Turkey & Gravy

1 18 lb. turkey
12 Cups stuffing
8 T butter, softened
Salt & Pepper, to taste
2 1/2 Quarts turkey stock or as needed
Melted Butter, if needed
3/4 C flour

Position a rack in the lowest position in the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.
Reserve the turkey neck and giblets to use in gravy.
Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water. Pat the turkey skin dry.
Turn the turkey on it's breast. Loosely fill the neck cavity with stuffing. Using a thin skewer,
pin the neck skin to the back, fold the turkey's wings akimbo behind the back or tie to the body
with kitchen string.
Loosely fill the large body cavity with stuffing. Place any remaining stuffing in a lightly buttered
casserole, cover and refrigerate to bake as a side dish.
Place the drumsticks in the hocklock or tie together with the kitchen string.
Place the turkey breast side up on a rack in the roasting pan. Rub all over with the softened butter.
Season with salt and pepper. Tightly cover the breast area with foil. Pour 2 C of the turkey stock into the 
bottom of the pan.
Roast the turkey, basting all over every 30 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan, until a meat 
thermometer reads 180 degrees and the stuffing is at least 160 degrees., about 4 1/4 hours.
Whenever the drippings evaporate, add stock to moisten them. Remove the foil during the last hour to allow 
breast to brown.
Transfer turkey to a large serving platter and let stand for at least 20 minutes before carving. 
Pour the drippings from the roasting pan into a heatproof glass bowl. Let stand for five minutes, then skim off 
and reserve the clear yellow fat that has risen to the top. Measure 3/4 cip fat, adding melted butter if needed. 
Add enough turkey stock to the skimmed drippings to make 8 C total.
Place the roasting pan on 2 stove burners over low heat and add the turkey fat. Whisk in the flour, scraping up 
the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the turkey
stock. Cook, whisking often until gravy has thickened, about 5 minutes.