This recipe comes from Kevin Long, executive chef at Tosca in Hingham, Massachusetts. One of the biggest problems cooks encounter with turkey is an overcooked breast paired with undercooked thighs and legs. By taking out the bones and rolling the turkey like a roast, Kevin has found that the bird cooks evenly. Removing the bones from a turkey is no small feat; ask your butcher to do the deboning.
Yield:
10 servingsIngredients
2 cups loosely packed dried Black Mission figs, stems removed and cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup cognac
1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 stalks celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage
1/2 day-old baguette, cut into
1/2-inch cubes (about 5 cups)
1 cup chicken or turkey stock
1 egg, beaten
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 12- to 14-pound turkey, neck and giblets removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
In a medium mixing bowl, combine figs and cognac and cover with boiling water; set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté onion in butter about 10 minutes. Add celery and cook 5 more minutes. Add herbs and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove casings from sausage and add sausage to pan. Cook, breaking up sausage, 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain and reserve liquid from figs; add liquid to sausage mixture and cook until all but 1 tablespoon of liquid remains. Remove from heat and stir in figs, bread cubes, and stock. (The stuffing may be made up to this point and refrigerated 3 days. Bring to room temperature before using.) Mix in egg and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
Heat oven to 350°. Lay turkey skin side down on a work surface, with dark meat closest to you. Cover with plastic wrap and, using a mallet or small, heavy-bottomed pot, gently pound turkey to even out thickness of meat. Remove and discard plastic wrap. Season turkey with salt and pepper.
Lay stuffing in a horizontal band in center of bird. Roll turkey toward you, starting with far end, into a long cylinder (tuck in any stuffing that escapes from the sides). Tie roast at 2-inch intervals. Transfer to a large roasting pan fitted with a flat rack. Brush skin with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast 13⁄4 hours, then increase heat to 375° and cook 15 minutes more to brown skin. Remove from oven when a thermometer inserted into thigh reaches 170°. Let turkey rest at least 30 minutes before carving.
