- 8
Ingredients
- stuffing:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausages, casings removed, broken into pieces
- 2 medium fresh fennel bulbs, trimmed, diced, plus 1/4 cup chopped fronds
- 2 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only)
- 1/2 cup chopped shallots
- 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless country-style French bread
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- turkey:
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, ground
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 12- to 14-pound turkey; neck, heart, and gizzard reserved for Ultimate Turkey Stock Turkey Stock
- 2 cups (or more) Ultimate Turkey Stock or low-salt chicken broth
- Fresh Fennel Pan Gravy if roasting the turkey, or Mixed-Mushroom and Tarragon Gravy if grilling the turkey
- Special equipment: Charcoal chimney (if grilling) 13x9x2-inch disposable aluminum baking pan (to catch drips; if grilling)
Preparation
Step 1
Preparation
For stuffing:
Heat oil in large skillet over
medium-high heat. Add sausage. Sauté
until cooked through, about 6 minutes.
Using slotted spoon, transfer to bowl. Add
diced fennel, leeks, and shallots to skillet.
Sauté 8 minutes. Add garlic and wine. Boil 3
minutes, scraping up browned bits. Scrape
into bowl with sausage. Cool. DO AHEAD: Can
be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.
Mix breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and
ricotta into stuffing. Whisk eggs, sage,
rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and
fennel fronds in bowl. Stir into stuffing.
For turkey:
Mix fennel seeds, rosemary,
salt, and pepper, then oil in small bowl. Rinse
turkey; pat dry. Place turkey, skin side down,
on work surface. Spread half of fennel oil
over flesh side. Turn turkey over onto large
rimmed baking sheet. Tuck wing tips under.
Starting at neck end, run fingers gently
under skin of breast, thigh, and legs. Spread
stuffing under skin. Massage to even out
thickness of stuffing. Spread fennel oil over
turkey skin.
To roast turkey:
Set rack at lowest
position in oven and preheat to 350°F. Pour
1 cup stock or broth onto baking sheet
under turkey.
Roast turkey until thermometer inserted
into thickest part of thigh registers 160°F to
165°F, adding stock by cupfuls if pan is dry,
2 to 2 1/2 hours. Transfer turkey to platter; let
rest 30 to 45 minutes. Reserve baking sheet
with juices. While turkey rests, prepare
Fennel Pan Gravy
. Serve turkey with gravy.
To grill turkey:
Prepare barbecue
(medium heat). Remove top grill rack.
If using charcoal, light briquettes in
chimney. When covered with white ash,
push to opposite sides of bottom rack.
Place disposable aluminum pan in center
of rack (you will need to light additional
briquettes, checking every 30 minutes
during grilling time). Replace top rack. If
using 3-burner gas grill, light burners on
left and right sides, leaving center burner
off. If using 2-burner gas grill, light burner
on 1 side; place disposable pan over
unlit side.
Place turkey, skin side up, on rack over
pan; cover. Insert instant-read thermometer
into hole in hood. Maintain temperature
at 350°F on charcoal grill by opening and
closing vents or adjusting temperature
on gas grill with controls. Grill until
thermometer inserted into thickest part of
thigh registers 160°F to 165°F, tenting with
foil if browning too quickly, 1 3/4 to 2 hours.
Transfer turkey to platter; let rest 30 to 45
minutes (internal temperature will rise
5 to 10 degrees).
Serve grilled turkey with Mixed-
Mushroom and Tarragon Gravy.
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