I just found out today that Christmas is going to be at my home this year instead of my sisters. Now
this is no problem, I just have some logistics to work out.
I am going to be making the 2 recipes below as well as ham.
* Exported from MasterCook *
Turkey Ballentine
Recipe By : Serving Size : 20 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Cookies
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ --------------------------------
14 lb Turkey fresh preferably, -- or properly defrosted if not to 17 lb Salt and pepper thyme sage
parsley Vegetables for roasting with the turkey 3 carrots, 1 inch diced 3 stalks celery, 1 inch
diced 2 lg yellow onions, rough diced garlic cloves -- to taste 2 qt chicken stock (canned is --
canned is fine Stuffing
Whether you call this dish ballentine or galantine, you end up with a Turkey that has been de-boned,
then seasoned, stuffed and then-rolled to create a wonderful and a terrific main course for any
holiday event. We have actually served this preparation to some of our guests. The process is
laborious and complicated but the end result is incredible. A word of warning this preparation is
not for the timid. Please read the entire recipe before starting.
Vegetable and herb stuffing
NOTE: I use my own stuffing
De-boning the turkey
Defrost turkey according to the directions or purchase a fresh turkey. I recommend fresh turkeys, as
you dont have to worry about the several days it could take for a frozen turkey to defrost. The key
to deboning is keeping the knife against the bones to free the maximum amount of meat. The result is
a large single piece in tact with two symmetrical sidesheld together by the outside skin.
Lay the turkey on a cutting board with the breast side down and the legs facing towards you. With a
sharp boning knife, make an incision down the spine of the turkey. Beginning with the right side, or
left if you are left-handed. Keeping the edge of the knife against the bones, begin making small
cuts and pulling the meat away, working from the spine down to the breast and from the neck to the
tail. The skin will eventually flop down and as you cut away the cartilage around the leg/hip joint,
you will be left with a leg and a wing on that side. Make an incision along the leg bone and again,
with a series of small cuts and pulling the skin away from the bone, extract the leg bone. Then, for
the wing, cut offthe tip at the first joint away from the breast, and extract the bone as you just
did for the leg. Rotate the turkey 180 degrees so you can work on the opposite side. When you are
finished, you can make turkey stock for a flavorful soup base or as a gravy base for this dish..
Place the turkey now on a cutting board covered with a double lining of plastic wrap. This is very
important as it will aid in the transfer of the finished turkey. Next, you want to achieve a flat
surface by distributing some of the meat. Remove the tenderloins from the top of each breast and
place on the flatter section of the tail area. Trim the leg and wing meat and place it along the
center in between the two breasts. Season the surface by rubbing in the salt, pepper, and dried
herbs. Spread stuffing down the center of the turkey in a column about 6 inches wide. Be generous
with the stuffing, but you may not need to use all of it. The balance of the stuffing can be baked
separately in a baking dish.
Roll the turkey from left to right by folding it in thirds. Fold in one third then again in one
third and the seam should be facing down. Imagine folding a piece of paper into thirds to fit into a
long envelope, except you are folding from left to right.
Rolling and tying the turkey
Use the following instructions to tie up the turkey. Remember the goal is to create a uniform piece
of meat that will hold together after braising in the pan. As you tie up the turkey using this
method you can go back to areas that may be cumbersome and use individual ties for holding together
these areas. You may also want to push some of the stuffing back in that may have come out. Using
butcher twine, run an uncut piece of string from the bolt under the turkey from the neck to the
tail, with a 10-inch portion left hanging out from under the tail. Taking the string still attached
to the bolt at the neck in your right hand, pull off the bolt enough to get easily around the
turkey. Take the string that you are still holding (the end of the 10 inches) in your right and
hold the same string at the neck in your left hand. Bring your hands together. Place the string
that is in your lefthand into your right hand, on top of the portion of string in your right hand,
creating an X shape with a loop underneath. Keep this X shape pinched in your right hand while
drawing the loop around the top neck portion of the bird. After tucking it under the bird, relax
your grip on the X and pull the string that is attached to the bolt towards you to make a tight
band around the top of the turkey. Go through this process again to make another loop, but as you
draw the loop around the top of the turkey, pull it down about 1 1/2 inches past the first loop to
create the second band. Continue making loops and bands until the entire turkey is completely
wrapped and uniform.
Roasting the Turkey
Lift the turkey with the double wrapped plastic wrap. Place in roasting pan surrounded by the
carrots, celery, and onion. Once in the pan remove the plastic wrap. Pour chicken stock over
contents of roasting pan. Place in oven and baste every half-hour after the first hour of cooking.
Turkey is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
The roast should cook in a 325 to 350 oven to start (1 hour) and then turn down to 300 to 325 and
cover with foil if outside skin gets brown to fast.
a large stuffed roast willl take 2-3 hours to cook. There are alot of factors though that could
change this. THerefore either way place the thermometer into the center of the roast. When the
reading hits 160 to 165 remove from the oven and allow the roast to rest for 15 minutes before
slicing. THis is not a type of thermometer that is left in the meat . it is stuck in and removed.
Allow the maxium 3 hours to cook the roast at least. If the roast is lagging behind turn up the
oven to pick up speed just be sure to baste reguarly and keep the liquid in the pan up and be sure
the skin doesn't brown to much.
Finishing the Turkey
The turkey will need at least 20-30 minutes to rest before being sliced. This will allow the turkey
to hold together. You will need a very sharp knife to slice this turkey and just prior to slicing
and serving the strings should be removed. Place the sliced turkey on a platter so that the slices
are clear and all the work to arrange the turkey can be seen.Surround the turkey with some roasted
vegetables and drizzle with gravy or pan juices.
From: Chef4Souls
MM by H Peagram
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 0 Calories; 0g Fat (0.0% calories from fat); 0g Protein; 0g
Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 0mg Sodium. Exchanges: .
Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
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