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Holiday Turkey With Apple-Pear Stuffing

Perfectly roasted turkey always makes a dramatic centerpiece for a holiday meal. The apple-pear stuffing, a rich, ftavorful blend of traditional and new ingredients, such as sour cherries and dried pears, sets this recipe apart. Prepare it one day ahead, but stuff the turkey just before it goes into the oven.

Type: Poultry, Turkey
Courses: Main Course
Serves: 10 people

Recipe Ingredients

1   Turkey - (abt 14 lbs)
  Salt - to taste
  Freshly-ground black pepper - to taste
  Apple Pear Stuffing
1/2 cup 99g / 3.5ozUnsalted butter - (1 stick)
4   Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored, and chopped
2 cups 125g / 4.4ozChopped onions
3   Celery stalks with leaves - chopped
6   Dried pear halves - chopped
1/2 cup 80g / 2.8ozGolden raisins
1/2 cup 31g / 1.1ozDried sour cherries
36 slices  Firm white bread - (abt 2 lbs) - cut 3/4" squares
1/2 cup 8g / 0.3ozChopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons 10mlFresh thyme leaves = (or 3/4 tspn dried thyme)
1/2 teaspoon 2.5mlShredded fresh sage leaves = (or 1/4 tspn dried sage, crumbled)
  Salt - to taste
  Freshly-ground black pepper - to taste
1/2 cup 118mlTurkey or chicken broth

Recipe Instructions

Rinse the turkey inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Season all over with salt and pepper. Place the turkey, breast-side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan. Refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the apples, onions, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, or until softened. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add the dried pears, raisins, dried cherries, bread, parsley, thyme, and sage to the apple mixture and season with salt and pepper. Pour the broth over and toss until evenly moistened.

Spoon the stuffing loosely into the neck and body cavities. Place the remaining stuffing in a small buttered baking dish; refrigerate. Tuck the turkey skin at the neck end under, fold the wings under, and tie the legs together. Cover with a foil tent.

Roast the turkey for 2 3/4 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices. Remove the foil and continue roasting for about 45 minutes longer, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone, registers 180 degrees. Let the turkey stand loosely covered with foil for about 20 minutes before carving.

Meanwhile, about 45 minutes before the turkey is done, put the reserved stuffing into the oven, and bake for 1 hour.

Carve the turkey, spoon the stuffing into a bowl, and serve.

Hints

This recipe yields 10 servings.


Source:
"Cookbook Digest, Nov/Dec, 1999"

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