Christmas stuffed turkey in the Greek way

One of many different versions of roast turkey from the Greek cuisine, maybe the most common and popular. It can be found in various regions around Greece and the variations have to do mainly with the different stuffings. Enjoy it in the Greek way this year!!

Ingredients (for 6-8 people)

For the turkey:
1 turkey, about 4Kg
2 tbsp of olive oil
salt
pepper

For the turkey stock:
the neck and the tips of the wings of the turkey (ask your butcher to do this)
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 small yellow onion, cut in quarters
1 stalk of celery, roughly chopped
1 sprig of flat-leaf parsley, whole
1 leek, roughly sliced (both white and green tender part)
1 carrot, roughly sliced
1 bay leaf
1 Litre of water

For the gravy:
the juices remaining in the oven pan after the baking
3 tbsp of all-purpose flour
1 tea-cup of Greek Mavrodafni wine (or any other red sweet wine)
1 tea-cup of white dry wine
1 Litre of the turkey stock, kept warmed
1 sprig of rosemary

For the stuffing:
1/4 of a tea-cup of olive oil
the turkey's giblets (liver, heart etc)
300gr. of ground pork, grinded once
300gr. of ground beef, grinded once
1 large yellow onion, grated
1 tea-cup of cognac (or brandy)
15 prunes, cut in halves
15 chestnuts, boiled and cut in halves
2 cooking apples, peeled and cut in small cubes
1/2 tea-cup of walnuts, roughly chopped
1/2 tea-cup of pine nuts, roasted
1/2 tsp of orange zest
2 tea-cups of stale bread (not the crust), cut in cubes
salt
pepper
 
Method: 
Clean the membrane of the giblets, wash well and finely chop them.

Lightly brush the bread cubes with a bit of oil and bake at 200°C for 6-7 minutes, or until they get dry and coloured.

For the stuffing:
In a large heavy-bottomed frying pan warm the oil on medium heat and sauté the ground meats along with the giblets for about 6-7 minutes. Add the onion and sauté for another 4-5 minutes. Pour over with the cognac and stir until the alcohol is evaporated.

Then add the prunes, the chestnuts, the bread, the apples, the walnuts, the pine nuts, the orange zest and season with salt and pepper. Stir with a wooden spoon and take off the heat. The stuffing should by dry-ish.

For the stock:
In a pot, warm the oil on medium heat and lightly sauté the neck and the tips of the wings on all sides. Add the onion, the celery, the parsley, the carrot, the leek, the bay leaf and stir to coat with the oil. Add the water and when it comes to the boil take the scum off with a wooden spoon.

Leave the broth to boil for 1 hour, then strain in a colander and transfer it back to the pot. Pull as much meat as possible off the neck and put it back in the stock. Turn the heat down to very low so to keep the stock warm.

For the turkey:
When you take the bird out of the fridge let it stand at room temperature for 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 220°C.

Discard as much fat as possible from the opening at the belly side. Pull the skin over where the neck was and seal with toothpicks. Season well with salt and pepper inside the belly and then stuff it with the filling using your hands or a spoon.

Tie (or sew) the turkey in a way so the legs and the wings are stuck to the body. That prevents the turkey from loosing it's shape while cooking and also keeps the juices and the moisture inside. Using your hands, grease the bird on the outside with 2 tbsp of olive oil all over. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Transfer the turkey in a shallow baking pan with the breast side up and put in the oven on the last bottom rack. Initially bake for 40-45 minutes at the high temperature until the turkey gets coloured.

Then reduce down to 160°C and continue cooking for about 3 more hours. Frequently baste the bird with its juices- every 20 minutes. If you see that the breast gets browned very fast then cover with baking paper or aluminium foil.

*** Make sure that the turkey is ready by pricking one of the legs (not close to the bone) with a skewer. The juices should come out clear and transparent. If you have a baking thermometer, prick one of the legs with it and see if the temperature reached the 180°C, then the bird is ready.

Take the turkey out of the oven, transfer it onto a large serving platter, cover with a piece of foil and let it stand for 20 minutes.

Using a big spoon take off the pan as much fat as possible. Place the pan on the cooker on medium-high heat and sprinkle with the flour. Cook the sauce for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly with an egg whisk.

Add in the pan the wines, while keeping stirring so to avoid forming any lumps in the sauce, and then add the warm stock. Boil the sauce, adding the juices off the platter where the turkey stands. Add the rosemary and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until the sauce thickens and then strain and keep it warm for later.

Serve the turkey on the platter with the stuffing arranged around it or served separately in a deep dish and the sauce in its own pot.

Potatoes baked in the oven in a citrus fruits sauce can also be served along with the turkey.

Attention!!!:  Never stuff the turkey in advance unless it goes directly for cooking.