Roast Turkey With Chestnut Stuffing

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.02

Title: ROAST TURKEY WITH CHESTNUT STUFFING
Categories: Harned 1994, Main dish, Nuts, Pork, Poultry
Yield: 8 servings

1 Fresh turkey; with giblets
-- (10 to 12 lbs.)
4 tb Unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
-- at room temperature
1 lb Fresh chestnuts; peeled*
3 c ;Water
1 lb Pork sausage
2 Shallots; peeled
-- finely chopped
1/4 c Fresh parsley; fine chopped
4 Fresh thyme sprigs or
1/2 ts Dried thyme
1 Bay leaf
Salt and pepper; to taste
2 Garlic cloves
-- peeled and minced
2 Eggs; beaten
1 c Dry white wine
2 lg Onions; peeled
-- each cut into 8 wedges
4 md Carrots; peeled
-- cut in 2" pieces

*To peel chestnuts, make a small cut on the flat side
of each chestnut, making sure to cut all the way
through the outer skin. Place chestnuts in a
medium-size saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a
boil over high heat. Then reduce heat to low. Remove
several chestnuts from the water and peel them with a
sharp paring knife, being sure to remove both the
outer peel and the dark inner skin that is attached to
the meat. If the chestnuts cool before you have a
chance to peel them, place them back in the water to
heat, as it is virtually impossible to remove the
inner skin when the chestnut is cool.

Remove giblets and neck from the turkey; set aside.
Rinse the turkey well inside and out until the water
runs clear. Pat it thoroughly dry. Carefully separate
the skin from the breast by running your fingers
between the skin and the meat, being careful not to
poke any holes in the skin. Spread the butter on the
meat.

Bring the water to a boil in a vegetable steamer over
high heat. Add the chestnuts, cover, and steam until
they are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove the steamer
basket from the heat.

In a medium-size bowl, gently break the chestnuts into
bite-size pieces. Mixing well after each addition,
stir in the pork, shallots, herbs, salt and pepper,
garlic and eggs. Chop giblets and add them to the
mixture, mixing well. To test for seasoning, pinch
off a teaspoon of the mixture and cook it in a small
skillet over medium heat until it is cooked through.
Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.

Fill the turkey with as much stuffing as it will hold,
but don't pack it tightly. Truss the turkey. Place
the turkey in a large roasting pan, and pour wine
around it. Roast at 350 F. until turkey is golden,
basting every 30 minutes with pan liquids. If the
breast is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with
aluminum foil. After 2 hours, add the onions and
carrots to the pan, spacing them evenly around the
turkey. The turkey is done when the skin is golden,
the thigh is tender when pressed, and the leg joints
move easily up and down in their sockets, 3 to 3 1/2
hours more.

Remove turkey from the oven and from the roasting pan;
let it rest for at least 30 minutes or as long as 45
minutes before carving. While it is resting, turn the
turkey over so it is resting on its breast. Prop the
legs so they are slightly higher than the breast,
allowing juices to run back into the breast meat.
Reduce the cooking juices slightly over medium-high
heat, about 2 minutes, scraping up any brown bits.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain juices
and pour into a gravy boat.

Scoop out the stuffing into a serving dish and keep
warm while you carve the turkey. Serve; pass the
gravy boat.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

The stuffing is good for any poultry, and can be
cooked on its own and served as a side dish to pork
roast as well. To cook the stuffing separately, bake
it in a covered dish at 350 F. until it is nearly
cooked all the way through, about 30 minutes. Then
remove the cover and continue cooking until it has
browned slightly on top and is clearly cooked through,
an additional 10 to 15 minutes. If you cook the
stuffing separately, your turkey may take slightly
less time to cook.

Also good accompanied by either a red Burgundy or a
Volnay.

From _Farm House Cookbook_ by Susan Herrmann Loomis.
New York: Workman Publishing Company, Inc., 1991. Pp.
174-175. ISBN 0-89480-772-2. Electronic format by
Cathy Harned.

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