Lunch: Roast Turkey with Apples, Onions, Fried Sage Leaves, and Apple Cider Gravy

Lady apples—a small, hard winter apple that's yellow with a reddish cheek—are often used decoratively but we love them for their flavor. They're widely available in markets this time of year. Said to be one of the oldest known apple varieties, they origin

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Apples

Health benefits of Roast Turkey with Apples, Onions, Fried Sage Leaves, and Apple Cider Gravy

Apples will improve your body's sensitivity to insulin (Reference: http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/27/1/281.full)

Ingredients

1 (12- to 14-pound) turkey (preferably kosher), feathers removed if necessary and neck and giblets (excluding liver) reserved for making stock
1 pound pearl onions (preferably red)
unsalted butter
16 to 20 (2-inch) Lady apples (2 pounds)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 °F.
Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper inside and out. Fold neck skin under body and secure with a small skewer. Tie drumsticks together with kitchen string and secure wings to body with small skewers.
Put turkey on a rack set in a large flameproof roasting pan. Roast turkey in middle of oven 30 minutes.
While turkey is roasting, blanch onions in boiling water 1 minute and rinse under cold water. Peel onions, then toss with 1 tablespoon melted butter and salt and pepper to taste. Toss apples with 1 tablespoon melted butter and salt and pepper to taste in another bowl.
Reduce temperature to 350 °F. Brush remaining 1/4 cup melted butter over turkey and roast 30 minutes more.
Baste turkey and scatter onions around it, then roast 30 minutes more.
Baste turkey and add apples to roasting pan. Roast another 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until a thermometer inserted into fleshy part of a thigh registers 180 °F.
Transfer turkey, onions, and apples to a heated platter, leaving juices in pan. Remove skewers and discard string. Let turkey stand at least 30 minutes, up to 45.