A Renny Darling Thanksgiving Sampler

 

 

Renny Darling's

Traditional Thanksgiving Turkey with

Old- Fashioned Bread Stuffing

 

1 turkey (about 15 to 18 pounds), thoroughly cleaned
and patted dry

 

 

Baste turkey, inside and out, with Basting Mixture. Pack Old-Fashioned Bread Stuffing loosely into the neck and body of turkey. Pull neck skin over to the back and skewer it down. Skewer body opening with poultry pins. Lace string around pins, back and forth. At the last turn, bring the string under the legs and tie them together. Baste turkey again.

Place turkey on a rack in roasting pan, tent loosely with foil and baste often with Basting Mixture and juices in the pan. Continue baking and basting until turkey is done. (If special directions for roasting appear on the wrapper, follow them. If not, use the approximate roasting chart below.) Remove skewers and set turkey on a platter. Let it rest for 20 minutes, so that it will be easier to carve. Remove any fat from the gravy. Gravy is delicious and does not need to be thickened.

The Best Basting Mixture:

1 cup melted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons paprika

In a saucepan, heat together all the ingredients until blended. Use a long-handled brush for basting turkey.

 

Roasting Time

(Roasting times are approximate.)

 

Unstuffed Turkey
Under 12 pound --- Roast at 325° about 25 minutes per pound
Over 12 pounds --- Roast at 325° about 20 minutes per pound

 

Stuffed Turkey

Add about 30 minutes to total cooking time.

 

 

1. If you use a meat thermometer, insert it in the center of the inside thigh muscle, the thickest part. It should register 180° to 185° when turkey is cooked.

2. You can test for doneness by moving the drumstick up and down. If it gives easily, turkey is done.

 

Old-Fashioned Bread Stuffing

This is enough stuffing to fill an 18-pound turkey. I prefer baking the stuffing separately to avoid any problem of contamination. However, a stuffed turkey does look beautiful, so use good care in handling.

1/2 cup butter
3 large onions, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 pound mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1/2 cup melted butter
salt and pepper to taste
2 packages (8 ounces, each) herb-seasoned stuffing mix

2 cans (10 1/2 ounces, each) chicken broth

Sauté onions and celery in butter until onions are soft. Add mushrooms and sauté until mushrooms are tender. Place mixture in a large bowl and stir in the next 7 ingredients. Stir in only enough chicken broth to hold stuffing together. Stuffing can be used to stuff the turkey or it can be baked separately.

To Bake Stufing Separately:
Place stuffing mixture in a 12-inch round baking pan, sprinkle with 1/3 cup chicken broth and heat for 30 minutes.

IMPORTANT:
1. Do not stuff turkey far in advance of roasting. Stuff shortly before roasting.
2. Remove stuffing before storing leftover turkey.
3. Improper handling of stuffing can lead to growth of harmful bacteria. So please take care to stuff turkey shortly before roasting and remove stuffing from turkey before storing.

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