Image by flickr |
Ingredients:
- 1 5-kilo turkey (about 10 lbs)
- Salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup butter for brushing
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 4 cups chopped celery stalks
- 350 grams cubed fresh oysters
- 2 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
- 1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 3/4 loaf white bread, cubed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 tablespoons oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
- Ground pepper
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse turkey well inside and out with running water.
- Pat the inside and outside of turkey with paper towels to dry. Season the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper (no need to season the outside because the rub mixture will do the seasoning).
- Combine all ingredients for the stuffing. Spoon 3/4 of the stuffing into cavity of the turkey and the remaining into the neck and outer breast portion.
- With needle and thread sew the cavity of the turkey until well closed.
- In a bowl, combine ingredients for rub mixture and tub evenly on skin of turkey.
- Arrange turkey on a rack in a roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer into thickest part of turkey.
- Roast turkey until thermometer registers 180 degrees Fahrenheit, basting every 30 minutes with its pan juices. Allow 30 to 40 minutes cooking time for every kilo of turkey.
- When cooked, transfer turkey to platter and brush butter over the turkey to give it a shiny appearance.
- Reserve turkey drippings for gravy. Let cooked turkey rest 30 minutes before carving. Serve with giblet gravy and cranberry sauce.
Let's make the Perfect Giblet Gravy:
Ingredients:
- 1 turkey neck
- 1 turkey gizzard
- 1 turkey liver
- 8 cups water
- 1 onion, sliced
- 3 sprigs parsley
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 8 whole black peppercorns
- Drippings from the pan used to bake the turkey
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Giblet crumbs
- Place first nine ingredients in a stockpot and simmer for 45 minutes. Set aside.
- Remove liver from the pot and reserve for future use. Remove the gizzard from the pot and chop finely. Remove the meat from the turkey neck and chop finely. Reserve the liquid stock.
- Combine the chopped gizzard and turkey meat.
- Transfer to a food processor and process until smooth. Add a little liquid stock (from the simmered liquid) if necessary.
- Pour processed mixture back to the liquid stock. Let boil then simmer continuously until mixture is reduced to about one fourth. Strain stock but reserve any remaining giblet crumbs.
- When turkey is cooked, transfer all drippings from the roast turkey to a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan, melt butter. Add flour and whisk continuously until it turns brown. Pour in the stock gradually by ladles.
- Let boil then simmer until thick.
- Add tomato paste and season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in reserved giblet crumbs and drippings and simmer until mixture is smooth and of desired consistency.
- Pour into a sauce-boat and reserve with the turkey.