Herb-rubbed turkey au jus

Want to reduce the fat and sodium in your turkey dinner? Try this flavorful alternative to traditional turkey and gravy.

Au jus is a term from French cooking that means "with juice."

Ingredients (Serves 10)

1 whole turkey (about 15 pounds), thawed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup water

Herb rub:

2 teaspoons dried sage
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Au jus:

2 teaspoons dried sage
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup apple juice
1 cup defatted pan drippings

Directions

Heat the oven to 325 F.

In a small bowl, combine the sage, thyme and parsley to make the rub. Mix well and set aside.

Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey and discard. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cool water. Pat dry with paper towels.

Starting at the neck area, insert fingers or a spoon between the layer of skin and meat to gently loosen the skin. Place the turkey breast-side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Add about 1 tablespoon of the herb mixture under the skin of each breast. Rub the outside of the turkey with the olive oil. Rub the remaining herb mixture over the outside of the bird. Loosely tie the legs together. Place into the middle of the oven.

After about 1 1/2 hours, cover the turkey with a tent of foil to keep the skin from getting overcooked. Check the doneness after the bird has roasted about 3 to 3 1/2 hours. The turkey is done when the thigh is pierced deeply and juices run clear (180 to 185 F) or when the breast muscle reaches 170 to 175 F.

Remove the turkey from the oven. Let stand about 20 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water to the pan; scrape up the drippings and browned bits. Pour into a gravy separator or skim off the fat. Set aside.

In a saucepan, combine the sage, thyme, parsley, honey and apple juice. Simmer over medium heat until reduced by half. Add the defatted pan drippings and bring to a low boil, stirring often.

Carve the turkey and drizzle turkey slices with sauce. Serve immediately.