Turkey & Dressing

By Kathleen Nichols

Wanted to pass along the recipe mom gave me for turkey.  Just found the recipe in an old Christ Lutheran cookbook under Grandma Reschke's name, which means that it's been passed on for generations.  Can't help but wonder for how many generations.  While we don't use the giblet dressing, we do roast the turkey with bacon, and it's awesome, (especially for bacon lovers, as the bacon becomes sort of a semi-crispy/chewy consistency).  Try peppered or maple bacon for a twist.

This recipe was found in an old church cookbook under the name of Mrs. Emil Reschke.  It matches the verbal recipe that Mom Staude passed down, with the exception being that she used 15 whole allspice.

Turkey - 

Ingredients

• 10 lb turkey
• 1 TBS salt
• 1 Large tart apple
• 1 lb. of bacon (try maple bacon or peppered bacon for a slight variation.

Directions:

1. Rub bird inside and out with salt.

2. Stuff bird with dressing and fasten cavity with meat skewer

3. Place large apple in crop and cover with skin. Fasten with skewer.

4. Line roasting pan with bacon: put in bird and cover bird with bacon.

5. Close pan... bake 3 hours at 325 degrees.

Giblet Dressing

Place in pot:

• Liver, heart, giblet, tail, neck, 2nd and 3rd jointed sections of wings, and excess neck skin (leave some skin to cover apple in crop area)

• 12 whole allspices

• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Cover with water, cook until tender. 
2. Remove meat from bones and grind fine. 
3. Soak ½ loaf (approximately 11 slices) in broth, add ground-up meat, and mix well.
4. Stuff into turkey and roast.