Irish Roast Turkey with Chestnut and Prune Stuffing
Ingredients:
1 10-12 lb Turkey
2 oz Butter
1 Cup Onions
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
1 1/4 lb Lean Ground Pork
3 oz Streaky Bacon
2 Cups Bread Crumbs
2 Tablespoons plus 2 Teaspoons Parsley
1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg, Cinnamon and Ground Cloves
1 Cup Turkey Stock
40 Cooked and Shelled Chestnuts
30 Pitted Prunes, soaked overnight in water or tea

Gravy:
1 Pint Turkey Stock
1 Cup of Port Wine

Melt the butter, add the chopped onions and sweat on a gentle heat until soft but not colored.
Chop half the chestnuts into 1/4" dice, leaving the rest whole. Chop half the prunes roughly, leaving the rest whole.

Preheat oven to 450F.

Cook pork, chopping into small pieces. Cook bacon until crispy; drain, cool and break into small pieces. Mix all the stuffing ingredients together, except the whole chestnuts, the whole prunes and the turkey stock. Add the spices and season well. Stir in the bread crumbs. Stir in the turkey stock. Stuff and truss the turkey.

To roast, spray the inside of a large piece of Reynolds heavy duty aluminum foil. Make sure the foil is large enough to completely wrap the turkey. Butter the bird all over, wrap and place it on its back in a roasting pan with no rack. Cook at 450F for 2-1/2 to 3 hours according to the weight of the bird. In the last 30 minutes, unwrap and remove the foil.  Remove the trussing between the legs. Pour off as much fat as you can, leaving the meat juices behind. Place the turkey back into the pan, sprinkle with salt and a little flour, then put back in the oven to brown surrounded by the whole chestnuts and whole prunes.

Transfer bird to warm serving dish. Arrange chestnuts and prunes round it. Skim surplus fat from the pan juices, then boil up with 2 cups of turkey stock and a glass of port wine to make the sauce. Correct the seasoning and pour over the chestnuts and prunes.


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