Turkey, Stuffing, and Gravy Recipe

Turkey, Stuffing, and Gravy

Prep Time4 hours
Cook Time5 hours
Total Time9 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Turkey and Stuffing

  • 1 turkey
  • 1 tsp basil
  • 1 tsp celery seed
  • 1 tsp dill weed
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp poultry seasoning
  • 1 tsp sage
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 3 loaves whole wheat bread
  • 500 g sausage meat
  • 500 g sausage meat extra (optional)
  • 1 bunch celery
  • 2 large onions
  • 4 cups chicken bouillon

Gravy

  • 3/4 cup turkey drippings
  • 2 cups chicken bouillon
  • 3 tbsp Bisto
  • 2 tbsp very cold water
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce

Other

  • 2 cans cranberry sauce

Instructions

Night Before

  • Lay out all the bread on the cupboard, as exposed as possible to the air. Flip the bread every 6-8 hours.
  • Dice the celery and onions finely.
  • Over medium heat in a large pot, cook all the sausage meat until brown. Use 1000g for a richer, fattier stuffing.
  • Remove the sausage meat to a bowl big enough to hold all the celery and onions as well. Keep the fat in the pan.
  • Over medium heat, cook the celery and onions until tender.
  • Add the celery and onions to the sausage meat.
  • Add all the spices and herbs, except for the chicken bouillon. Stir well, and put in the fridge overnight.

Morning

  • If the bread is not very, very dry in the morning, turn on a fan or space heater to help it dry out. The bread should be so hard that it cracks..
  • Remove all the insides from the turkey, and wash the turkey well in the sink with water only (no soap).
  • Put the turkey aside, and clean the sink very well.
  • Break up all of the bread into bite-sized pieces and throw it all in the sink.
  • Boil the 4 cups of chicken bouillon. Pour about 3 cups over the dry bread and mix well.
  • Add the sausage mixture and mix well.
  • Add as much of the last cup of bouillon as is needed to result in a mixture that is moist, but not wet.
  • Stuff the turkey and seal it shut using the toothpicks and string. If cooking in the microwave, make sure that the wings and legs are tied very close to the body, so that they do not get over-cooked.
  • Put the rest of the stuffing in packets of aluminum foil.

Oven Cooking

  • Preheat the oven to 325 F. Put the tray on one of the lowest racks, so that it can fit the turkey.
  • Put the turkey on a cooking tray. Tent with aluminum foil.
  • Put the turkey in the oven and roast for 2-4 hours, depending on the size of the turkey. Baste the turkey with its own juices every 30 minutes.
  • With about 2 hours left in the cooking time, add the aluminum foil dressing packets to the oven.
  • Remove the aluminum foil tent, and increase the oven temperature to 425 F. Cook for another 45 minutes.
  • The turkey will be done once the temperature reaches 165 F. A 5 kg turkey should take a total of 3.5-4.5 hours to cook.
  • Remove the stuffing from the aluminum foil packets and place in a very large bowl. Remove the stuffing from inside the turkey and add it to the large bowl. Mix very well.
  • Let the turkey stand for 15-20 minutes before carving.

Gravy

  • Heat the turkey drippings on medium-high heat.
  • Mix the Bisto and cold water until it forms a thick paste.
  • Add 1/2 cup of bouillon and a bit of the Bisto paste to the drippings. Repeat until all the bouillon and Bisto has been added.
  • Turn the heat down to low, add the oyster sauce, and simmer until the desired thickness is attained.