Turkey with Stuffing

To begin, I brine the turkey the day before by immersing it in salted water in order to add flavor and tenderness.

Then I pat dry the turkey with paper towels and place it in the refrigerator for few hours to dry out the skin.

Now it's time to do the STUFFING.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 of sausage meat

1 cup of chopped onions

1 1/2 cup of chopped celery

2 eggs

1 cup grated cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano)

                                   

Procedure:

In a saucepan, cook the onion in olive oil until soft.

Add the sausage meat and cook it for 20 to 30 minutes.

Add chopped celery and continue to cook it for 30 minutes.

Turn off the heat, add beaten eggs with cheese.

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2. Once the stuffing is cold, add salt and pepper in the cavity of the turkey and stuff it.

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4. Truss the turkey by tying the legs and wings together so it remains in a compact package while cooking.

5. When ready to cook the turkey allow it to come to room temperature.  Rub it all around with salt and pepper.

6. Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Place the turkey, breast side up on a roasting rack set inside the roasting pan.  Add fresh rosemary and carrots at the bottom of the pan.

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8. Transfer to the oven for 30 minutes. Baste the turkey to add flavor and moisture during the cooking. Cover the breast with aluminum foil. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue roasting for 3 hours more or until the thermometer reaches 165 degrees.  Brush the turkey few times with pan drippings during the last hour of roasting.

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10. Transfer turkey to a cutting board to rest for 30 minutes or more before carving.

11. I hope you find my details useful and wish you all a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

SUSTAINABLE EATING - Soup from Turkey Carcass

The day after Thanksgiving, as I'm cleaning up I take the turkey carcass and make a delicious soup .  It has become a yearly ritual!

Place the carcass in a large soup pot and add cold water to cover by an inch or two.  Bring to a boil and skim any foam. 

Add a carrot or two, celery, a cherry tomato and little salt.   Simmer until the broth is rich about 2 hours.

Remove the turkey carcass.  Before discarding it, remove the pieces of meat attached to the carcass and put back into the broth.

In the meantime, I boil some barley separately and cook it midway.  I then stir the barley into the broth and season it with black pepper.

Trust me, it's light, flavorful and delicious.

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