Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

1 (10-lb) fresh turkey 1 lb French or Italian bread
2 lb Coarse (kosher) salt 1/2 ts Salt
1/4 lb Unsalted butter 1/2 ts Freshly ground black pepper
3 tb Olive oil 3 1/2 c Chicken stock
2 lg Garlic cloves 2 lg Egg yolks
- peeled and minced

REMOVE THE GIBLETS from the turkey for another use. Fill the neck and body
cavities of the turkey with coarse salt, then rub the skin well all over
with salt. Place the turkey and remaining coarse salt in a large deep
kettle, adding enough cold water to just cover the bird. Set in a cool spot
for 3 to 4 hours.

TO PREPARE THE STUFFING: Put the butter and olive oil in a large heavy
saute pan, or better yet, a kettle, and place it over moderate heat. When
the butter is melted, add the garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes until limp.
Meanwhile, tear the bread into small chunks. Add the bread and the fine
salt and pepper and toss well. Pour in the chicken stock and beat hard with
a wooden spoon until the mixture is pastelike. Turn the heat to its lowest
point, cover the kettle and steam 15-to-20 minutes until the bread absorbs
all the liquid. Add the egg yolks to the stuffing mixture and beat hard
until smooth. Remove from the heat and reserve. Preheat oven to 400F. Drain
the turkey and rinse several times in cool water so that all traces of salt
are gone. Place the bird on the counter with the neck cavity facing you.
With your hands, begin working the skin free from the breast. Proceed
gently, taking care not to tear the skin. It's slow going at first, but
once you begin to free the skin, the job goes quickly. Loosen it all the
way down the bird to within about 1 inch of the tail end, down both sides.
With your hands, push the stuffing bit by bit far down under the skin and
continue, packing it in lightly, until the breast is covered with about a
1-inch layer. Next fill the neck cavity, skewer the neck skin flat against
the back to enclose, and truss the bird. Place the turkey breast-side up in
a large shallow roasting pan without a rack and roast uncovered for about 2
1/2 hours. Do not baste. When the bird is richly browned and a leg moves
easily in the hip joint, remove from the oven. Let stand, uncovered, 20
minutes. Drain drippings into a sauce boat and keep warm. Remove trussing
string and skewers and serve at once on a warmed platter.

JEAN ANDERSON

PRODIGY GUEST CHEFS COOKBOOK

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