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ROAST TURKEY with SAUSAGE APPLE STUFFING Serves 8
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Remember when your serving sizes change, allow about 3/4 cup stuffing for each pound of ready-to-cook turkey. For example, a 12-pound bird will hold about 9 cups stuffing. Never pack in stuffing too tight because it expands slightly. Plus, the temperature of the stuffing won’t reach the right level by the time the bird is cooked.
If your family really loves stuffing, you can make some to bake in a casserole beside the turkey.

INGREDIENTS

1 18-pound fresh turkey
8 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature (1 stick)
Salt
1 tsp freshly milled black pepper
2 1/2 quarts Homemade Turkey Stock, or more as needed
unsalted butter, melted as needed
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup port, dry sherry, or bourbon

For the stuffing
1/4 lb Bulk pork sausage
1/3 cup Chopped onion
1/3 cup Chopped celery
6 cup dry bread cubes ½ cup Finely chopped fresh parsley
3/4 tsp Salt
3/4 teaspoon dried sage, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 tsp Pepper
3 tsp Butter, melted
1/3 cup Water
1 1/2 cup apples, peeled & chopped fine
1/2 cup Raisins

PREPARATION
In small skillet, brown pork sausage with onion and celery. Do not drain.

In large bowl, combine bread,cubes, parsley, salt, sage, thyme, pepper and butter, mix well.

Stir in water, apples, raisins and sausage mixture including drippings. Set aside.

Preparing your turkey.
Position a rack in the lowest position of the oven and preheat to 325° F.

Reserve the turkey neck and giblets to use in gravy or stock.
Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water. Pat the turkey skin dry. Turn the turkey on its breast. Loosely fill the neck cavity with stuffing. Using a thin wooden or metal skewer, pin the neck skin to the back. Fold the turkey’s wings akimbo behind the back or tie to the body with kitchen string.

Loosely fill the large body cavity with stuffing. Place any remaining stuffing in a lightly buttered casserole, cover and refrigerate to bake as a side dish. Place the drumsticks in the hock lock or tie together with kitchen string.

Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. Rub all over with the softened butter. Season with the salt and pepper. Tightly cover the breast area with aluminum foil. Pour 2 cups of the turkey stock into the bottom of the pan.

Roast the turkey, basting all over every 30 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan (lift up the foil to reach the breast area), until a meat thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh (but not touching a bone) reads 180°F and the stuffing is at least 160°F. This could take upto about 4 ¼ hours. Whenever the drippings evaporate, add stock to moisten them, about 1 ½ cups at a time. Remove the foil during the last hour to allow the breast skin to brown.

Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter and let it stand for at least 20 minutes before carving.

Increase the oven temperature to 350°F. Drizzle ½ cup turkey stock over the stuffing in the casserole, cover, and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the drippings from the roasting pan into a heatproof glass bowl or large measuring cup. Let stand for 5 minutes, then skim off and reserve the clear yellow fat that has risen to the top. Measure ¾ cup fat, adding melted butter if needed. Add enough turkey stock to the skimmed drippings to make 8 cups total.

Place the roasting pan in two stove burners over low heat and add the turkey fat. Whisk in the flour, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the turkey stock and the bourbon.
Cook, whisking often, until the gravy has thickened and no trace of raw flour taste remains, about 5 minutes. Transfer the gravy to a warmed gravy boat.

Carve the turkey and serve the gravy and the stuffing alongside.

Remember : Always store leftover turkey and stuffing in separate containers as soon as possible after serving.

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