Roast Turkey With Corn Bread Stuffing

1/4 lb Butter
1 Turkey,fresh (12-16#)
1/2 lb Salt pork,thinly sliced

1. Preheat oven to 425’F.~ 2. Cut butter into very thin slices; place in
freezer to harden while you prepare bird.~ 3. Wash turkey inside and out.
Remove and reserve neck, giblets and wing tips. Pat dry with paper
toweling. Starting at the breast, separate the skin from the meat by
working your fingers between them. Slice your hand under skin as far as you
can go and gently free the skin on both sides of the breast. Loosen it
around the upper part of the legs, stopping about halfway down the legs.
Insert slices of the cold butter, first under the leg skin, then under the
breast skin. Reshape the loosened skin on the bird by patting it gently
back in place. It will sag a bit but don’t let that upset you; it will cook
back in place. Wrap bird loosely in waxed paper and refrigerate while
preparing stuffing.~ 4. Fill cavity of turkey loosely with stuffing. (Place
any remaining stuffing in a shallow baking dish and place in oven about 30
minutes before bird is roasted. Bake until firm and lightly browned.)
Fasten neck skin of turkey to body with skewer. Push legs under band of
skin at tail or tie to tail. Place slices of salt pork over breast and
fasten with wooden picks. Place turkey on its side on rack in shallow open
roasting pan.~ 5. Cook for 15 minutes, then turn bird on other side and
roast for 15 minutes longer.~ 6. Lower temperature to 325’F. and continue
to roast turkey, turning the bird from side to side and basting often with
the drippings from pan, for about 3-1/2 to 4 hours, or until juices run
yellow – no longer pink – when thigh is pierced with a fork. Roast turkey
breast side up for the last 15 minutes of cooking time. (Remove and discard
salt pork when crisp and most of fat has been rendered. If fat in pan bgins
to burn, add a few tablespoons of water.) Transfer turkey to serving
platter and let rest 30 minutes before carving. Reserve all drippings in
pan for gravy.~ ~ *** CORN BREAD STUFFING ***~ 1. Prepare corn bread,
following label directions, or use your own favorite recipe. Cool. Crumble
enough to make 7 cups and transfer to a large mixing bowl.~ 2. Saute celery
and onion in butter in a large skillet until soft. Spoon vegetables and
butter over corn bread crumbs.~ 3. Beat egg yolks in a medium-sized bowl;
stir in stock and pour mixture over corn bread. Stir lightly to blend.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.~ Makes approximately 3 quarts, or 12
cups.~ ~ *** TURKEY STOCK ***~ 1. Combine giblets, neck, and wing tips with
water in a large saucepan; add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil, then
lower heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until liver is tender.
Remove liver and continue to simmer mixture for about 1 hour, or until
remaining giblets are tender. Strain mixture; remove and chop giblets and
liver for gravy. Reserve stock.~ ~ *** TURKEY GIBLET GRAVY ***~ 1. Pour off
all turkey fat from roasting pan into a glass measuring cup. Measure and
return 1/4 cup to pan. Sprinkle flour into fat; cook and stir 2 or 3
minutes over low heat. Add water and 2 cups of the reserved turkey stock.
Cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits in pan with wooden spoon, until
gravy thickens and bubbles 2 minutes. Strain gravy into saucepan; add
chopped giblets and reserved liver. Taste; season with salt and pepper if
needed.

Yields
12 servings