

TIMING NOTE: Now is a good time (30 to 45 min. before cooking) to take the Brussels sprouts out of the refrigerator, so they are not stone cold going into the oven.

Now, let’s finish the mashed potatoes.

In a small pot, heat the butter and cream over medium heat and let come to a gentle boil. Whisk in the salt, pepper, nutmeg and set aside. Add the cream, a little bit at a time, and mix together. The potatoes should be a little bit wet. As they sit, they’ll absorb some of the liquid. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like.

Place thin slices of butter over top and cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming. Cover and let sit until ready to serve.

Now, check to see how the turkey is doing.

Test the turkey again. The inside of the thigh should read 165° degrees Fahrenheit, which is perfect. Loosely tent with vented foil to allow the steam to escape. Let the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.

Remove the lid from the stuffing and move on to the yams.

To bake the yams, cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the yams and evenly spread them out. Return the top rack to your oven, and bake the yams for about 15 minutes.

As the yams bake, you can make the gravy.

To make the gravy, strain the liquid from the roasting pan and let the fat rise to the top. Skim off the fat into a separate bowl and reserve.

Measure the liquid equal to 6 cups. Take 3/4 cup of the reserved fat and pour into a large sauce pan over medium heat. Once the fat is nice and hot, add the flour and stir continuously. As the roux cooks, it will turn from a light tan color to a nice rich brown. This will take about 10 to 15 minutes but the end result is well worth it.

Add about 1/3 of the stock and stir constantly. Stir and continue to add the stock until smooth. Once the 6 cups of stock have been added check for consistency, keeping in mind it will continue to thicken after you turn off the heat. If you like a thinner gravy you may want to add up to another cup of stock.

For a super-smooth gravy, strain again. Cover and keep the gravy hot while you finish up the vegetables.

Also, check to see how the yams are doing.

Toss the yams and continue to bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until fork tender.

Place the Brussels sprouts into the oven with the yams and stuffing and bake for about 20-25 minutes.

Now it’s time to put everything on the table while you set yourself up to carve the turkey. Here is where you call in the troops and put some people to work. Take the cheesecake and/or pumpkin pie out of the fridge. Place a bowl and whisk in the fridge to later make the maple-whipped cream.

Once the Brussels sprouts are warmed through, take them out of the oven and set on a hot plate. By now, the stuffing should be hot and have a nice golden crust. Place this on the table and check the yams. Once fork-tender, transfer them to a serving dish.

Then turn off the oven and heat up your plates for a few minutes. Just leave the door open a crack to let out some of the heat. Remember to use oven mitts when removing, as they’ll be hot.

Finish up by removing the plastic wrap from the potatoes and stir in the melted butter. Transfer to a serving dish, and make sure the gravy is nice and hot. And don’t forget about the cranberry sauce!

There are two ways to carve a turkey. In either case, make sure to hone your knife so it’s nice and sharp.

The first method is carving at the table. Start by slicing off the wing, then slice the meat off the breast. Cut off the drumstick and thigh, then continue slicing along the breast.

To carve in the kitchen, remove the whole breast by cutting along the rib cage. Place the breast onto a cutting board and slice vertically against the grain. Next, cut off the thigh and drumstick. Cut between the knuckle of the thigh and the drumstick and continue to carve.

After all of that work, you can now enjoy a fabulous dinner!

Add the cream to the chilled bowl and whisk just a bit before adding the maple syrup. Continue to whisk until you reach soft peaks. Slice the pie and serve with a dollop of the maple-whipped cream.

To serve the cheese cake, slide a knife around the edges one more time. Remove the ring and gently lift the cheesecake onto a cutting board. Use a flat spatula to loosen the paper, then slide the parchment out from underneath.

To cut the cheesecake, place a long knife into hot water. Wipe dry before slicing. Do this each time you make a cut, and you will end up with perfect pieces every time. This cheesecake is great on its own or it can be served with a dollop of whip cream.

Enjoy dessert and hope you had a great meal overall!