- Serving: For holiday
Roast Turkey with Bread Chestnut Stuffing
Tidbits...My 1st Thanksgiving in Italy was a disappointment. My oven wasn't big enough for my whole turkey. (I still roasted it but had to cut it in half). Somehow, it just wasn't the same. When we moved to our home from our apartment the first requirement for my new kitchen was a very BIG oven. Thanksgiving is the one American holiday that is celebrated with focus on the traditional menu that has passed from generation to generation with very little change. I brought all of those traditions with me and still celebrate them with pride.
Ingredients
- Whole Turkey - 15- 20 lbs.
- Herbs -sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley - 1 cup
- Salt and pepper - To taste (abundant)
- Butter - 100 g
- Bread Chestnut Stuffing
- Toasted cubed bread - 14 cups
- Broth - 2-3 cups
- Boiled Chestnuts - 1 lb.
- Ground sausage - 1 lb.
- Onion - 1 1/2 cups
- Celery - 2 cups
- Butter - 1 cup
- Giblets - Chopped
- Sage - 2 T
- Parsley - 1 T
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Wash and dry turkey inside and out. Dry thoroughly. Make a mixture with herbs, salt and pepper, rub inside and outside being careful not to break skin. Keep refrigerated until ready to stuff and put in oven.
- Prepare stuffing. Wash and cut a slit in the chestnut skin and boil in abbondante lightly salted water and cook for 30 minutes. Cool, remove skin, and roughly chop. In a large skillet, melt all of butter, add onion, celery until golden then add sausage and chopped giblets and cook until no longer pink. Stir in herbs and chestnuts and pour mixture over cubed bread. Dampen with broth 1 cup at a time until moist but not soggy. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Stuff turkey, tie in wings and legs with kitchen twine.
- Put turkey in large roasting pan with 1 cup of broth and 1 cup of water and cover for the first 2 hours, then remove cover. Baste frequently last hour of baking.
- Bake at 350° 20 minutes per pound if stuffed or 15 minutes per pound unstuffed.
