Recipe - New England Roast Turkey With Cranberry-Pecan Stuffing

1 cup Chopped celery
One half cup Chopped onion
One fourth cup Margarine or butter
1 teaspoon Dried rubbed sage
One half teaspoon Dried thyme; crushed
One fourth teaspoon Pepper
6 cup Dry bread cubes
One half cup Chopped pecans
One half cup Dried cranberries
One half cup Chicken broth
1 68 pound turkey
2 tablespoon Chicken broth; optional
1 teaspoon Cooking oil

For stuffing, cook celery and onion in margarine or butter in a small
saucepan till tender. Remove from heat. Stir in sage, thyme, and pepper.
Place dry bread cubes in a mixing bowl. Add celery mixture, pecans, and
cranberries. Add One half cup chicken broth, tossing to moisten.

Release turkey legs from leg clamp or band of skin crossing the tail. If
desired, remove leg clamp from body cavity. Remove neck and giblets from
cavity. Rinse turkey inside and out; drain and pat dry with paper towels.
Just before roasting, spoon some stuffing into neck cavity. Pull neck skin
over stuffing, fasten to back with a short skewer.

Loosely spoon stuffing into body cavity (no more than Three fourths cup stuffing per
pound of turkey.) Do not pack stuffing tightly, or it will not get hot
enough by the time the turkey is cooked. (Transfer any remaining stuffing
to a casserole adding the 1 to 2 tablespoons chicken broth, if desired, for
additional moistness; cover and chill casserole.) Tuck legs under band of
skin or rest into leg clamp. If leg clamp has been removed, tie legs
together with string. Twist wing tips under back.

Place stuffed turkey, breast side up, on rack in a shallow roasting pan.
Brush with cooking oil. Insert a meat thermometer into the center of an
inside thigh muscle so the bulb does not touch bone. Cover turkey loosely
with foil, leaving some space between the bird and the foil. Press foil
over legs and neck.

Roast in a 325 oven for 3 to 3 One half hours or till thermometer registers 180
and juices run clear. The center of the stuffing should be at least 165.
Add covered casserole of stuffing during the last 30 to 45 minutes of
roasting. If desired, during roasting, baste the turkey occasionally with
drippings. Remove the foil the last 30 to 45 minutes ot let the bird brown.

Remove turkey from oven and cover loosely with foil. Let stand for 20
minutes before carving. Release legs from leg clamp, or snip string or band
of skin. To avoid possible burns, do not remove leg clamp from the hot bird
after roasting. Remove stuffing from turkey. Store leftover turkey and
stuffing in separate containers as soon as possible after serving. Makes
68 servings.

Recipe by: Holiday Cooking 1996

Posted to MCRecipe Digest V1 #994 by L979 L979@aol.com on Jan 8, 1998