8 oz. Chestnuts, roasted, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 Apples, peeled cored and diced
1/2 C. Dried Cranberries
1 C. Sauteed Mushrooms
1 1/2 lbs. Sourdough Bread, crusts removed, cut into 1-inch cubes and toasted
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1 C. Chicken Stock
Salt and Ground Black Pepper to taste
Ingredients for Turkey:
1 (22-pound) Turkey, giblets removed, rinsed well inside and out, patted dry
2 Sticks Butter, softened, divided
2 ½ C. Brown Sugar, divided
½ tsp. Ground Cinnamon
¼ tsp. Ground Nutmeg
¾ C. Dark Rum
Salt and Ground Black Pepper to taste
Special equipment:
2 large roasting pans with handles and V-racks Instant-read thermometer 2 (2-quart) casserole dishes Extra-large mixing bowl
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Add onions, carrots and celery and sauté until tender. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and toss with parsley, sage, chestnuts, apples, dried cranberries, mushrooms and bread. Add the eggs, chicken stock, remaining 12 tablespoons of melted butter, salt and pepper and toss again. Note: If the stuffing is too dry (should not be saturated or soggy) add a bit more stock.
Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan. Rub the cavity opening with salt and pepper. With your fingers, carefully separate as much of the turkey’s skin from the breast, avoid puncturing any holes in the skin as you go.
In a small mixing bowl stir together 8 tablespoons of the softened butter with 1 cup of the brown sugar. Smear about half of the softened butter and sugar mixture over the breast under the skin. Rub the remaining butter and sugar mixture all over the turkey.
Loosely stuff the turkey with the cooled chestnut/apple stuffing. If there is extra stuffing bake it in a buttered baking dish next to the turkey in the oven.
Roast the stuffed turkey about 3 ½ hours, basting often during the last hour of cooking with the buttered rum glaze, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the turkey leg registers 155°F (it will continue cooking for another 20 minutes or so out of the oven). If the turkey skin starts to get too dark, tent it with foil while it roasts.
While turkey is cooking, in a small saucepan combine remaining 8 tablespoons of the butter with 1 cup of the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, freshly ground nutmeg, dark rum and a little salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then lower and simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened and syrup-like, stirring often.
Transfer the turkey to a carving board to rest and loosely tent with foil and allow to cool. Brush the outside of the turkey with rum-syrup mixture to get a glazed look.
