Heute zur Abwechslung mal auf Englisch. Google Translation (irgendwo auf dieser Seite) übersetzt den Text auch auf Deutsch.

Die Resonanz auf den Thanksgiving-Blogpost von neulich war groß. Immer wieder wollten LeserInnen das Turkey-Rezept wissen. Mein Freund Doug war so nett, diesem Wunsch Folge zu leisten. Hier ist sein Rezept in aller Ausführlichkeit.

Feeding 8 people here, and having food leftover. The rule of thumb is a pound-and-a-half per person.

WHAT YOU NEED for the turkey:

1 7- to 8-kg fresh turkey, with neck and giblets in the cavity. It should be purchased no more than two days before use and kept refrigerated until you start to make the stuffing. 1 bottle of inexpensive (but drinkable) white wine for basting liquid. 1 re-sealable box of low-sodium chicken stock (about 900 ml) to add to basting liquid as needed during the cooking process. Kosher salt/freshly ground pepperOlive oilAn ample supply of aluminum foil.

For the stuffing:

About 4 cups of slightly dry bread cut into large dice. 2 regular onions, diced. 2 ribs of celery, diced. 2 tbsps butter. 1 tbsp olive oil. About a cup of dried cranberries. Chopped giblets (usually heart, lungs, liver of the bird), sautéed in a separate pan before being added to the stuffing. 2 fistfulls of fresh sage leaves, chopped. 1 cup of red port wine. Kosher salt/freshly ground pepper to taste.

To prepare the stuffing: 

Melt butter in a large, non-stick deep skillet over medium heat and add the vegetables and half the chopped sage leaves until soft (about 10 minutes). Warm olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat and add chopped giblets, stirring frequently until well cooked (also about 10 minutes). Meanwhile, cut bread (baguette works well; include the crusts) into large dice and place in a big, shallow bowl. Add dried cranberries to the bread and the other half of the chopped sage leaves, reserving a few for a garnish on the outside of the turkey. Add the sautéed vegetables and giblets. Stir it all together. Sprinkle the port wine over the bread/vegetable mixture and add generous quantities of salt and pepper.

For some stock:

Take the neck out of the cavity and put it in a good-sized saucepan. Fill the saucepan with water and set it on medium high for the next few hours, boiling gently and replenishing the water as needed.

To prepare the turkey:

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) and ensure racks are in the lowest slots possible (depending on your oven, you may need to remove a rack if there isn’t sufficient height available). Thoroughly dry the inside of the turkey, place it on its end, cavity side up, in a supportive rack in a large roasting pan. Salt and pepper the cavity before adding stuffing. Place the bird breast side up in the rack. Make sure the drumsticks are hooked together with the flap of skin outside the cavity. Add stuffing, trying not to pack it too tightly, leaving the last of the stuffing to be packed in after the bird is sitting horizontally in the rack. There may be a bit of stuffing left over. If it is to be used, it must be thoroughly cooked before being eaten. Otherwise, discard the leftovers.

Salt and pepper the outside of the turkey, adding the remaining sage leaves for garnish on the top. Gently rub the bird with olive oil all over, trying not to disturb the garnish and seasoning. Add half the bottle of wine and an equal amount of water to the bottom of the roasting pan (the liquid should be about an inch deep). Cover the turkey in the roasting pan from one end to the other with aluminum foil (this will take two large pieces) and scrunch the foil around the edges and handles (if any) on the pan. Put the turkey in the hot oven and set a timer for 90 minutes.

It will take about 5 hours to cook the turkey thoroughly. After 90 minutes, take the turkey out of the oven, gently lift the foil and make sure there is still plenty of liquid. If more is required, add some of the remaining wine, plus some chicken stock. Set a timer for 60 minutes and at that point lift the foil and, using a turkey baster, suck up liquid from the roasting pan and dribble it all over the turkey.

Add more wine/stock as needed. Repeat this every hour until there is 1 hour remaining in the cooking time. At that point, remove the foil, baste the turkey and put it back in the oven to finish cooking, adding more liquid as needed. The turkey should get crispy and brown in this last hour. When it’s done, the drumsticks should be easy to move up and down. Juices should be clear, with no trace of pink.

Let the turkey stand on a platter, under tented foil, for at least half an hour before serving. Gravy can be made with the pan juices and the stock from the boiled neck according to your favourite gravy recipe.

VERY IMPORTANT: Times are approximate. Your oven may vary. To be entirely safe, a turkey is generally done when the internal temperature taken at the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 F (75 C)

Bon Appétit!

Coming soon: Doug’s recipe for his world famous Butternut Squash Soup.