Christmas turkey with grappa plums and honey

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 4 ½ kg turkey
• 20 prunes
• e.g. Grappa for soaking the plums
• 15 chestnuts
• 5 stalk(s) celery, finely chopped
• 200 g bacon, fat, thin slices
• 200 g bacon, streaky, thin slices
• e.g. honey, liquid
• 250 g turkey giblets or chicken wings
• 300 ml water, cold
• 200 ml dry white wine
• 2 carrots
• salt and pepper
• some mustard
• n. B. Sauce thickener

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 12 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 4 hours 30 minutes; Total time approx. 17 hours 30 minutes

For the stuffing, roughly chop the prunes the night before and place them in the grappa. They should be completely covered. Stir occasionally. On the day of preparation, roughly chop the chestnuts and mix them with the prunes and finely chopped celery. Wash the turkey inside and out, pat dry, and rub with salt and pepper. Close the opening in the neck with wooden skewers. Place about half of the stuffing inside the turkey, then close the other opening and tie the legs together. Warm the honey slightly and brush the turkey with it. Line the bottom of the roasting pan with fatty bacon, place the turkey in it, and alternate fatty and streaky bacon on top. The turkey must be fully coated to prevent it from becoming dry. Preheat the oven to approximately 160°C (top/bottom heat) and cook in the covered roasting pan for approximately 3 hours. Adjust the time for a different size turkey or different temperature. Baste the turkey occasionally with meat juices or cold water. After 3 hours, add the rest of the stuffing to the roasting tin and cook with the lid closed for a further hour. Brush the turkey 2-3 times with honey. Remove the lid from the roasting tin and continue cooking over high heat until the turkey is golden brown. Be careful! Golden brown turns black very quickly! Remove the cooked turkey with the stuffing from the roasting tin and keep warm. Remove any fatty bacon that hasn’t melted. For the sauce, wash the giblets or chicken wings and place them in a saucepan with water, wine, and carrot slices. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 2 hours. Skim off any foam that forms. Strain through a sieve and press out any solids or press them through the sieve. Strain the meat juices, stir in the strained stock, and bring to a boil. Season the sauce with mustard, salt, and pepper and thicken with a sauce thickener if desired. Serve with red cabbage and potato dumplings.