Ingredients
1 (10-lb) fresh turkey
2 lb coarse (kosher) salt
1/4 lb unsalted butter
3 tbsp olive oil
2 large garlic cloves peeled and minced
1 lb french or italian bread
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 1/2 cup chicken stock
2 large egg yolks
Directions
REMOVE THE GIBLETS from the turkey for another use. Fill the neck and
body cavities of the turkey with coarse salt, then rub the skin well
all over with salt. Place the turkey and remaining coarse salt in a
large deep kettle, adding enough cold water to just cover the bird.
Set in a cool spot for 3 to 4 hours.
TO PREPARE THE STUFFING: Put the butter and olive oil in a large heavy
saute pan, or better yet, a kettle, and place it over moderate heat.
When the butter is melted, add the garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes
until limp. Meanwhile, tear the bread into small chunks. Add the
bread and the fine salt and pepper and toss well. Pour in the chicken
stock and beat hard with a wooden spoon until the mixture is
pastelike. Turn the heat to its lowest point, cover the kettle and
steam 15-to-20 minutes until the bread absorbs all the liquid. Add
the egg yolks to the stuffing mixture and beat hard until smooth.
Remove from the heat and reserve. Preheat oven to 400F. Drain the
turkey and rinse several times in cool water so that all traces of
salt are gone. Place the bird on the counter with the neck cavity
facing you. With your hands, begin working the skin free from the
breast. Proceed gently, taking care not to tear the skin. It's slow
going at first, but once you begin to free the skin, the job goes
quickly. Loosen it all the way down the bird to within about 1 inch
of the tail end, down both sides. With your hands, push the stuffing
bit by bit far down under the skin and continue, packing it in
lightly, until the breast is covered with about a 1-inch layer. Next
fill the neck cavity, skewer the neck skin flat against the back to
enclose, and truss the bird. Place the turkey breast-side up in a
large shallow roasting pan without a rack and roast uncovered for
about 2 1/2 hours. Do not baste. When the bird is richly browned and
a leg moves easily in the hip joint, remove from the oven. Let stand,
uncovered, 20 minutes. Drain drippings into a sauce boat and keep
warm. Remove trussing string and skewers and serve at once on a
warmed platter.
Servings: 10 servings
Portuguese Roast Turkey Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Meat; Poultry
The History of Recipes
It is quite possible to track the history of written cooking instructions way back into the distant past, in fact as far into history as the ancient Egyptians, and quite possibly further than that. However, generally, these old cookbooks were just primitive pictorial, hieroglyphic or cunieform instructions for preparing food.
Interestingly, the most ancient recipe found, according to food historians is a collection of ancient tablets in the Sumerian language describing the baking of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making anyone who drank it feel `blissful`. Progressing into The time of the romans around 25BC a man called Apicius assembled a few documents showing how to cook the recipes enjoyed by his fellow Romans. In his scrolls, Apicius recounts how the roman meals were split into appetizers, main meal and desserts, a very modern way of dining. Aspicius also recounts how the ancient cooks used a good variety of aromatic flavours, including many that are still in use today for example bay, rue and parsley. Moving on, there are some books which date from the fourteenth century : a cookery book entitled `Forme of Cury`, and another called `Curye on Inglish`. Perhaps surprisingly, these two books have no connection with the indian curry that we all know today, but instead accounts of the types of meals eaten by the rich. Later, in the 15th century, the Crusaders brought back a variety of spices and herbs from the Middle-East, including spices like parsley, basil and rosemary. These new foods and spices led to an explosion in books on cookery, most of which are kept safe in private libraries. During the next few hundred years, the powerful families of the West strove to serve up the most exotic banquets, and as a result the best chefs and their collection of recipes could command a high salary. Nevertheless, it was during the 19th century that cookery and recipe books reached a high level of popularity. Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and the equally famous Fannie Farmer in the USA, devoted their lives to collecting, trying out, and recording recipes common in their social group. By the time we get to the twentieth century, recipe books are greatly in demand mostly due to increased literacy, people having increased free time and having more money to spend. Like it or not, the introduction of TV brought us TV chefs and the accompanying recipe books. Which pretty much brings us to the present day and the invention of the internet, allowing everyone to access thousands of recipes such as those found on our site. |
We hope you enjoy this Portuguese Roast Turkey recipe.
