Lunch: Roast Turkey with Chestnut-Apple Stuffing

This classic turkey is rubbed with an aromatic shallot-sage butter, then stuffed with a nutty chestnut-apple stuffing.

Ingredients

1 turkey
kosher salt
2 stick unsalted butter
2 tbsp. sage
1 small shallot
Freshly ground pepper
3 celery ribs
2 medium carrots
1 small onion
2 c. turkey or chicken stock or low-sodium broth

Instructions

Rinse turkey inside and out under cold water and pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels. Season cavity with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and season outside with 3 tablespoons of kosher salt. Cover and refrigerate turkey overnight.
Remove turkey from refrigerator and pat dry with paper towels. In a bowl, blend butter, sage, and shallot, and season with salt and pepper. Starting at cavity end of bird, slip your hand between skin and meat, loosening skin over breast, and around legs. Spread shallot-sage butter under skin, covering as much of breasts, and legs as possible. Scatter celery, carrots, onion, and turkey neck in a large roasting pan and set turkey on top; let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spread bread cubes on a large rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a large bowl.
Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F. In a large skillet, heat olive oil until shimmering. Add celery and onion, and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and barely browned, 7 minutes. Add apples and giblets and cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are just tender and giblets are cooked, 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, sage, thyme, and rosemary, and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add to bread along with chestnuts and 2 cups of warm stock. Toss well and season stuffing with salt and pepper; let cool.
Pack turkey cavity and neck with stuffing, then tie legs together with kitchen twine. Roast for about 45 minutes, until richly browned. Baste with any accumulated pan juices and tent breast with foil. Pour remaining 2 cups of stock into roasting pan. Turn oven temperature down to 325 degrees F and roast turkey for 2 to 2 1/2 hours longer, basting every 30 minutes; remove foil for last 30 minutes of roasting. Turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted in an inner thigh registers 165 degrees F. Transfer turkey to a carving board and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
Scoop stuffing into a bowl. Strain pan juices into a heatproof bowl and skim off fat. Carve turkey and serve with stuffing and strained pan juices. Looking for party-ready recipes? Try our top guacamole recipes, birthday cakes, or punch recipes.

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