Roast Turkey with Stuffing

Roasting turkey has been a yearly ritual for me back in Chicago during Thanksgiving Day and now every Christmas at home in Manila. It's a meal for the whole family and friends celebrating any special occasion, not just Thanksgiving or Christmas. This is another dish that takes a lot of preparation but simple enough to make!


Stuffing mix:
     1 pound of bread crumbs
     2 large sweet red apples
     1/4 pound of raisins
     1/4 pound of dates
     1/4 pound of wallnuts
     A sprig of chopped rosemary
     1 tablespoon of black pepper
     2 tablespoons of salt
     1 tablespoon of cinnamon
     1/4 pound of chopped mushroom (of your choice)
     1 cup of water


You will need a 20 pound turkey for the stuffing! When you buy the frozen turkey, let it sit for a day and a half in a tub of water to defrost. When it's ready, open the cavity and pull out a package containing the gizzard and liver. At the other cavity by the neck opening, pull out the neck bone. The turkey comes with a string to tie on both ends of the bird...under the wings on one end and at the other end near the fanny so you can lift the bird up when its cooked.


Massage the cavity and the skin with a teaspoon each of salt, black pepper, chopped rosemary, thyme. Mix the stuffing mixture by adding a little water at a time to make sure the mix does not go soggy or pasty...just enough for the mixture to bind. Fill both cavities of the bird with the stuffing mixture and set it down on a deep roasting pan. Fill the pan with a cup of water or 2 cans of chicken stock. Place the neckbone, gizzard and liver at the bottom of the pan. Set strips of bacon over the turkey so that the fat will act as the basting. Place the lid on the pan or if you don't have a lid, seal the pan with aluminum foil. Set your oven to 450 degrees for 15 minutes after which you set it back to 300 degrees and bake. Cook the turkey for 5 hours (the rule is 15 minutes for every pound of meat) or until the thermometer springs up the turkey breast. For the last 15 minutes of the last hour of cooking, open the lid to brown the skin!


Lift the bird up using the string and let it rest on the serving platter. For the gravy you will need a pound of unsalted butter heated up to melt in a sauce pan. When melted, add about 4 to 5 spoonful of flour mixing it with the butter to form a paste. Take the liver out of the roasting pan and the crunchy bacon from the turkey and chop them very fine. And put them back in the roasting pan. Take the neck bone and gizzard out of the pan and using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan for a couple of minutes. Put the flour mixture and add a cup of water a little at a time while still mixing it with the spatula until you achieve a gravy like consistency. When you are satisfied with the thickness, taste it and if it needs more salt, put a little at a time.


And finally for the cranberry sauce you will need some fresh cranberries, pitted. If you can't find fresh ones, you can buy it in a sealed packet at the supermarket along with a can of cranberry sauce. Heat up in another sauce pan a quarter of a cup of water, add the cranberries and the cranberry sauce along with 2 tablespoons of sugar and a couple of ounces of water. Bring to a reduction by simmering while stirring until the liquid thickens.


Now for the mashed potatoes, you will need at least a pound of potatoes, peeled and boiled in a pot until soft. Take the liquid out, add a half a teaspoon of salt, half a pound of butter and half a cup of milk, mixing all together until you get the right consistency. Add chopped parsley and serve on a plate with the gravy poured on the mashed potatoes and a couple of slices of turkey. Pour a tablespoon of the cranberry sauce on the turkey and you are all set. Bona Petit!!