Roasted Young Tom Turkey
with Bread-Fruit Stuffing
- 1, 16-pound tom turkey
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 12 cloves fresh garlic
- fresh sage
- salt & pepper
STUFFING
- 2 strips bacon, chopped
- 1 cup onions, small dice
- 2/3 cup celery, small dice
- 1 teaspoon garlic, chopped
- 3/4 cup apple, peeled & diced
- 1/4 cup prunes, diced
- 1/4 cup fresh cranberries
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
- 8 cups dry bread pieces (white, wheat, corn, or any combination)
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 cups turkey or chicken stock
- salt & pepper
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Wash the turkey and trim off any excess fat. Remove the wing tips and reserve together with the neck and giblets for gravy. Season the cavity well with sage, salt, and pepper. Rough cut the onion, carrots, and celery, peels and all. Add the garlic cloves and stuff the cavity. Truss the turkey with butcher's string.
In a roasting pan, place the turkey, giblets, and bones in the oven. After 15 minutes, reduce the temperature to 345°F and roast for approximately 1 1/2 hours longer until the turkey is cooked through. The turkey is cooked when the juices run clear from the thigh. The wing tips, neck, and giblets can be removed from the pan as soon as they are well-browned, approximately 40 minutes.
Sauté the bacon until well-browned. Add the onions and sauté; do not pour off excess fat. Add the celery and garlic and sauté until just tender. Add the apples, prunes, cranberries, and spices and cook for 3 minutes; remove from the heat. In a large bowl, combine all the stuffing ingredients. Add the stock a little at a time. You may need a little more or less depending on how dry the bread is. The stuffing should be well moistened, but not soupy. Fill a casserole dish with the stuffing and cover with aluminum foil. Place in the oven with the turkey for 1 hour. Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes to allow the stuffing to brown.
Carve the turkey across the breast and thigh being sure to offer white and dark meat on each plate. Arrange with side dishes and garnish with fresh sage.