Roasted Wild Turkey With Corn Bread-Bacon Stuffing

Recipe Ingredients

		Corn Bread Stuffing
3 cups	480g / 16oz	Crumbled corn bread - homemade,
		Or store-bought
1 cup	237ml	Cubed sourdough bread
1/2 cup	118ml	Buttermilk
1/4 cup	59ml	Molasses
1 cup	237ml	Chicken stock
3		Eggs - beaten
1/2 lb	227g / 8oz	Smoked slab bacon - chopped
1 cup	62g / 2.2oz	Chopped green onions
2		Fresh jalapeño peppers - seeded, and
		Finely chopped
3 tablespoons	45ml	Ancho chile powder
1/2 cup	73g / 2.6oz	Chopped pecans
		Salt - to taste
		Freshly-ground black pepper - to taste
		Turkey
12 lbs	5448g / 192oz	Turkey - (to 14 lbs)
		Salt - to taste
		Freshly-ground black pepper - to taste
2		Bay leaves - (to 3)
1		Garlic head - unpeeled, halved
1		Onion - diced
1 cup	237ml	Hot water - plus more
3 tablespoons	45ml	Melted salted butter

Recipe Instructions

Corn Bread Stuffing: Combine corn bread, sourdough bread, buttermilk, molasses, chicken stock and beaten eggs in bowl and soak 3 to 8 hours in refrigerator.

Place cubed bacon in heated skillet and cook until bacon is browned. Pour off and reserve rendered fat. Add green onions and jalapeño peppers to bacon and cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Add soaked bread along with chile powder and chopped pecans to green onion-jalapeño mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into casserole and drizzle top with several tablespoons of reserved bacon drippings. Bake at 350 degrees until top is browned and crisp, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 15 minutes before serving.

Turkey: Season turkey inside and out with salt and pepper to taste. Place bay leaves, garlic and onion inside cavity. Set turkey, breast-side down, on rack in roasting pan. Pour water into pan and roast at 425 degrees 30 minutes. Turn turkey breast-side up, brush with melted butter, reduce heat to 350 degrees and roast until juices run clear when thigh joint is pierced with a fork and when meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of thigh registers 165 degrees, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, adding more water to pan as needed. Remove turkey from oven and allow to stand 20 minutes before carving.

This recipe yields 6 to 8 servings.

Each of 8 servings, with stuffing, about: 1,105 calories; 990 mg sodium; 420 mg cholesterol; 61 grams fat; 34 grams carbohydrates; 99 grams protein; 1.22 grams fiber

Source:
The Los Angeles Times, 11-18-1998

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