“It takes half the time to cook, yet looks just like a whole roast turkey.”
“The Way to Cook,” 1989, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., Judith Jones, Editor

“The breasts are bone-in but fully trimmed, meaning the backbone, wishbone, and scraps have been removed; the ribs are trimmed off to where the breast meat begins. Each leg-thigh has been removed in one piece, and the thigh is boned for easy carving.”

Turkey
Note: I can’t do justice to this recipe by instructing you on these pages how to bone the turkey. My suggestion is for you to purchase your own copy of “The Way to Cook,” and turn to page 169 for specific photographic instructions.

1 14lb. fresh turkey, breast fully trimmed, unstuffed, 1 ¾ to 2 hours roasting time in a 325º oven. Leg-thighs about 1 ¼ hours in the same oven.

Once the turkey has been properly boned and trussed, mound the stuffing in the center of a deep roasting pan. I recommend using about 4-5 cups of the stuffing. Reserve the extra stuffing and bake in a separate casserole dish.

Place the boned turkey breast on top of the mound of stuffing. Then place the boned and tied thighs-drumsticks next to the breast. Cover the bottom of the stuffing with some aluminum foil. Gently rub the turkey with some olive oil and then season with salt and pepper. Follow the above roasting time guidelines, or better yet, use a meat thermometer and roast the turkey until it registers an internal temperature of 165º.

Savory Sausage and Crouton Stuffing
“For about 2 ½ quarts, enough for a 12 to 14 pound turkey.”

2 quarts diced homemade type white bread
1 pound sausage meat
4 or more tablespoons butter, as needed
3 cups diced onions
3 cups diced celery
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Seasonings: salt, freshly ground pepper, and sage

To make croutons, spread the bread cubes in a large baking pan and toast 20 to 30 minutes in a 350 oven, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned. Meanwhile, break up the sausage meat and sauté several minutes in a frying pan, until the color changes from reddish gray. Drain, return the fat to the pan, and turn the sausage into a large mixing bowl, breaking it up again into small bits. Add enough butter to the frying pan to make about ½ cup combined with the sausage fat. In it sauté the onions until tender and translucent, then add the celery and sauté 2 to 3 minutes more. Turn into the bowl, blend in the eggs, and toss in the croutons. Season carefully to taste.

“Variation. When stuffing a turkey or chicken with either of the two preceding formulae, puree any raw scraps of the meat in a food processor or blender with the 2 eggs listed, and fold in the bowl with the rest of the ingredients. The raw meat lightly binds the stuffing together.”