Stuffed Turkey

I can provide you with a classic Italian recipe for stuffed turkey. Remember that this is a rather elaborate recipe, suitable for special occasions, such as Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner.

Ingredients

• 1 whole turkey (about 5-6 kg)
• 500 g of veal mince
• 200 g of crumbled sausage meat
• 150 g of smoked bacon, diced
• 100 g of mortadella, diced
• 1 egg
• 100 g of Parmesan cheese, grated
• 250 g of stale bread
• 300 ml of milk
• 1 glass of dry white wine
• Fresh aromatic herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil

For the broth:

• 1 carrot
• 1 stalk of celery
• 1 onion
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Start with preparing the stuffing: soak the stale bread in milk until it becomes soft, then squeeze it out and crumble it into a large bowl.
2. Add to the bread the veal mince, sausage meat, bacon, mortadella, egg, Parmesan, a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well until you get a uniform mixture.
3. Rinse the turkey under cold running water, then dry it well both inside and outside with kitchen paper.
4. Fill the turkey’s cavity with the previously prepared meat mixture. Do not overfill it, as the meat will expand during cooking.
5. Close the opening by sewing it with kitchen twine or close it with toothpicks.
6. In a large enough roasting pan to contain the turkey, pour a drizzle of oil and lay the turkey. Massage the outside of the turkey with a mix of chopped aromatic herbs, oil, salt, and pepper.
7. Preheat the oven to 180 °C, then bake the turkey covering it with aluminum foil to prevent the skin from burning.
8. Cook for about 3-4 hours, basting the turkey frequently with its cooking juices and a bit of meat broth (prepared with carrot, celery, onion, and water).
9. In the last half hour of cooking, remove the aluminum foil to brown the skin.
10. Once cooked, let it rest for 20 minutes before cutting, so that the juices evenly redistribute.

Curiosity

Stuffed turkey is a dish with ancient origins and lends itself to many regional variations. In some areas of Italy, for example, chestnuts or apples are added to the ingredients to give a more autumnal and sweet flavor to the stuffing.

I recommend pairing the stuffed turkey with a nice glass of full-bodied red wine that can stand up to the intense flavor of the meat and stuffing. A Barolo or Brunello di Montalcino would be perfect. Enjoy your meal!