- 12
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1/2 bunch of fresh sage, finely chopped
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 12 large cornbread muffins torn into pieces or 1 loaf of cornbread, cubed
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 12-14 pound turkey
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- 8 strips bacon
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
Preparation
Step 1
1. Preheat oven to 350 F; remove top rack.
2. Mash butter and sage in mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Put 1/2 of mixture in saute pan. Melt over medium heat. Add onions. Cook for 10 minutes.
3. Scrape mixture into mixing bowl. Add cornbread. Season with salt and
pepper.
Toss.
4. In separate bow, whisk together egg, cream and 1/2 cup of stock. Pour over cornbread. Stir together. Set stuffing aside.
5. Rinse bird inside and out with cold water; pat dry with paper towels.
6. Liberally sprinkle cavity and skin with salt and pepper. Using your fingers, gently lift skin from breast and slip remaining seasoned butter under, massaging breast meat as you go.
7. Stuff bird with stuffing. Truss it. Put on rack in large roasting pan. Place in oven.
8. In small bowl stir maple syrup with hot water to thin. Roast turkey for 2 hours, basting with maple glaze every 30 minutes.
9. Pull oven rack out to shingle bacon over turkey breast so it's covered. Resume cooking for 1 hour; 3 hours total.
10. Remove turkey from oven. Transfer to serving tray.
11. Make gravy: Skim fat from pan drippings. Put pan across two burners, over medium heat. Use wooden spoon to scrape brown bits from pan bottom. Whisk in flour. Add remaining 2 1/2 cups stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to simmer; season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Simmer for 5 minutes, then strain to remove bits.
12. Carve turkey and serve with gravy and stuffing.