One 12-pound turkey, wing tips, neck, heart and gizzard reserved
Salt, freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, quartered
1 large celery rib, cut into thirds
3/4 cup dry white wine
6 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or water
2 canned plum tomatoes, halved, seeded
3 parsley sprigs
2 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
1/3 cup flour
2 tablespoons port or Madeira, optional

Have turkey at room temperature when it goes into the oven or it will take longer to roast.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Season the cavity with salt and pepper and set the bird on a rack in a roasting pan large enough to let air circulate all around. Rub the butter over the breast and legs and season with salt and pepper.

Roast turkey in top third of oven for 30 minutes, or until beginning to brown. Reduce temperature to 375 degrees and cover turkey loosely with foil; continue roasting until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175 degrees.

Transfer turkey to serving platter. Cover with foil and let stand at least 20 minutes before carving.

Meanwhile, cut turkey neck and gizzard in half. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan, add the neck, gizzard, heart and wing tips. Cook until browned and crisp, about 7 minutes.

Stir in onion and celery; cook until golden. Add wine; boil until reduced by half, about 7 minutes. Add chicken broth. Bring to boil. Stir in tomatoes, parsley, thyme and bay leaf; cook over very low heat until reduced to 3 1/2 cups, about 1 hour. Strain into a bowl; save 1 1/2
cups for the stuffing.

Mix water with flour until smooth. Remove rack from roasting pan and spoon off the fat. Set the pan over 2 burners on high heat.

Add remaining 2 cups of turkey stock and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Whisk in the flour paste. Cook until gravy thickens, then add the port. Strain
into sauceboat.

Makes 8 servings.