Stuffed Christmas Turkey

Stuffed Christmas Turkey
Stuffed Christmas Turkey

Baked turkey for Catholic Christmas is a common thing. Only now, it is harder to cook it succulently and tenderly without overdrying it. But with a couple of tricks, good products – and success is guaranteed for you! 

INGREDIENTS

  • extra virgin olive oil
  • celery – 3 stalks
  • peppercorns, black – 1 tbsp.
  • turkey – 4-4.5 kg
  • coarse sea salt
  • red hot chili pepper – 1 pc.
  • allspice peas – 1 tbsp.
  • celery seeds – 1 tsp
  • butter
  • coriander seeds – 1 tsp

For filling

  • large onion – 2 pcs
  • salt freshly ground black pepper
  • basmati rice mixed with wild rice – 2 cups
  • half-smoked sausages – 600 g
  • sage – 4-5 branches
  • brisket is not too fat – 400 g

STEP-BY-STEP COOKING RECIPE

Step 1

Cut the lower leg joints from the turkey with a chef knife set, and remove the last phalanx of the wings (these parts burn during baking). Carefully inspect the carcass – if there are any unremoved arm bases.

Step 2

Put the turkey in a large container that would fit freely, and pour 3 fingers of cold water over it. Measure the amount of liquid and add salt from the ratio of 1 tbsp. l. 1 liter of water and 1 liter of salt (without a slide).

Step 3

Chop the celery into small pieces, and randomly chop the chile. Add celery, chili, allspice and black peppercorns, coriander, and celery seeds to measured water. Bring water with salt and spices to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes.

Step 4

Cool the brine to room temperature. Put the turkey in the brine breast down, cover it with a lid or cling film and leave it in a cool place for 12-24 hours.

Step 5

For minced meat, pour rice with 3 cups of boiling water, add a pinch of salt, bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Remove from fire and cool. Cut the sage into strips, sausages into 2 cm long pieces, and brisket and onion into small cubes.

Step 6

Drain the fat from the brisket over low heat. Add onion, and sauté, stirring, for 15 minutes. Add sausages, and fry for another 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat, add sage, mix with rice, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cool the filling completely (if desired, it can be made in advance, 1 day in advance, and kept in the refrigerator).

Step 7

Remove the turkey from the brine, pat dry, and rub with olive oil on all sides. First, stuff the turkey quite tightly from the side of the neck, moving the minced meat as deep as possible into the leather “bag”. Secure the skin with a metal skewer, and a few toothpicks pre-soaked in water, or sew with strong threads.

Step 8

Put the minced meat in the belly of the bird too, but already a little, loosely, so that air can circulate inside the bird and it is well fried. Carefully sew up the hole with strong threads. Transfer the rest of the filling into a heat-resistant form.

Step 9

Place the turkey breast side down on a wire rack in a baking dish. The pan should be filled with 2 cups of water. Cover the entire structure with foil so that hot air with steam can circulate inside. Put in an oven preheated to 230 ° C. After 15 min. lower the temperature to 180°C. Cook 2.5 hours

Step 10

Remove the baking sheet with the turkey from the oven, remove the foil, and drain all the liquid formed in the baking sheet into the form with the filling. Brush the turkey with melted butter and return it to the oven along with the filling. Bake, brushing with oil every 10-15 minutes until cooked through, 30-45 minutes.

Step 11

Remove the finished turkey and filling from the oven, cover with foil and leave to “rest” for 20–30 minutes. Then remove the threads and put the bird on a warmed dish. Put the filling on a separate heated plate (so it does not interfere with cutting). Serve everything together.

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