Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

1 lg Bunch fresh sage -follows)
1 15-lb fresh or thawed Cooked Gold Nugget squash
-frozen turkey -wedges (opt.)
2 tb Vegetable oil Stir-fried green
Turkey Gravy (recipe -beans (opt.)

1. Rinse and dry sage sprigs. Remove about 12 sage leaves from their
stems. Reserve half of the remaining sage sprigs; wrap and
refrigerate remaining sage sprigs for garnish.

2. Remove giblets and neck from turkey and reserve for Turkey Gravy.
Rinse turkey with cold water; drain well. Pat dry with paper towels.
Rub oil all over turkey skin.

3. Loosen turkey skin from meat, then randomly place sage leaves flat
over turkey breast and thighs, if possible. Place reserved sage
sprigs in neck and body cavities. Skewer neck skin to turkey back;
tuck wing tips under shoulder joints, Tie drum-sticks securely to
tail or push drumstick under clamp or band of skin, if present.

4. Heat oven to 325'F. In shallow, open roasting pan, place turkey,
breast side up, on wire rack. If using a meat thermometer, insert it
so bulb is in center of inside thigh muscle. Be sure bulb is not
touching bone.

5. Roast turkey 2 1/2 hours or until skin is golden brown. While
turkey is roasting, prepare the broth for Turkey Gravy.

6. After turkey has roasted for 2 1/2 hours, cut string or remove
drumsticks from clamp or band of skin so heat can reach inside of
thighs. Cover turkey breast loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil and
continue to roast 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until thermometer registers
180'F. To test for doneness when not using a meat thermometer, wait
approximately 20 minutes before roasting time is up, then press the
thick part of the drumstick between fingers protected with a paper
towel; meat should feel soft and drumstick should move up and down
easily. When thighs are pierced with a fork, the juices should not be
pink.

7. Transfer turkey to large platter; let rest 15 minutes before
carving. Meanwhile, prepare Turkey Gravy. Arrange cooked squash and
beans around turkey, if desired. Garnish turkey with remaining sage
sprigs. Serve turkey with gravy.

Turkey Gravy: While turkey is roasting, coat bottom of 4- quart
saucepan with nonstick vegetable cooking spray and brown reserved
turkey neck and giblets. Add a handful of celery leaves, 1 small
onion, cut up, and 1 bay leaf. Add 5 C water to cover giblets and
heat to boiling. Cover pan and simmer 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until
giblets and neck are tender. Remove giblets and neck from broth and
discard or reserve for another use. Strain and cool broth; discard
vegetables. When turkey is done, pour roasting-pan drippings into a
4-C measuring cup or bowl. Let drippings stand until fat rises to
top of juices. Discard fat from drippings. Add strained giblet broth
to juices to make 4 C liquid. If not enough, add water or canned
chicken broth. Pour 2 C broth mixture into roasting pan and heat to
loosen browned-on bits. With wire whisk, stir 1/2 C unsifted
all-purpose flour into remaining cooled broth mixture until smooth;
stir into broth mixture in roasting pan. Cook until gravy thickens
and bubbles, stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour
into gravy boat. Makes 4 cups.

Country Living/Nov/93 Scanned fixed by DP GG

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