TURKEY: It is very satisfying to be able to present to family & friends a nicely roasted turkey for festive occasion. Try this recipe which I had used for many many years and enjoy the result.

ROAST TURKEY WITH VARIOUS STUFFINGS:



1 x 10-15 lb. turkey

3-5 tsp salt and fresh pepper

1 lb. bacon rasher


for stock or gravy:

neck gizzard and liver of bird
1 onion, quartered
1 bay leaf
2 stalks celery, chopped
6 peppercorns
4-5 cups cold water
2-3 tbsp. all purpose flour


basic sage & onion bread stuffing:

2-3 cups soft white bread cubes
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
milk as needed
1 tsp salt and pepper or to taste
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1 tsp cooking oil
¼ cup fresh sage leaves, finely chopped, or ½ tsp dried sage flakes




To make stuffing: Sauté onion and celery in the teaspoon of cooking oil until slightly browned. Place bread cubes in a large bowl and add in sage, the cooked onion and celery and seasoning. Toss together with a fork to mix. Add eggs and pour in enough of the milk to bind all the ingredients together until the mixture is soft but not soggy. Do not prepare stuffing until ready to stuff turkey. Never stuff turkey ahead of time. It should be stuffed only when it is ready to go into the oven.

Wash and pat dry turkey thoroughly. Rub inside and out with salt and pepper mixture. Spoon stuffing into the body cavity and neck cavity of the turkey, stuff loosely and do not pack the stuffing in. Sew up body cavity with needle and thread or use a bamboo skewer to close the cavity. Fold the skin over the neck opening and tuck the legs under the tail to secure them. Alternately, truss the bird with kitchen strings to secure the legs and wings close to the body.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place turkey, breast side up, in a large roasting pan and cover the breast with bacon, generously overlapping the slices. Insert a meat-probe or an oven-proof meat-thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, avoid touching any bone with the tip of the thermometer. Loosely cover turkey with a layer of foil.

Roast for 20 minutes per pound or until internal temperature reaches 165-170 degree F in the breast area. Remove foil and the layer of bacon during the last 45-60 minutes of cooking to brown meat. Roll up the bacon slices and secure the rolls with tooth-picks. Return bacon rolls to the roasting pan to brown during the last half hour of cooking.

To make gravy: place all stock ingredients in a saucepan with the cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 1 ½ to 2 hours. Strain stock, skim off fat and keep hot.

When turkey is cooked, transfer it to a heated serving platter and keep warm while resting it for 10 to 15 minutes.

Drain off all but 1 tbsp. fat from roasting pan and place pan on medium heat on the stove. Add flour and cook roux for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, scarping up brown bits from pan. Gradually pour in hot stock, using a wire whisk to whisk it in and whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil, stirring, and simmer stock for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with carved turkey



To carve a turkey:

For dark meat: Cut away the thighs and drumsticks from the body. Slice meat from drumsticks and thighs.

For white meat: Make a horizontal “base cut” into one side of the breast by placing your knife parallel to the wing and as close to it as possible. Cut deeply into the breast until you hit bone. After this base-cut, begin slicing by cutting downwards on one side of the breast-bone and ending at the base cut. Repeat this process on the other breast.









ALTERNATE STUFFING CHOICES:



Balkan stuffing:

1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp. oil
¼ cup each currants & blanched slivered almonds
1 cup long grain rice
cooked heart and liver of the bird--optional
1 tsp. chopped dill
1 ½ tsp. tomato paste
1 ½ cups stock
salt and pepper


Sauté onion in oil until golden and add almonds. Cook for 2-3 minutes; then add rice. Cook for 2-3 minutes to coat rice grains; then add stock and currants. Cover and simmer rice for 15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. Add in heart and liver if using, tomato paste, salt and pepper to taste. Cool completely and stuff a 10 lb. turkey.


Chestnut and rice stuffing:

2 1/3 cup long grain rice
4 onions, chopped
2 tsp. each fresh tarragon and thyme
1 tsp. allspice
cooked heart and liver of the bird
½ cup cream
juice of 1 lemon
1 lb. chestnuts
½ cup dry sherry
salt and pepper
1 tbsp. cooking oil


Cook the rice in 4 cups water for 15 minutes. Rinse under running cold water and drain. Cook onion in oil until golden and add it into rice. Toss well together. Add in heart and liver if using, cream, tarragon, thyme, all spice and lemon juice.

Slit the chestnuts and boil gently in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and peel off shells and skins while still hot. Put them back into simmering water and cook 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain and crumble chestnuts coarsely and add them into rice mixture. Season stuffing with salt and pepper to taste. Cool completely before using it to stuff a 12 to 15 lb. turkey.



Meat and herbs stuffing:

4 oz. each of finely-ground veal, pork, chicken or turkey liver
mixed herbs of taste—thyme, marjoram, sage, bay leaf, etc
¼ cup brandy or dry sherry
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup all purpose flour
salt and pepper


Mix all ingredients together. Add more flour if the stuffing is too moist. Stuff a 10lb. bird.