Roast Turkey with Country Ham Stuffing And Giblet Gravy

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

FOR THE STUFFING
FOR THE GRAVY
Make the stuffing:
In a shallow baking pan arrange the bread cubes in one layer, bake them in
a preheated 325F. oven, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, or
until they are golden, and transfer them to a large bowl. In a large
skillet saute the ham in the butter over moderately high heat, stirring
occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it is deep red and the edges
are crisp, and transfer it with a slotted spoon to the bowl. To the fat
remaining in the skillet add the onions, the celery, the sage, and the
thyme, cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring, until the onions are
softened, and transfer it to a bowl. Toss the stuffing well, season it with
salt and pepper and let it cool completely. The stuffing may be made 1 day
in advance and kept covered and chilled. (To prevent bacterial growth do
not stuff the turkey cavities in advance.)
Rinse the turkey, pat it dry, and season it inside and out with salt and
pepper. Pack the neck cavity loosely with some of the stuffing, fold the
neck skin under the body, and fasten it with a skewer. Pack the body cavity
loosely with some of the remaining stuffing and truss the turkey. Transfer
the remaining stuffing to a buttered 2-quart baking dish and reserve it,
covered and chilled.
Spread the turkey with 1/2 stick of the butter and roast it on a rack in a
roasting pan in a preheated 425F. oven for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven
temperature to 325F., baste the turkey with the pan juices, and drape it
with a piece of cheesecloth, soaked in the remaining 1 stick butter, melted
and cooled. Add the water to the pan and roast the turkey, basting it every
20 minutes, for 2 1/2 to 3 hours more, or until a meat thermometer inserted
in the fleshy part of a thigh registers 180F. and the juices run clear when
the thigh is pierced with a skewer. During the last 1 1/2 hours of
roasting, drizzle the reserved stuffing with the stock, bake it, covered,
in the 325F. oven for 1 hour, and bake it, uncovered, for 1/2 hour more.
Discard the cheesecloth and string from the turkey, transfer the turkey to
a heated platter, reserving the juices in the roasting pan, and keep it
warm, covered loosely with foil.
Make the gravy:
Skim all of the fat from the roasting pan juices, reserving 1/3 cup of the
fat, add the wine to the pan, and deglaze the pan over moderately high
heat, scraping up brown bits. Boil the mixture until it is reduced by half.
In a saucepan combine the reserved fat and the flour and cook the roux over
moderately low heat, whisking, for 3 minutes. Add the stock and the wine
mixture in a stream, whisking, and simmer the gravy, stirring occasionally,
for 10 minutes. Add the reserved cooked giblets and neck meat, chopped, and
salt and pepper to taste, simmer the gravy for 2 minutes, and transfer it
to a heated sauceboat.
Garnish the turkey with the sage leaves and serve it with the gravy and the
stuffing.
Gourmet November 1991

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