Skip to content

Robert St. John

Restaurateur, author, enthusiastic traveler, & world-class eater.

Robert’s Christmas Turkey 2025

There's nothing like a well-roasted turkey to anchor a holiday table, and no one made it quite like my grandmother. She didn't wait until Thanksgiving to serve it. She'd roast a turkey once a month throughout the year, never mind the occasion. It was a staple at her table. My mother, on the other hand, always made a formal Christmas Eve dinner, complete with turkey, dressing, and gravy. As kids, the excitement of Christmas Eve was almost too much to bear. Those big dinners felt like the beginning of Christmas itself. It’s a memory that comes to mind every time I cook a turkey or make gravy. And a good gravy can make or break the meal. Making sure the roux browns just right and finishing the gravy with a touch of lemon juice or fresh herbs are tricks worth remembering. A little extra attention to the gravy goes a long way.

Ingredients

1 each 16-18 pound turkey, fresh or thawed
1 stick salted butter
3/4 cup chicken or turkey stock, slightly warm
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons poultry seasoning (see recipe page**)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 small onion, large dice
1 rib celery, 1/2-inch slice
1 Honey Crisp apple, 1-inch dice
Turkey Gravy – recipe follows

Turkey Gravy
Neck and wings from turkey
1 small onion, diced
1 rib celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
3 cups turkey or chicken stock, heated
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional, but recommended)
3 tablespoons pan drippings or clarified butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
11/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 teaspoon sweet basil
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (to finish)

 

Instructions

This recipe is part of Robert St. John’s Mississippi Christmas and is available for purchase here.

Serves 8 to 10

One day in advance:
Remove the neck and giblets. Using a sharp knife, remove the wings (we’re going to use them for gravy). Store refrigerated overnight until ready to use.
Dry the turkey well.
Place the butter in a microwave-safe dish. Heat until the butter just begins to melt. Mix the butter and stock on low in a blender until emulsified. Inject the turkey thoroughly until all of the butter mixture is used up. Place the turkey in a roasting pan or on a platter and refrigerate uncovered overnight.

Pull the turkey two hours before roasting. The turkey will cook more evenly when allowed to sit out at room temperature before roasting.

Preheat oven to 325° F
Rub the turkey with the olive oil. Combine the poultry seasoning and kosher salt. Rub the turkey with the seasoning. Stuff the cavity with the onion, celery, and apple. Tie the legs together with butcher’s string. Position a roasting rack inside a roasting pan. Place the turkey, breast-side-up on the roasting rack.

Roast for two hours then begin basting the turkey every 30 minutes until done. If the skin starts to get darker than you prefer, tent the turkey with foil.
Roasting time will vary depending on the size of the turkey. As a general rule, the turkey needs to roast for 14 to 16 minutes per pound if pulled out two hours before roasting.
A 16-to-18-pound turkey will take four to four and a half hours to cook. Remove from the oven when the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165° F. Let the turkey rest for 30 minutes before serving.

Turkey Gravy
This gravy technique uses professional tricks to deepen flavor and ensure a smooth, luxurious consistency. Roasting the bones and deglazing the pan with white wine provides complexity, while a final touch of lemon juice brightens everything up. For best results, strain the gravy before serving.

Makes 21/2 cups

Preheat oven to 375° F
Neck and wings from turkey
1 small onion, diced
1 rib celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
3 cups turkey or chicken stock, heated
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional, but recommended)
3 tablespoons pan drippings or clarified butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
11/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 teaspoon sweet basil
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (to finish)

When you pull your turkey from the refrigerator to bring it to room temperature, start the gravy.

Place the turkey neck, wings, onion, celery, and carrot in a one and a half-quart oven-proof skillet or saucepot. Roast for 30 minutes then using tongs, carefully turn them. Return them to the oven and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown.

Place the skillet or saucepot over medium heat and stir in the stock. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan to release all the flavorful browned bits. Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes.

Hold in a warm place while the turkey roasts.

Once the turkey has finished roasting and is resting, strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the solids.
Place the pan drippings or clarified butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir in the flour to make a roux. Cook for four to five minutes, or until it reaches a light caramel color.

Bring the strained stock to a boil over high heat. Carefully whisk in the roux and continue simmering for five minutes until thickened. Stir in the salt, thyme, sweet basil, and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Serve warm.

Recent Recipes

Potato Gratin

Potatoes are the one vegetable I could never give up. Fried, roasted, mashed, or scalloped—doesn’t matter, they’re always on the table in one form or another. This gratin is my favorite way to make them feel a little more special. It’s rich, creamy, and just decadent enough to make it feel like you’re putting in some extra effort. There’s a good bit of cheese in this recipe, but that’s exactly how it should be. The combination of sharp white Cheddar, gruyere, and Parmesan gives it the perfect balance of nuttiness, creaminess, and tang. And using Yukon gold potatoes instead of russets makes a big difference. They have just the right amount of starch to get creamy without getting mushy. This dish is a showstopper on the holiday table, but I’d eat it on a random Tuesday without hesitation.

Read more

Orange Cranberry Muffins

These muffins are like Christmas morning in a bite—bright, citrusy orange paired with tart, bursting cranberries. The combination feels like something you'd find in a festive basket dropped off by a thoughtful neighbor. Perfect for Christmas gift giving or to have on hand for guests throughout the holiday.

Read more

Chocolate Christmas Cheesecake

Chef Linda Roderick has been by my side through these cookbooks for over two decades, and there’s no one I’d rather have guiding me through a cheesecake recipe. She’s a master of the craft—steady, exacting, and always aiming for perfection. This rich, decadent chocolate cheesecake is no exception. It's all about balance. The deep, smooth chocolate filling meets a crisp, slightly salty crust for a perfect bite every time. Ensure your cream cheese is at room temperature before mixing—otherwise, you’ll end up with lumps. And when you melt the chocolate, give it time to cool slightly before mixing it into the batter, so you don’t end up with curdled filling. It’s worth the patience, every time. A few techniques can elevate this recipe to another level: chilling the dough overnight for a richer flavor, using a water bath to ensure an ultra-smooth texture, and letting the cheesecake rest for at least 24 hours before serving for the best flavor.

Read more