Rudy's (S. J. Rudolph) recipe for the perfect Turkey!!

This recipe was hand-written for Tiiu as she requested help for Christmas dinner, 1999. It has been used for several *outstanding* Turkey dinners since that time!!

1. Buy 2 bags of Arnold’s HERB SEASONING STUFFING (14oz bags each) makes approximately 22 (8 oz) cups of stuffing

2. Place stuffing in a large pot or maybe your Wok.

3. Measure (Land-O-Lake Butter comes with measures on the box)

2 3/4 cups of butter (each stick of butter = 1/2 cup)

2 3/4 cups of onions (chopped)

2 3/4 cups of chopped celery

Seasoning additional herbs:

5 1/2 tablespoons of chopped Parsley (dry)

2 teaspoons Thyme

1 1/2 teaspoons Marjoram leaves

3/4 teaspoon Sage

1 teaspoon Black Pepper

4 teaspoons Salt

These spices can be pre-measured ahead of time in one small plastic cup or container to be mixed together and added later to the pan.

4. Sauté onion and celery in 1 1/4 cups of melted butter until onions are translucent. Add and melt the rest of the butter (note each stick = 1/2 cup).

5. Add the pre-measured spices to the pan and stir thoroughly.

6. Pour slowly the pour over the stuffing and mix thoroughly.

7. Slowly add 4 cups of chicken broth (32 oz) (each can is about 14 oz so get 3 cans) to stuffing mixing thoroughly.

8. Wash Turkey - dry inside and out with paper towels. GET HELP TO HOLD THE TURKEY.

9. Fill cavity with the stuffing not to tight allow for expansion use pins across flap and crisscross with twin and tighten.

10. Put Excess filling in pan - cover with foil and refrigerate.

11. Fill front cavity and pin it.

12. Place Turkey in pan

13. Place thermometers - one in rear cavity into STUFFING (Turkey is done when temp. reaches 165 degrees F) - one in Thigh AWAY from Bone (180 degrees).

14. Rub skin with butter or cooking oil. Use lots of pepper and salt. Sprinkle Paprika all over to help brown the skin.

15. Cover Turkey with heavy-duty aluminum foil (18 inches wide).

16. Pre-heat oven to 350 degree F. Put in Turkey

17. For 22 pounds expect to cook 7 1/2 hours. Allow 1/2 hours for Turkey to cool down to reabsorb juices.

18. Check temperature every hour. Reduce to 325 degrees if it looks like temperature is rising too fast.

19. About 1/2 hour before the Turkey’s done remove aluminum foil (165 degree stuffing temp. is the best indicator; 180 degrees in the thigh is sometimes inaccurate if it is too close to the thighbone).

20. If skin is to be eaten, baste Turkey the last hour with pasting syringe to hasten browning, crispy skin.

21. To cook Giblet - Neck - Heart - Liver: Be sure to remove package from Turkey - wash them and place in 2-quart pot.

22. Seasoning for Giblet: 1-Teaspoon salt.

23. Cook Giblets, etc. for gravy - add 1-teaspoon salt.

2-3 Peppercorns

2 Cloves

1 Bay Leaf

1/2 PC Carrot - cut in pieces

1 Stalk celery - cut in pieces

1/2 Onion - quartered

24. Add Giblet, Liver, Heart, and Neck to a 2-quart pot. Simmer for 3 hours. Add water as needed.

25. After Turkey is done, take pan filling from refrigerator and place in oven at 350 degrees for at least 1/2 hour (remove foil).

26. Make gravy while turkey is cooling down for 1/2 hour.

Scrape all juices and solids from the roast pan (Some people like to make gravy in a roast pan. I prefer to scrape everything in a small pot.

To make 64 oz. Of gravy (2 quarts)

Pour 3/4 cup of dripping in pot.

Heat and add (slowly) 2/3 cups of flour - use a whip and stir until all lumps are gone and mixture starts to bubble

Slowly add 8 cups of fluid made up of chicken broth (from a can) and remainder of turkey dripping (include fat for good taste) and strained Giblet broth - stir constantly with whip. Increase heat until gravy comes to a boil - simmer 5 minutes - taste - may need salt. If you get a flour taste, continue simmering and stirring.

27. Stain gravy into pot and keep warm until ready to place in gravy bowls.

28. Remove Filling from turkey and take pan of filling from oven. Mix the two together to spread flavor.

29. Put all Filling in one pan if possible and heat in oven until top surface is crisp if you like it that way. If not, add chicken broth and mix to obtain a softer filling.

30. While carving white meat you should notice clear juices accumulating in turkey platter. Use a large spoon to pour some juices on each slice of white meat. It will add more flavor and moisture to white meat.

Good Luck,

Dad

P.S. We strain the Giblet broth and throw everything away. Although I must confess I enjoy cutting up the Giblet and Heart and eating them. The neck meat is a little stringy but meat between vertebras is good :)

P.P.S. Liver should be taken out after 8 to 10 minutes cooking in broth, and it is good!