ROAST TURKEY WITH CORNBREAD STUFFING Eleanor Sewall, Little Rock, Arkansas How to make the Cornbread 2 Cups cornmeal 2 eggs 1 tsp. salt 1/4 Cup melted fat 1 tsp. soda buttermilk Heat 8 inch pan smoking hot with 2 Tablespoons fat in 450 oven. Mix ingredients adding enough buttermilk to make a batter just thin enough to pour - 1 to 2 Cups. Pour batter in pan and bake at 450 about 30 minutes. Can use the same ingredients except buttermilk and soda. Instead of buttermilk, use milk and 4 teaspoons of baking powder in place of the soda. Dressing 1 Pan of cornbread (8 Cups) 10 slices of white bread (4 Cups) 2 Cups finely chopped celery 1 stick oleo 1 Cup finely chopped onion 3 beaten eggs 1 tsp salt 2-3 Cups chicken broth 1/2 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp sage Toast white bread until dry. Break up corn bread and toasted white bread into pieces no bigger than your thumb. Melt oleo in a frying pan and SLOWLY fry the celery and onions until the onions are a pale, straw color. Beat eggs with a fork and mix into the broken bread along with salt, pepper, and sage. Combine with celery and onion and moisten all with just enough chicken broth to hold the dressing together. Stuff turkey VERY LOOSELY as dressing will swell during roasting. Bake left over dressing in uncovered pan or casserole at 375 for 45 minutes after adding enough additional chicken broth to make "soupy" (thick soup). Roasting the Bird Thawing Directions Purchased Approximate Thawing Time Weight In Refrigerator In Cold Water 8 to 12 lbs 1 1/2-2 days 4-6 hours 12 to 16 lbs 2-3 days 6-9 hours 16 to 20 lbs 3-4 days 9-11 hours 20 to 24 lbs 3-4 days 11-12 hours Always thaw in unopened bag on tray in refrigerator or in cool water, changing water often. DO NOT THAW AT ROOM TEMPERATURE. Roasting Time for Stuffed Turkey in 325 Oven Purchased Covered Weight Open Pan in Dark Enamel 8 to 12 lbs 3 1/2-4 hrs 3 -3 1/2 hrs 12 to 16 lbs 4 -4 1/2 hrs 3 1/2-4 hrs 16 to 20 lbs 4 1/2-5 hrs 4 -4 1/2 hrs 20 to 24 lbs 5 -6 hrs 4 1/2-5 hrs If a shiny aluminum covered roaster is used, it may be necessary to increase cooking time up to 1 hour. Remove cover for the last 1/2 hour if further browning is desired. Baste often (approximately every 30 minutes) with chicken broth and drippings. In open pan roasting, cover with cheesecloth soaked in chicken broth or aluminum foil "tent" if the turkey is browning too rapidly. Tests for Doneness 1. Thigh temperature should be 180 to 185 F. For further testing, remove thermometer from thigh and place in center of stuffing. Temperature should be 160 to 165 F. 2. Protecting fingers with paper or cloth, press thigh and drumstick. The meat should feel soft. 3. When thigh skin is pricked, juices should no longer be pink. After turkey is removed from oven, let stand 20-30 minutes for easier carving. Giblets The gizzard, heart, liver and neck should be cooked promptly after being cleaned and washed. They must be cooked tender before they are added to gravy. Use giblet broth as liquid in gravy. Cover gizzard, heart, and neck with water. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, 3 peppercorns, 3 whole cloves, a small bayleaf, and a little chopped onion, celery, and carrot. Simmer 1 1/2 hours or more until gizzard is fork tender. Add liver 10 to 20 minutes (depending on size) before giblets are done. Refrigerate unless used immediately. Brown Turkey Gravy Ingredients For 2 Cups For 4 Cups Fat (from turkey drippings) 3 Tablespoons 6 Tablespoons Flour 3 1/2 Tblsp 7 Tablespoons Broth and nonfat drippings 2 Cups 4 Cups Allow about 1/4 cup of gravy for each serving. Pour drippings into a bowl leaving the solid brown particles in the roasting pan. Scrape out solid brown particles into a large skillet or simply loosen if gravy is to be made in the roasting pan. Skim all fat from drippings. Measure the amount of fat needed for gravy and mix with solid particles. Set fat over low surface heat. Blend in flour and cook until bubbly, stirring constantly. Add liquid which is cool or lukewarm (not hot) all at once. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until uniformly thickened and bubbly. Lower heat and simmer gently about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.