Foodback
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01 November 2010
Preheat oven very hot (250°C). While oven is heating, rub the exterior of the turkey with butter, duck or goose fat and season the cavity with salt, pepper and your favorite herbs. Stuff about ¾ full just before putting in the oven to allow the stuffing to expand during cooking. Roast at this high temperature 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 150°C (350°F). Plan on 40 minutes of cooking time per KG for a stuffed bird under 7 KG; for larger or unstuffed turkeys allow 30 to 35 minutes per KG. If your oven is convection (air pulsé or chaleur tournant), roasting time should be cut by about 20%. Baste with the rendered juices every 20 minutes or so, squirting a bit of juice into the cavity from time to time to moisten the stuffing. If the top of the turkey is closer than 3cm to the roof of the oven or heating element, tent the turkey loosely with foil after it has browned to prevent burning. Large turkeys also benefit from a loose foil covering after browning. About twenty minutes before the end of planned cooking time, prick the part of the thigh closest to the body with a knife. If the juices run clear or yellow, the turkey is done. If the juices are pink, return the turkey to the oven and try again in 10-20 minutes. After the turkey is cooked, allow it to stand at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes, according to size, before removing the stuffing and carving the bird.
01 November 2010
Combine dry stuffing crumbs such as Pepperidge Farm or Stove Top with leftover stale bread of any sort (cornbread is worth making just for this), broken into tiny pieces--run briefly through a food processor if necessary (but don't process too fine or you will have soggy stuffing). The more variety of breads and size of crumbs the better. Two days before cooking your turkey, add chopped raw onion and celery, herbes de provence and/or sage, oregano, thyme, etc, salt and pepper, dried cranberries and broken pecans to the bread, mix thoroughly, and store in a bag or covered container in the fridge. The humidity of the veggies will slightly moisten the crumbs and flavor them. Stuff your turkey as indicated above and bake, remembering to squirt some juices into the turkey while basting it. Personalize the basic mix by adding: olives, dried apricots, chopped fresh or rehydrated dry mushrooms, pine nuts, seeds, apples, fresh raw cranberries, garlic, corn kernals, water chestnuts, bacon—or whatever strikes your fancy. Only stuff the bird ¾ full (it needs to expand); you should make extra stuffing mix as there is never enough stuffing in the bird to go around the table. To prepare on top of the stove, melt butter in a large pot (about 125g, or 1 US stick) per 8 cups of stuffing, add the stuffing and stir over med-high heat until the butter is distributed throughout. Add about ½-1 cup of chicken stock or water—it should hiss: immediately lower the heat to minimum, cover and let steam for 5-10 min. Then remove lid and stir. Add more liquid if necessary, and let sit covered until desired consistency. Before serving, mix with stuffing from turkey.
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