Roast Turkey with Corn Bread Stuffing and Giblet Gravy

Turkey

• 4 Quarts Water
• 1 Cup Coarse Salt
• 1 18-lb Turkey - Neck & Giblets Reserved for Giblet Broth
• 1 Cup (2 Sticks) Butter - Cut into Pieces, Room Temperature
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Orange Juice
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
• 2 Tbs Chopped Fresh Thyme or 1 Tbs Dried
• 1 Tbs Grated Orange Peel
• 1 Tsp Grated Lemon Peel
• 3/4 Tsp Salt
• 3/4 Tsp Pepper
• Corn Bread Stuffing

Combine 4 quarter and 1 cup coarse salt in very large bowl. Let stand until salt dissolves, whisking occasionally (~10 minutes). Place turkey in salted water, turning to coat. Let turkey stand at room temperature 2 hours, turning occasionally. Rinse turkey and pat dry with paper towels. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Tuck wings under turkey body.

Position oven rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Whisk butter, orange juice, lemon juice, thyme, orange peel, lemon peel, 3/4 tsp salt & pepper in medium bowl until well blended. Rub 1/4 cup thyme butter inside turkey. Spoon stuffing loosely into main cavity and neck cavity. Generously rub remaining thyme butter over turkey. Tie legs together loosely to hold shape of turkey. Place bird in open pan, breast side up. Add two 8-oz glasses of water. Place in oven. For roasting times for other sized turkeys, use the chart below:

Hen Weight Roasting Time Tom Weight Roasting Time

14-16 lbs 3.5-3.75 hrs 26-28 lbs 5-5.25 hrs

18-20 lbs 4-4.5 hrs 30-32 lbs 5.5-5.75 hrs

20-22 lbs 4.5-5 hrs 32-34 lbs 5.75-6.25 hrs

22-24 lbs 5-5.5 hrs 34-36 lbs 6.25-6.5 hrs

**If turkey is roasted unstuffed, decrease roasting time ~30 minutes.

Optional: When the turkey is half done, about 2 hours, heat (do not boil!) one cup white wine and pour over turkey. This is the secret to a "Marvy Gravy."

Roast turkey until golden, basting occasionally with pan drippings, about 2 hours. Cover entire turkey loosely with heavy-duty foil and roast until meat thermometer inserted into innermost part of thigh registers 180 degrees F or until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with skewer, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 1-1/2 hours longer. Transfer turkey to platter. Tent turkey with foil and let stand while preparing gravy.

Giblet Broth

• 2 Tbs (1/4 Stick) Butter
• Neck & Giblets Reserved from 18-lb Turkey (Discard Liver, If Desired)
• 1-1/2 Cups Chopped Carrots
• 1 Cup Chopped Onion
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Celery
• 5 Cups Water
• 1 Cup Dry White Wine
• 2-3" Pieces Leek (White & Pale Green Parts Only)
• 8 Parsley Sprigs
• 2 Tsp Chopped Fresh Thyme or 1 Tsp Dried
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 2 Whole Cloves
• 1/4 Tsp Whole Black Peppercorns

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add neck and giblets; saute until brown (~10 minutes). Using slotted spoon, transfer neck and giblets to plate. Add carrots, onion and celery to pot. Saute until vegetables brown (~10 minutes). Add water, wine, neck and giblets to vegetables; bring to boil.

Add all remaining ingredients to pot. Reduce heat to medium-low; partially cover and simmer until giblets are very tender (~1-1/2 hours). Using slotted spoon, transfer neck and giblets to plate. Cool. Carefully remove all meat from turkey neck. Chop neck and meat giblets; reserve for gravy. Strain both into bowl, pressing on solids. (Broth and giblets can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill). Makes about 3-1/2 cups.

For Gravy

• 6 Tbs (3/4 Stick) Butter
• 6 Tbs All Purpose Flour
• Chopped Turkey Neck Meat & Giblets Reserved from Giblet Broth
• 3 Hard-Boiled Eggs - Finely Chopped
• 3 Tbs Brandy

Strain pan juices from roasting pan into large glass measuring cup. SPoon fat off top of pan juices. Pour juices and Giblet Broth into heavy/medium saucepan. Boil broth mixture until reduced to 3 cups (~10 minutes).

Melt butter in heavy/large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; cook until golden brown, stirring often (~3 minutes). Whisk in reduced broth mixutre. Simmer until gravy thickens, stirring occasionally (~5 minutes). Season to tast with salt and pepper. Add reserved chopped neck meat and giblets, eggs and brandy; simmer 5 minutes longer. Transfer to bowl. Serve gravy with turkey.

Buttermilk Corn Bread

• 2 Cups White Cornmeal
• 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 2 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 2-1/2 Cups Buttermilk
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1/4 Cup (1/2 Stick) Butter - Melted, Cooled

Preaheat oven to 450 degrees F. Butter 9x9x2" baking pan. Mix first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Whisk buttermilk, eggs and butter in medium bowl to blend. Stir buttermilk mixture into dry ingredients to blend (do not overmix). Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted center comes out clean and top is golden brown (~25 minutes). Cool in pan. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. COver and let stand at room temperature).

Corn Bread Stuffing

• 1 Recipe Corn Bread
• 8 Bacon Slices
• 5 Tbs Butter
• 3 Cups Chopped Onions
• 2 Cups Chopped Celery
• 1 Cup Chopped Shallots
• 4 Tsp Dried Rubbed Sage
• 1 Tbs Dried Thyme
• 1-1/2 Cups Pecans - Toasted, Coarsely Chopped
• 2 Cups Canned Low-Salt Chicken Broth
• 3 Large Eggs - Beaten to Blend

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cut corn bread into 3/4" cubes. Place corn bread cubes on baking sheet and toast until dry but not hard (~15 minutes). Cool. Transfer to large bowl.

Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp (~6 minutes). Using tongs, transfer bacon to paper towels; reserve 1/4 cup bacon drippings in skillet. Cool bacon and crumble.

Add butter to bacon drippings in skillet and melt over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery and shallots; saute just until pale golden brown (~10 minutes). Stire in sage and thyme. Add to corn bread cubes in bowl. Mix in pecans and crumbled bacon. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and rerigerate.)

Stir 1-1/2 cups chicken broth into stuffing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in eggs. Reserve 9 cups stuffing for turkey. Moisten remaining stuffing with remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth. Transfer to prepared dish. Bake stuffing in covered dish alongside turkey for 1 hour. Uncover stuffing and bake until top begins to crisp (~5 minutes longer).

Serves: 12