Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

theDailyChannel.com — Recipes

The Turkey for Two, Thanksgiving 1997

The turkey began with a desire*, embraced an exegetical reading of Sophia Anastasia's diary, was duly stuffed, consumed, dismembered, rendered, souped and frozen, all done according to plan and all with just three** trips to the market during which a popular video (Men in Black) and a less popular yet nonetheless excellent literary novel (The Volcano Lover by Susan Sontag) were obtained for leisure Thanksgiving consumption .That having been said, here's the recipe we followed......

Marinade

"Chopped carrots, olives, onions and garlic, half a dozen cloves, thyme, parsley, rosemary, olive oil and lemon juice. If the turkey is to be stuffed the marinade should be removed entirely. Leave the turkey in the marinade for twenty-four hours. "The turkey now undergoes an entirely different treatment after marinading. Most fowl is in the habit of having its cavity stuffed. It is a good habit, too, yet it has grown so stereotyped and monotonous that to have to look at the traditional turkey in the season is almost a calamity. It should not be that way, with all the possibilities at hand for arousing the cook's imagination." Fowl must have the advantage of being pre-treated, and one cannot make a subtle stuffing in sufficient bulk to fill the cavity of an eighteen-pound turkey. The under-the-skin stuffing is scarcely known in this country, yet it is unique and practical."

Under-the-skin Stuffing

"Let me hand down to you some of that knowledge and you may do what you want - improve it, embellish it, accept it, or dismiss it. "One of the unusual stuffings for this purpose is that of chustnuts cooked and puréed; and mixed with mushrooms. After one pound of mushrooms have been peeled use the heads and stems, steam in a glass of Madeira, let cool and grind them with the liver of the bird. Place the mixture for several hours in the refrigerator to blend. "Then mix with one pound of chestnuts which have been boiled, peeled, and puréed.; Add one-fourth pound of finely chopped bacon, one-half teaspoon each of chopped origanum, chervil, and parsley. Add one teaspoon in all of the four spices -- powdered cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger. Season with salt and a dash of Tellicherry pepper. "Instead of pushing this delicate mixture into the cavity of the turkey, make an incision at the neck end of the breast, loosen the skin by making a pocket from breast down to the legs. By using a dessert spoon, fill this pocket with the dressing and close with one or two small skewers the end where the incision has been made."

Cavity Stuffing

"In the cavity of the turkey place two pounds of chopped apples, one-half pound of frush butter, chopped nuts and raisins. Add some finely chopped sweet marjoram to the fruit. This blends wonderfully well with the turkey juices and is a most piquant surprise, as is the stuffing which, close to the breast, makes a delicate trimming. The only addition which might pick up the gravy still more is sour cream with a dash of paprika. The stuffing of the cavity is the compote and vegetable for the turkey."

Roast at 325 F. until done.

We followed the recipe as best we could, substituting parsley for chervil and omitting the raisins from the cavity stuffing, and it was delicious.

Notes
* Nicole had a powerful desire to cook and eat a turkey for Thanksgiving.
** I actually made four trips to the market, if you count a quick stop to get more carrots for the soup, on the day after T-day.
*** This turkey recipe, presented above in its entirety, is from p. 112-113 Magic in Herbs, by Leonie de Sounin.

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