Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

1 Fresh turkey; with giblets
-- (10 to 12 lbs.)
4 tb Unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
-- at room temperature
1 lb Fresh chestnuts; peeled*
3 c ;Water
1 lb Pork sausage
2 Shallots; peeled
-- finely chopped
1/4 c Fresh parsley; fine chopped
4 Fresh thyme sprigs or
1/2 ts Dried thyme
1 Bay leaf
Salt and pepper; to taste
2 Garlic cloves
-- peeled and minced
2 Eggs; beaten
1 c Dry white wine
2 lg Onions; peeled
-- each cut into 8 wedges
4 md Carrots; peeled
-- cut in 2" pieces

*To peel chestnuts, make a small cut on the flat side of each
chestnut, making sure to cut all the way through the outer skin.
Place chestnuts in a medium-size saucepan, cover with water, and
bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce heat to low. Remove
several chestnuts from the water and peel them with a sharp paring
knife, being sure to remove both the outer peel and the dark inner
skin that is attached to the meat. If the chestnuts cool before you
have a chance to peel them, place them back in the water to heat, as
it is virtually impossible to remove the inner skin when the chestnut
is cool.

Remove giblets and neck from the turkey; set aside. Rinse the turkey
well inside and out until the water runs clear. Pat it thoroughly
dry. Carefully separate the skin from the breast by running your
fingers between the skin and the meat, being careful not to poke any
holes in the skin. Spread the butter on the meat.

Bring the water to a boil in a vegetable steamer over high heat. Add
the chestnuts, cover, and steam until they are tender, about 30
minutes. Remove the steamer basket from the heat.

In a medium-size bowl, gently break the chestnuts into bite-size
pieces. Mixing well after each addition, stir in the pork, shallots,
herbs, salt and pepper, garlic and eggs. Chop giblets and add them
to the mixture, mixing well. To test for seasoning, pinch off a
teaspoon of the mixture and cook it in a small skillet over medium
heat until it is cooked through. Taste for seasoning and adjust
accordingly.

Fill the turkey with as much stuffing as it will hold, but don't pack
it tightly. Truss the turkey. Place the turkey in a large roasting
pan, and pour wine around it. Roast at 350 F. until turkey is
golden, basting every 30 minutes with pan liquids. If the breast is
browning too quickly, cover it loosely with aluminum foil. After 2
hours, add the onions and carrots to the pan, spacing them evenly
around the turkey. The turkey is done when the skin is golden, the
thigh is tender when pressed, and the leg joints move easily up and
down in their sockets, 3 to 3 1/2 hours more.

Remove turkey from the oven and from the roasting pan; let it rest
for at least 30 minutes or as long as 45 minutes before carving.
While it is resting, turn the turkey over so it is resting on its
breast. Prop the legs so they are slightly higher than the breast,
allowing juices to run back into the breast meat. Reduce the cooking
juices slightly over medium-high heat, about 2 minutes, scraping up
any brown bits. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain juices
and pour into a gravy boat.

Scoop out the stuffing into a serving dish and keep warm while you
carve the turkey. Serve; pass the gravy boat.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

The stuffing is good for any poultry, and can be cooked on its own and
served as a side dish to pork roast as well. To cook the stuffing
separately, bake it in a covered dish at 350 F. until it is nearly
cooked all the way through, about 30 minutes. Then remove the cover
and continue cooking until it has browned slightly on top and is
clearly cooked through, an additional 10 to 15 minutes. If you cook
the stuffing separately, your turkey may take slightly less time to
cook.

Also good accompanied by either a red Burgundy or a Volnay.

From _Farm House Cookbook_ by Susan Herrmann Loomis. New York:
Workman Publishing Company, Inc., 1991. Pp. 174-175. ISBN
0-89480-772-2. Electronic format by Cathy Harned.

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