Whole Thanksgiving Turkey with Miles Standish Stuffing and Gravy

Name: Whole Thanksgiving Turkey with Miles Standish Stuffing and Gravy
Prep time: 6 h 30 min
Cook time: 6 h 30 min
Total time: 6 h 30 min
Yield: 16
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 8 stalks celery, stalks trimmed of leaves and ends, washed, dried and cut into thin slices; 237 milliliters low-sodium chicken stock, boiled and cooled; 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard; 2 Tbsps all-purpose flour; 10 fresh sage leaves, stemmed and cut into thin strips; 2 Tbsps fresh thyme, stemmed and washed; 16 servings Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper; 2 liters low-sodium chicken stock; 118 milliliters dry Marsala (or Sherry); 454 grams mozzarella cheese, cut into 3/4-inch cubes; 283 grams pepperoni, skinless, cut into small cubes; 454 grams loose pork breakfast sausage, broken into small pieces and cooked; 1 teaspoon dry rosemary; 1 turkey gizzard, cut into small pieces; 6 kilograms turkey, innards removed and reserved and the neck reserved for gravy; 1 turkey heart, cut into small pieces; 1 sticks unsalted butter, melted; 8 slices white sandwich bread; 3 mediums yellow onions, peeled, halved and cut into thin slices; 8 Tbsps stick to 1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter; 1 large piece cheesecloth; 16 servings Kitchen twine

Whole Thanksgiving Turkey with Miles Standish Stuffing and Gravy might be just the hor d'oeuvre you are searching for. This recipe makes 16 servings with 1044 calories, 115g of protein, and 57g of fat each. This recipe covers 42% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes approximately 6 hours and 30 minutes. A mixture of thyme, turkey gizzard, pepperoni, and a handful of other ingredients are all it takes to make this recipe so delicious. It is perfect for Thanksgiving.

Instructions

Watch how to make this recipe.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Equipment you will use

Oven

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) of the butter.

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Add the onions and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables, over medium heat, until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Salt And Pepper

Vegetable

Celery

Onion

Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the contents to a bowl. Set aside.

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Bowl

Arrange the bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast until light brown. Alternatively, brown them in a toaster. While the bread is still hot, lightly butter both sides of each piece.

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Bread

Toast

Equipment you will use

Baking Sheet

Toaster

Cut into 1-inch squares and transfer them to a large bowl. Toss with salt, pepper, the thyme, sage and rosemary.

Ingredients you will need

Rosemary

Pepper

Thyme

Sage

Salt

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Mix to blend. Set aside.

Heat a tablespoon of the butter and, in a small skillet, quickly saute the heart and gizzard pieces, 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper.

Ingredients you will need

Salt And Pepper

Butter

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Remove from the heat and add it to the bowl of celery and onions. Stir to blend.

Ingredients you will need

Celery

Onion

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Heat a large skillet, add another tablespoon of the butter and saute the pepperoni pieces over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Pepperoni

Butter

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Drain on a paper towel.

Equipment you will use

Paper Towels

Combine the celery and onion mixture, the cooked breakfast sausage, the mozzarella and the pepperoni in the bowl containing the toasted bread.

Ingredients you will need

Breakfast Sausage

Mozzarella

Pepperoni

Celery

Bread

Onion

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Mix to blend and add the cup of chicken stock to moisten all of the ingredients.

Ingredients you will need

Chicken Stock

Place the turkey on a flat surface, season with salt and pepper on the inside and out, and stuff the cavity with the stuffing. Truss turkey or, alternatively, tie the legs closed with a strong piece of kitchen twine to assure the stuffing doesn't fall out as the turkey roasts. Wrap any remaining stuffing in tinfoil and keep the tinfoil fairly flat, like a large envelope.

Ingredients you will need

Salt And Pepper

Stuffing

Whole Turkey

Wrap

Equipment you will use

Kitchen Twine

Transfer the turkey to a roasting pan, fitted with a roasting rack if desired, and soak the cheesecloth in the butter.

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Whole Turkey

Equipment you will use

Roasting Pan

Cheesecloth

Brush any remaining butter on top of the bird and cover the breasts with the cheesecloth to prevent the top skin from burning before the turkey is cooked. Lower the oven to 350 degrees F and place the roasting pan in the center of the oven. Cook the turkey for about 12 minutes per pound.

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Whole Turkey

Equipment you will use

Roasting Pan

Cheesecloth

Oven

After about 2 hours cooking, remove the roasting pan and place the tinfoil package containing the stuffing in the bottom of the pan.

Ingredients you will need

Stuffing

Equipment you will use

Roasting Pan

Remove the cheesecloth from the top of the breasts and return the turkey to the oven.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Turkey

Equipment you will use

Cheesecloth

Oven

Place the neck and the chicken stock for the gravy in a pot and simmer gently on top of the stove as the turkey finishes cooking. The stock should reduce by about half. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Ingredients you will need

Salt And Pepper

Stock

Whole Turkey

Gravy

Equipment you will use

Stove

Pot

How do you know when it's done? The temperature of the thigh meat (where the meat is thickest and takes the longest time to cook) should register 165 degrees F when tested with an instant-read thermometer. When done, remove the bird from the oven, transfer it to a flat surface (or serving platter) and allow it to rest for 20 to 30 minutes before removing the stuffing and carving the meat.

Ingredients you will need

Stuffing

Meat

Equipment you will use

Kitchen Thermometer

Oven

Make the gravy: Unless the bottom of the roasting pan is burned, you can make delicious gravy.

Ingredients you will need

Gravy

Equipment you will use

Roasting Pan

Place the roasting pan over the burners on the stove, add the mustard and Marsala to the pan and warm it over low heat. Scrape the bottom to get the drippings and tasty bits off the bottom of the pan as the Marsala reduces.

Ingredients you will need

Marsala