Holiday Turkey

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Cut the celery in large pieces.  Mix some flour and water together and make
a thick, creamy "kid's paste," then water it down a bit. Thaw any size
turkey.  Wash it down real good in the sink and don't be ashamed of
scrubbing her down good.  Make the old girl sing like Ethel Merman. My kids
lived for this event each year as all my turkeys sang in the shower as if
their forthcoming debut was at Town Hall. This bird you're washing is the
star of the show and should be treated as such. You'll have more fun
watching the turkey bathe if you select a noted singer. I've cooked several
Ethel Merman turkeys and a Kate Smith or two and I remember one Billie
Holiday bird.
Slightly dry Ethel with paper towels.  Grab a handful of margarine and rub
it between your hands.  Now rub the star as if she's getting her final
massage.  Make sure you get plenty of margarine rubbed into the bird. Now,
with margarine still on your hands, rub a palmful of salt between your
hands and apply this to the bird as you did the margarine, making sure
plenty of salt gets rubbed in. You need not worry about too much salt or
margarine and a couple of handfuls may be required.
Lightly pepper the bird, but don't rub this in.  Dip your hands in the
creamy paste created from the watered down "kid's paste" of flour and
water.  Dab this lightly on the skin all over, careful not to go over areas
already covered with paste.   This is not a crust, but a more delicious
sealer.
Place turkey in a large roasting pan.  Place quartered onions under wings
behind drumsticks, in the cavity, and some on the bottom of the pan to cook
in the broth that you'll need later on. Now place the celery along- side
the onion and leave the celery tops in the bottom of the pan to cook in the
broth.
Pour two cups of cool water in the bottom of the pan. DO NOT pour over the
turkey.  Preheat oven to 350 F. and let the bird cook slow. Cover and cook
the turkey for at least a couple of hours or until the meat turns brown and
falls apart at the limbs.  This is a tender turkey and will not hold up to
carving at the table. Prepare your turkey platter on the kitchen cabinet as
this bird will fall apart if you try and lift it. After the turkey has
cooked for at least 1-1/2 hours, baste the turkey every 30 minutes. Drain
off broth and reserve to make the stuffing.
<SAM.WARING@382-91-12.IMA.INFOMAIL.COM>  On   MON, 20 NOV 1995 145733 GMT
From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

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