Lindy's Stuffing recipe
A few days before, chop up dried peaches, apricots, prunes, whatever and completely immerse in brandy (or sherry if you prefer). I use about 2 packets in total.
On the day (or day before):
In large frying pan, add:
When opaque, add:
crumb at least a loaf or less of bread in the magimix or whatever--I use Orowheat 3 seed.
Add to the mix
Add the very boozy fruit
Add more melted butter or more booze, depending on your emotional state at the time.
It must be nice and moist.
Sorry, I am unable to supply measurements--never use them!
I generally put this in a separate container in the oven, and add one or two spoons to the turkey to give it the added flavor.
Home-made Mayo (delish with leftover turkey)
In a liquidiser (I found it didn't thicken sufficiently in the magimix) add:
Only add about 50 ml oil to the mix at first, blend for about 30 seconds, then add the rest of the oil slowly while it's still blending. It should be just a little less like regular mayo in consistency.
You can double the measurements, which might work better in a magimix.
We use this as a dip for steamed artichokes, or any other recipe that needs mayo. It's really delish, but doesn't have a long fridge life (never been a problem in our house!)
Lindy ULTIMATE BRINE FOR TURKEY (www.melindalee.com)
Allow brine to cool completely. Rinse turkey under cool running water, inside and out (remove giblets from body cavity).
Pat turkey dry with paper towels, then immerse turkey in cooled brine.
* Turkey should be completely submerged in liquid (place a plate on top of the bird if necessary to keep it covered with the liquid).
Cover the pot and refrigerate for 8-10 hours or up to 24 hours.
Remove turkey, rinse, pat dry, and roast as usual. [See note under “basic technique” for extra step to get crispiest skin.]
*Be sure the container used for brining turkey is non-reactive: use enamel, glass or crockery or stainless steel - never cast iron or aluminum.
The pot should be just large enough to contain the turkey (so the brine will be sufficient to cover the bird).
** NOTE REGARDING THE AMOUNT OF SALT IN BRINE: A milder brine may be made, which may have a less flavorful result – but if salt is a concern (the entire turkey will absorb only 10-15% of the brine) the amount of salt may be reduced.
For the desired chemical effect to take place, however, the proportions cannot be less than 2/3 to 1 cup of salt per gallon (4 quarts) of water.
TURKEY ROASTING: OVEN METHOD Wash the turkey in cool running water (remove bag of giblets from inside body cavity) and pat bird dry with paper towels.
Allow the turkey to stand at room temperature for up to 3 hours (loosely covered with a towel) so it will not be icy-cold in the center, and will cook evenly.
If stuffing, stuff the turkey lightly - don’t “pack in” the stuffing (all, or extra, stuffing can be baked in a
casserole and moistened before serving with turkey drippings). If not stuffing the turkey, place a quartered onion or
orange (or both) in the cavity of the bird, or put chopped celery, onion and carrot in there (see more suggestions
under “covered grill method,” below) - any of these will gently perfume the bird, without risking overcooking for
the sake of the stuffing. SAFETY ALERT: DO NOT STUFF THE TURKEY UNTIL JUST BEFORE ROASTING IT - AND REMOVE THE
STUFFING FROM THE CAVITY OF THE BIRD BEFORE REFRIGERATING LEFTOVER TURKEY. Use a shallow roasting pan (about 2 inches
deep) so that the sides of the turkey will brown properly, and not be pale and flabby from steam. Roast the turkey
breast-side down, so juices will keep the breast meat moist. Use a non-stick, or well-greased, V-shaped roasting rack
to hold the turkey over the roasting pan. If desired, tie the ends of the legs together (not too tight, for even
roasting) with kitchen twine, but bird will cook fine without additional trussing. Brush the entire breast side of
the turkey with melted butter before placing the bird (breast side down) in the V-rack. Then brush melted butter over
the rest of the turkey. Place the oven rack in a low position (the larger the turkey, the lower the rack should be)
so the breast meat will be less likely to overcook. Place the turkey in the oven legs-first (the dark meat takes
longest to cook, and the back of the oven is hotter than the front). For a 10-pound turkey: Roast in the
breast-side-down position, at 400 degrees, for about 1 hour, then turn breast-side-up for the remaining 1/2 hour or
so of cooking time, basting twice or more. For a 12-14-pound turkey: Roast breast-side-down at 350 degrees, for about
1 1/4 hours, then turn breast-side-up for remaining 30 to 45 minutes, basting frequently. Roasting times are
approximate (and are estimated for unstuffed turkeys), test for doneness as described below. If the top skin seems to
be getting too dark, cover it with a doubled piece of aluminum foil.
Remove the foil 10 minutes before removing the finished turkey from the oven. Unstuffed turkey is done when a meat thermometer, inserted in the thickest part of the thigh meat (without touching the bone) reads 160-165 degrees. In case thermometer is imprecise, 165 degrees is a good reading, offering a margin for safety. Test the thigh meat in several places, to be sure. Stuffed turkey is done when the thermometer reads 160 degrees in the center of the stuffing (note: cooking a stuffed turkey to 160 degrees, measured in the stuffing, will take longer than roasting an unstuffed bird, so the turkey will be slightly overdone if stuffed with stuffing). Allow the turkey to stand for 20 minutes after removing it from the oven to complete cooking and re-distribute internal juices - that way, the meat will be juicy. (You may tent bird with foil to keep it warm.)
