Stuffing ingredients:
2 large onions chopped (about 4 cups)
4 ribs of celery, chopped
1 stick of unsalted butter
1 large bunch of kale, rinsed well, removed from stems and well chopped
4 cups of corn bread (I make mine a day or two ahead of time)
1 tablespoon of dried sage
Turkey ingredients:
12-14 pound turkey (neck and giblets removed)
1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter
chicken broth (calls for 3/4 cup?) I'm positive I don't follow that.
Gravy ingredients:
1/3 cup of all - purpose flour
1 teaspoon of paprika or to taste (I used about 3 tablespoons)
4 cups of chicken broth
To make the stuffing: In a large skillet cook the onions, & celery with salt and pepper to taste in butter over low heat. Stir until vegetables are softened. Add the kale in batches stirring until it is wilted and the kale is bright green. Then combine the vegetable mixture with the cornbread. Stir in sage and salt and pepper to taste.
This can be made one day in advance and kept covered and refrigerated. Do NOT stuff the turkey in advance.
Rinse the turkey inside and out and pat dry. Salt and pepper the bird (I also do this in the inside cavity) and use my hands to rub it around the turkey.
Are you a stuffer? If you like to stuff the turkey you can using both the empty neck cavity and the larger inside cavity. Fasten loose skin over the cavity to hold it in with a skewer.
Sometimes I do this just for looks but really I'm scared to eat it. So I usually don't do this. I just put it in a casserole dish and set it aside to heat towards the end of the cooking process.
Spread the softened butter (1/2 stick) on the turkey and place it on the roasting pan. Cook in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Meanwhile you can melt the remaining butter in a pan to use for basting.
After 30 minutes reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Baste the turkey with the butter mixture about every 30 minutes (when it's gone I use pan juices to baste)
Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until an instant read thermometer that is inserted into the fleshy part of the thigh reads 180 degrees and juices run clear when the thigh is pierced.
During the last 30 minutes of cooking you can heat the stuffing.
Meanwhile transfer the turkey to a platter (I usually use a clean pair of rubber gloves- like playtex) and I usually have Joe help me. Gotta move quick.
Reserve your pan juices!!!! When it has cooled slightly I pour it into the fat separator and let this sit for a few minutes to do it's thing and separate. leave your browned "bits" in the roasting pan.
Make sure you have about 1/3 of cup of your buttery fat left in the pan to make your roux with. If I don't feel comfortable with what I see I just get new butter to use. :)
Add the flour to the roasting pan (on the stove over moderate heat) and whisk for 3 minutes. Add the paprika and cook this with the roux for about 30 more seconds. Honestly it all happens rather quickly and I do not time it. If you make gravy you know when a roux is ready.
(this is the time my son will come bear hug me from behind and hold me arms down sending me into a panick attack.) Add some of your chicken stock in batches whisking as you go and add your skimmed pan juices that have now separated. At this point I taste test and add salt and pepper as needed and also add more paprika! lol Pour your perfect pan gravy into a gravy boat and be prepared to lick the pan.
Do not be scared of this recipe!!! It sounds hard and it is truly no harder than any other recipe!!!
As usual keep an eye on your turkey and when you're basting if you feel like the center top portion is browning to quickly cover it loosely with foil.
<3 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
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