Roast Trurkey with Corn Bread & Chorizo Stuffing
Ingredients
1 Turkey (12 lb)
1/2 c Unsalted butter -- softened
STUFFING
4 Onions -- coarsely chopped
5 Celery stalks
- coarsely chopped
1 lb Chorizo (Spanish sausage)
- broken up
6 c Day-old corn bread, crumbled
3 c Day-old white bread, cubed
2 c Frozen corn kernels -- thawed
2 tb Chopped fresh cilantro
or Dried cilantro
2 tb Chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper -- to taste
GRAVY
3 c Chicken stock -- as needed
1 c White or rose wine
Wash turkey under hot water.
Pat exterior and cavities
completely dry with paper towels.
Smear turkey with 4
Tbsp butter.
Saute onions and celery in the remaining
butter over medium heat until translucent.
Remove with
slotted spoon to a very large bowl.
Saute the chorizo
in the same pan until lightly brown.
Remove to same
bowl and add remaining stuffing ingredients.
Toss to
combine completely.
(If mixture seems dry, add chicken
stock or apple juice. )
Salt and pepper the turkey's
cavity and loosely stuff the cavity and the neck with
the bread-chorizo mixture,
leaving some room for
expansion during cooking.
(Extra stuffing can be
refrigerated in a covered casserole and baked @ 375
degrees for 40 minutes. )
Sew up and truss the turkey.
Return to rack in roasting pan and turn turkey on its
left side.
Add 1 cup stock and wine gravy to pan.
Place in preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.
Turn turkey onto its right side and continue roasting
another 20 minutes.
Lower oven to 325 degrees. Turn
turkey breast-side-down and roast for 1 hour and 20
minutes.
Baste every 15 minutes or so, adding stock as
needed.
Turn turkey breast-side-up and continue
basting every 15-20 minutes.
(For a 12 lb turkey,
cooking time will be from 15 to 20 minutes per pound;
the internal temperature should reach 180 degrees.
The
juices in the thigh should run clear when pierced with
a fork. )
Remove to a heated platter to rest.
Skim off
as much fat as possible from the pan drippings.
Transfer pan drippings, including brown bits, to a
saute pan.
Reduce to a gravy over high heat.
Carve
turkey.
Serve gravy and dressing on the side.
Total
cooking time: 3 - 4 1/2 hours.