Turkey and Stuffing

It’s almost Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday! We invite Americans as well as local friends for Thanksgiving. Since we can only comfortably accommodate about 24 dinner guests, we usually have two meals, one on Thursday, then one on Saturday.

I’ve had Thanksgiving guests tell me they don’t care for turkey. They often change their tune by the end of the meal. Chances are they had never tasted a properly cooked turkey.

As far as I’m concerned, there can never be too much stuffing. Guests have also told me stuffing is not their favorite, before taking seconds on mine. Some admitted they had previously only had stuffing from a box!

 

Justin waiting for the drumstick

ready to carve

Brady has become an expert carver over the years

Turkey

Put the turkey in an oven pan at least 1 ¼-inch (3 cm) deep. Baste the turkey with melted butter. Pour 1 cup liquid (water, broth, wine) in the pan. Place on lowest oven rack and cook at 325° F (160°C) for 3 1/2 to 4 ½ hours for a 10-14 pound (4.5-6 kg) turkey. Baste every half hour. Cover with aluminum foil once the skin is browned. Test if turkey is done by moving the leg from side to side. When it moves easily, the bird is done. Do not overcook or the turkey will be dry!

Stuffing

4 cups (200 g) white bread cubes

4 cups (200 g) brown bread cubes

8 cups (400 g) cornbread cubes

2 tablespoons parsley flakes

2 teaspoon rubbed sage

1 cup (200 g) melted butter

2 onions, chopped

1 ½ cups (3.5 dl) chopped celery

1 tablespoon chicken stock base

½ cup (1.2 dl) hot water

Toss together bread cubes, cornbread cubes and herbs. Sauté onions and celery in butter and drizzle over bread. Dissolve stock base in hot water and sprinkle over stuffing; stir. Makes about 10 cups. Stuff the turkey loosely. Beat an egg in half a cup of broth and mix into the stuffing that didn’t fit inside the turkey. Bake in a separate well-greased covered dish for 40 min (uncover the last 10 minutes to brown).

Gravy

Pour pan drippings into a frying pan. Mix 3 tablespoons of flour in 2 cups (5 dl) of milk and add to pan. Cook over medium heat stirring continually till the gravy thickens. Season with salt, pepper, and chili powder.

 

One Thanksgiving we put the turkey on the balcony to thaw. The only problem was our new windows and doors were adjusted later that day and couldn’t be opened for 48 hours. Brady had to climb a ladder to retrieve our bird.

Dinde

Mettre la dinde dans un plat allant au four ou sur une plaque d’au moins 3 cm de profondeur. Badigeonner la dinde avec du beurre fondu. Verser 2 ou 3 dl de liquide (eau, bouillon, vin) dans le plat. Placer sur le niveau inférieur du four et cuire à 160° C pendant 3 ½ – 4 ½ heures pour une dinde de 4.5 – 6 kg. Badigeonner chaque demi-heure. Couvrir de papier d'alu une fois que la peau est dorée. Tester si la dinde est cuite en tirant sur la cuisse. Quand elle se bouge facilement, la dinde est cuite. Ne pas trop cuire sinon la dinde sera sèche !

Farce

200 g de pain mi-blanc

200 g de pain complet

400 g de pain de maïs

2 cuillères à soupe de persil lyophilisé

2 cuillères à café de sauge lyophilisé

200 g de beurre fondu

2 oignons

5 branches de céleri

10 g de bouillon de poulet

1 dl d’eau chaude

Couper tout le pain en petits cubes et les mélanger aux herbes. Hacher les oignons et le céleri et les faire revenir dans le beurre, puis bien mélanger au pain. Dissoudre le bouillon dans l'eau chaude et verser sur la farce; remuer. Farcir la dinde sans tasser. Battre un œuf dans 1 dl de bouillon et mélanger à la farce qui ne rentre pas à l'intérieur de la dinde. Cuire au four dans un plat bien graissé et couvert pendant 40 min (découvrir les 10 dernières minutes pour dorer).

Sauce

Verser le jus de cuisson dans une poêle. Délayer 3 cuillères à soupe de farine dans 5 dl de lait et ajouter à la poêle. Cuire à feu moyen en remuant constamment jusqu'à ce que la sauce épaississe. Assaisonner avec du sel, du poivre et de la poudre de chili.