Turkey, roasted (dindon rôti)

About the dish

A classic whole roast turkey from the chapter on poultry and game. Erken assumes the bird is hung for a few days after slaughter so the meat tenderizes, and that it is barded with thin slices of pork fat before roasting. Finally she gives a recipe for a forcemeat of giblets, pork, and pork fat to stuff the neck skin.

How to make it

1. 1

   Aging and cleaning

   Pluck the turkey immediately after slaughter and let it hang for a few days so the meat becomes tender. Open and clean it, and wipe it with a damp meat cloth.

2. 2

   Season and truss

   Rub the turkey inside and out with a mixture of salt and pepper. Press the breastbone down and truss the bird. Lay thin slices of pork fat over the breast and tie them on with string.

3. 3

   Roasting

   Place the turkey in a roasting pan or skillet breast up and put it in a very hot oven (about 225 °C (435 °F)). When it begins to brown, baste it with boiling stock; then baste it with the pan juices every quarter hour. Lower the heat to about 175 °C (345 °F).

4. 4

   Watch the browning

   Roast about 2–2½ hours (internal temperature about 75 °C (165 °F) in the thickest part of the thigh). Rub the breast now and then with a little cold butter, and lay a sheet of white paper greased with cold butter over it when the breast is nicely light brown.

5. 5

   Plating

   Pour a little of the pan juices onto the platter, carve the turkey, and reassemble the pieces as a whole bird again. Garnish with lettuce, pommes parisienne, cooked prunes, and cooked apples — the apples are halved, peeled, and cooked tender in water, wine, and a very little sugar. Serve reduced pan juices or espagnole sauce with it.

6. 6

   Forcemeat for stuffing (optional)

   Scrape the gizzard, liver, and heart and grind them together with an equal weight of pork and half as much pork fat as the giblets weighed. Soak 100 g white bread in water and squeeze it lightly. Stir the bread together with the meat, a pinch of onion, and 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley.

7. 7

   Stuff the turkey

   Work the forcemeat well and add 2 beaten eggs a little at a time; season with salt and pepper and stir to a fine paste. Lay the turkey breast down, loosen the skin at the neck to form a pocket, and fill the forcemeat in here before roasting. Bread forcemeat or potato forcemeat can be used instead.