The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (166 page)

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Stuffing a turkey generally complicates the matter of properly cooking the bird; still, we couldn’t help but wonder if there was a way to have it all—juicy meat, burnished skin, richly flavored stuffing, and drippings suitable for gravy. Focused first on crisp skin, we opted to salt the bird rather than brine it; using a minimal amount of salt ensured the gravy wouldn’t be too salty. We also rubbed the skin with a mixture of baking powder and salt and poked holes in the skin to help render the fat. Starting the turkey in a low oven and then cranking up the heat yielded breast meat that was moist and tender. To solve the stuffing dilemma, we removed the stuffing from the turkey when the meat had reached a safe temperature. Because it was saturated with turkey juices, we were able to mix it with the remaining stuffing (the portion that didn’t fit in the bird) so that every bite of stuffing was infused with turkey flavor. Finally, we draped salt pork over the turkey during the first part of cooking for an intense flavor boost.

SERVES 10 TO 12

If using a self-basting turkey or kosher turkey, do not salt in step 1. Table salt is not recommended for this recipe because it is too fine. Look for salt pork that is roughly equal parts fat and lean meat. If serving with
GIBLET PAN GRAVY
, note that you can complete step 1 of the gravy recipe up to a day ahead, if desired. Begin step 3 once the bird has been removed from the oven and is resting on a carving board. The bread can be toasted up to 1 day in advance. See more stuffing recipes following this recipe and see
“CARVING A WHOLE ROASTED TURKEY”
for information on carving the turkey.

TURKEY

CLASSIC HERB STUFFING

1. FOR THE TURKEY:
Use your fingers or thin wooden spoon handle to gently loosen skin covering breast, thighs, drumsticks, and back; avoid breaking skin. Rub 1 tablespoon salt evenly inside cavity of turkey, 1¹⁄
₂
teaspoons salt under skin of each side of breast, and 1¹⁄
₂
teaspoons salt under skin of each leg. Wrap turkey tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours or up to 48 hours.

2. FOR THE STUFFING:
Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Spread bread cubes in single layer on rimmed baking sheet; bake until edges have dried but centers are slightly moist (cubes should yield to pressure), about 45 minutes, stirring several times during baking. (Bread can be toasted up to 1 day in advance.) Transfer dried bread to large bowl.

3.
While bread dries, melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in thyme, marjoram, and sage and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add vegetable mixture to bowl with dried bread; add 1 cup broth and toss until evenly moistened (you should have about 12 cups stuffing).

4.
Remove turkey from refrigerator and pat dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Using metal skewer, poke 15 to 20 holes in fat deposits on top of breast halves and thighs, 4 to 5 holes in each deposit. Tuck wings behind back.

5.
Increase oven temperature to 325 degrees. Combine remaining 2 teaspoons salt and baking powder in bowl. Sprinkle surface of turkey with salt mixture and rub in mixture with hands, coating entire surface evenly. Line turkey cavity with cheesecloth, pack with 4 to 5 cups stuffing, and tie ends of cheesecloth together. Cover remaining stuffing with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Using kitchen twine, loosely tie turkey legs together. Place turkey breast side down in V-rack set in roasting pan and drape salt pork slices over back.

6.
Roast turkey until breast registers 130 degrees, 2 to 2¹⁄
₂
hours. Remove pan from oven (close oven door to retain oven heat) and increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Transfer turkey in V-rack to rimmed baking sheet. Remove and discard salt pork. Using 2 large wads of paper towels, rotate turkey breast side up. Cut twine binding legs and remove stuffing bag; empty into reserved stuffing in bowl.


7.
Once oven has come to temperature, return turkey in V-rack to roasting pan and roast until skin is golden brown and crisp, breast registers 160 degrees, and thighs register 175 degrees, about 45 minutes, rotating pan halfway through roasting. Transfer turkey to carving board and let rest, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

8.
While turkey rests, reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees. Whisk eggs and remaining ¹⁄
₂
cup broth from stuffing recipe together in bowl. Pour egg mixture over stuffing and toss to combine, breaking up any large chunks; spread stuffing into buttered 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Bake until stuffing registers 165 degrees and top is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Carve turkey and serve with stuffing and gravy.

MAKES ABOUT 12 CUPS

Dried cranberries can be substituted for the raisins.

1.
Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Spread bread cubes in single layer on rimmed baking sheet; bake until edges have dried but centers are slightly moist (cubes should yield to pressure), about 45 minutes, stirring several times during baking. (Bread can be toasted up to 1 day in advance.) Transfer dried bread to large bowl and increase oven temperature to 325 degrees.

2.
While bread dries, melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in thyme, marjoram, and sage and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add vegetable mixture, raisins, dried apples, and walnuts to bowl with dried bread; add 1 cup broth and toss until evenly moistened (you should have about 12 cups stuffing).

3.
Use stuffing as directed in
OLD-FASHIONED STUFFED TURKEY
, adding eggs and remaining ¹⁄
₂
cup broth in step 6.

MAKES ABOUT 12 CUPS

See “
TWO WAYS TO PREPARE FENNEL
” for information on preparing the fennel.

1.
Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Spread bread cubes in single layer on rimmed baking sheet; bake until edges have dried but centers are slightly moist (cubes should yield to pressure), about 45 minutes, stirring several times during baking. (Bread can be toasted up to 1 day in advance.) Transfer dried bread to large bowl and increase oven temperature to 325 degrees.

2.
While bread dries, heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add sausage and cook, breaking it up into small pieces with wooden spoon, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove sausage with slotted spoon and transfer to paper towel–lined plate.

3.
Melt butter in fat left in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, fennel, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in sage, marjoram, and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add vegetable mixture and sausage to bowl with dried bread; add 1 cup broth and toss until evenly moistened (you should have about 12 cups stuffing).

4.
Use stuffing as directed in
OLD-FASHIONED STUFFED TURKEY
, adding eggs and remaining ¹⁄
₂
cup broth in step 6.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

A glossy, tangy-sweet glaze is the perfect complement to a beautifully bronzed turkey, but it often pools at the bottom of the roasting pan and prevents the skin from crisping. The solution to avoiding soggy skin was a simple matter of timing: adding the glaze at the outset of cooking led to predictably flabby skin, but brushing it on toward the very end of cooking—when we cranked up the heat to brown the skin—worked great. Molasses served as the sticky base of our glaze, but it needed to be thinned out to be spreadable, so we added some apple cider and apple cider vinegar. Now our glaze was too thin and was running off the bird into the pan. Thickening it with some cranberries (which contain pectin) partially solved the problem; butterflying the turkey—so it would lay flat and cook evenly—got us the rest of the way there.