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Thanksgiving: Roasted Stuffed Turkey

Source of Recipe

From "Williams-Sonoma Thanksgiving: Sharing Traditions"


Recipe Introduction

"You might consider not stuffing the turkey and baking the stuffing separately. This will make less work for you, and the turkey will cook faster, too."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 turkey, about 12 pounds, at room temperature
â—¦ 1 recipe Fresh Sage Stuffing (recipe follows)
â—¦ 8 tablespoons (1 stick) softened unsalted butter
â—¦ Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste


Recipe

Preheat an oven to 325° F. Line a roasting rack with greased parchment paper or thoroughly grease the rack and place in a large roasting pan.

Remove and discard the giblets. Rinse the turkey inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Stuff the body and neck cavities loosely with the sage stuffing. Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together. Using two turkey lacers, pin the loose skin down to keep the stuffing from falling out. Fold the wings underneath the body. Rub the butter over the turkey, coating it thoroughly. Season the turkey with salt and pepper. Place the turkey, breast side down, on the prepared rack and transfer the roasting pan to the oven.

After one hour, using two clean oven mitts or thick wads of paper towels to protect your hands, turn the turkey breast side up. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast, away from the bone, registers 160° to 170° F and the thigh registers 175° to 185° F, about 2 hours more.

Transfer the turkey to a warmed platter and cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel or aluminum foil. Remove the stuffing from the turkey and place in a warmed serving dish. Let the turkey rest for 15 to 45 minutes before carving.

Serves 6 to 8



Fresh Sage Stuffing:

"Sage is the flavor of Thanksgiving. You will be surprised how delicious old-fashioned sage stuffing is!"

â—¦ 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
â—¦ 1 ½ cups finely chopped onion, plus more as needed
â—¦ 1 ½ cups finely chopped celery
â—¦ 8 cups dry bread cubes
â—¦ 3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage, plus more as needed
â—¦ ½ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
â—¦ 1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
â—¦ 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more as needed
â—¦ ½ to 1 cup turkey or chicken broth

In a fry pan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft but not browned, 6 to 8 minutes.

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter. In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, sage, parsley, salt and pepper. Add the onion mixture and the melted butter and toss to combine. Slowly add the broth, tossing the mixture. Add only enough liquid to moisten the stuffing; too much will make it sodden.

To test if the moisture and seasonings are correct, melt a little butter in a fry pan, add a rounded tablespoon of stuffing and stir until lightly golden. Taste and, if a livelier flavor is desired, add more sage, onion, salt, or pepper.

Makes 9 cups