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