Christmas Turkey - Boneless with Two Stuffings

We got a present from Marius a while back; a 1971 Barbaresco. The only way to enjoy such a wine is in the company of great people, and as such we decided to invite Marius for dinner. A Xmas celebration before Christmas. A "two foodies eating" with more foodies kinda meal.

You start of two days in advance by making a brine for the turkey; a salt water bath. Fill a big container with enough water to completely cover the turkey. Then add 50 g salt per liter water. In our case we used 20 liters of water and 1 kilo salt. That was enough to cover a 5,5 kilo turkey. You can add some lemons for flavor.

Why on earth give the turkey a bath you ask? The reason is simple. Salt binds water. In the brine the turkey will absorb some of the salt. This salt will later in the process help to bind the natural juices in the meat when the turkey is cooking. Temperature is still key. If you overcook the meat it will get dry. We recommend 68-71 degrees C for the turkey breast. Due to residual heat the turkey will keep cooking even after you remove it from the oven. To achieve the perfect temperature you actually have to take it out of the oven at 63-65 degrees C.

We made the complete family recipe of Andrea this time, with two different stuffings. First you debone the turkey so it looks like this.

Follow the previous recipe for the white stuffing. You find it here.

Dark stuffing 

ingredients:

250 g chicken hearts
250 g chicken liver
250 g ground beef
2 onions
2 cloves of garlic
Handful of walnuts
1/2 white bread soaked in milk
2 eggs
Oil
Salt and pepper

Fry the onion and garlic until transparent. Add all of the meat, and fry until done. Add the bread to the mixture and blend well. Sprinkle the chopped walnuts over and remove from heat. Finally add the egg once the mixture has cooled slightly.

Stuff the turkey with the dark stuffing first, then the white stuffing on top. The order is important because the dark stuffing goes with the dark meat, and the white stuffing goes with the white meat. Sew the turkey openings together, butter them well and cook in the oven for an estimated 30 minutes per kilo. If you have a thermometer, follow the instructions above. Enjoy with an awesome sauce and mashed potatoes with celery root.

The wines consumed this evening, including the '71 Barbaresco.