Thanksgiving Turkey New England Style

Ingredients for 10 servings:

• 1 piece(s) turkey, 5 kg (allow 500 g per person)
• 10 cup(s) white bread, stale, cut into cubes (1 cm edge length)
• 2 cup(s) onion(s), finely chopped
• 2 stalk(s) celery, diced with the green
• 2 apples, preferably tart variety, diced (alternatively: quinces)
• 1 cup(s) butter
• 4 tbsp sage, shredded
• n. B. salt and pepper, black
• 2 tbsp parsley, leaves picked from the stem
• possibly milk or chicken broth

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 4 hours 30 minutes; Total time approx. 5 hours 10 minutes

the filling makes it

Sauté chopped onion, finely chopped celery, and diced apples in butter; do not cook until golden brown. Mix together the spices and bread cubes and fold in the fruit and vegetable mixture. You can of course vary the spices; thyme and bay leaves, for example, also work well. If you prefer a slightly moister stuffing, pour over a little milk or chicken stock and let it absorb. You can also fold in 2 eggs. Prepare the turkey, i.e. clean it if necessary. I always remove the wishbone; this makes the bird easier to carve later. To do this, scrape the bone free with the back of a knife and gently remove it with your fingers (and a knife). For those who believe in the wishbone myth: nomen est omen. Salt and pepper the inside of the turkey and then loosely stuff it with the stuffing. I stuff some of it into the wishbone cavity. This is located at the front under the crop, and you should ensure that the skin is not cut there so that you can sew or pin it closed towards the back. The bulk of the stuffing goes into the breast and belly cavities, of course. Insert it loosely; do not stuff it tightly, as the stuffing will expand during cooking. Close it with meat forks and/or string. Place the stuffed turkey breast-side up on a wire rack placed on a baking sheet. Brush well with cooking oil and cover the bird with an oiled cotton towel to protect its sides. Bake in the oven at a constant medium temperature (160°C). The skin will gradually turn golden brown and crispy. Do not turn it over, do not add water, and only brush it 2-3 times with fat or the juices drained from the baking sheet (relaxing!). Remove the cotton towel 30 minutes before the end of cooking to brown the skin further. Increase the heat slightly if necessary. Baking times: 3-4 hours for a 2-4 kg turkey 4-4.5 hours for a 4-6 kg turkey 4.5-5 hours for a 6-8 kg turkey You can also roast at 130°C, but in this case the baking time will be 1.5 times longer. The turkey is cooked through when the leg joints bend up and down very easily. The internal temperature should reach 75°C. Remove this magnificent piece from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, scrape the meat juices from the baking tray and lightly toast them with flour, then add water and make a delicious sauce (a splash of sherry doesn’t hurt, for example). Carve the turkey, remove the stuffing, and serve! Serve with: cranberry chutney, roasted sweet potatoes, orange carrots, cranberry-orange relish in sweet potato baskets, cornbread… oh yes, don’t forget the stuffing!