| 1 | Preheat oven to 425°F.~ Cut butter into very thin slices; place in freezer to harden while you prepare bird.~ Wash turkey inside and out. |
| 2 | Remove and reserve neck, giblets and wing tips. |
| 3 | Pat dry with paper toweling. |
| 4 | Starting at the breast, separate the skin from the meat by working your fingers between them. |
| 5 | Slice your hand under skin as far as you can go and gently free the skin on both sides of the breast. |
| 6 | Loosen it around the upper part of the legs, stopping about halfway down the legs. |
| 7 | Insert slices of the cold butter, first under the leg skin, then under the breast skin. |
| 8 | Reshape the loosened skin on the bird by patting it gently back in place. |
| 9 | It will sag a bit but don"t let that upset you; it will cook back in place. |
| 10 | Wrap bird loosely in waxed paper and refrigerate while preparing stuffing.~ Fill cavity of turkey loosely with stuffing. |
| 11 | (place any remaining stuffing in a shallow baking dish and place in oven about 30 minutes before bird is roasted. |
| 12 | Bake until firm and lightly browned). |
| 13 | Fasten neck skin of turkey to body with skewer. |
| 14 | Push legs under band of skin at tail or tie to tail. |
| 15 | Place slices of salt pork over breast and fasten with wooden picks. |
| 16 | Place turkey on its side on rack in shallow open roasting pan.~ Cook for 15 minutes, then turn bird on other side and roast for 15 minutes longer.~ Lower temperature to 325°F. |
| 17 | And continue to roast turkey, turning the bird from side to side and basting often with the drippings from pan, for about 3-?to 4 hours, or until juices run yellow - no longer pink - when thigh is pierced with a fork. |
| 18 | Roast turkey breast side up for the last 15 minutes of cooking time. |
| 19 | (remove and discard salt pork when crisp and most of fat has been rendered. |
| 20 | If fat in pan bgins to burn, add a few tablespoons of water). |
| 21 | Transfer turkey to serving platter and let rest 30 minutes before carving. |
| 22 | Reserve all drippings in pan for gravy.~ ~ *** corn bread stuffing ***~ Prepare corn bread, following label directions, or use your own favorite recipe. |
| 23 | Cool. |
| 24 | Crumble enough to make 7 cups and transfer to a large mixing bowl.~ Saute celery and onion in butter in a large skillet until soft. |
| 25 | Spoon vegetables and butter over corn bread crumbs.~ Beat egg yolks in a medium-sized bowl; stir in stock and pour mixture over corn bread. |
| 26 | Stir lightly to blend. |
| 27 | Season with salt and pepper to taste.~ makes approximately 3 quarts, or 12 cups.~ ~ *** turkey stock ***~ Combine giblets, neck, and wing tips with water in a large saucepan; add remaining ingredients. |
| 28 | Bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until liver is tender. |
| 29 | Remove liver and continue to simmer mixture for about 1 hour, or until remaining giblets are tender. |
| 30 | Strain mixture; remove and chop giblets and liver for gravy. |
| 31 | Reserve stock.~ ~ *** turkey giblet gravy ***~ Pour off all turkey fat from roasting pan into a glass measuring cup. |
| 32 | Measure and return ?cup to pan. |
| 33 | Sprinkle flour into fat; cook and stir 2 or 3 minutes over low heat. |
| 34 | Add water and 2 cups of the reserved turkey stock. |
| 35 | Cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits in pan with wooden spoon, until gravy thickens and bubbles 2 minutes. |
| 36 | Strain gravy into saucepan; add chopped giblets and reserved liver. |
| 37 | Taste; season with salt and pepper if needed. |
