Christmas Turkey with Grappa Plums and Honey

Summary

Ingredients

• 4 ½ kg turkey
• 20 prunes
• Grappa for soaking the plums
• 15 chestnut (s)
• 5 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 200 g bacon, fat, thin slices
• 200 g bacon, streaky, thin slices
• honey, more liquid
• 250 g turkey offal or chicken wins
• 300 ml cold water
• 200 ml white wine, drier
• 2 carrot (s)
• salt and pepper
• some mustard
• Sauce thickener

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Instructions

1. The evening before, roughly chop the prunes and place in grappa, ensuring they're completely covered. Refrigerate overnight, stirring occasionally.
2. On the day of cooking, roughly chop the chestnuts and mix with the prunes and finely chopped celery.
3. Wash the turkey inside and out, pat dry, and rub with salt and pepper. Close the neck opening with a wooden skewer. Pour about half the filling into the turkey, then close the other opening and tie the legs together.
4. Warm the honey for 1-2 minutes over low heat until liquid, then brush generously over the turkey. Line the bottom of a roasting pan with fatty bacon, place the turkey in it, then cover the turkey completely by alternating fatty and streaky bacon slices to prevent it from drying out.
5. Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) with top and bottom heat. Place the closed roasting pan in the oven and roast for 3 hours, basting with cold water every 30 minutes. The turkey is done when the thickest part of the thigh reaches 74°C (165°F).
6. After 3 hours, add the remaining filling to the roasting pan and continue cooking covered for 1 hour. Brush the turkey with honey 2-3 times during this hour. Remove the lid and increase the oven temperature to 200°C (400°F) using top heat only, then continue cooking until the turkey is golden brown, approximately 20-30 minutes. Watch carefully—it can burn very quickly after browning.
7. Transfer the finished turkey with filling to a warm serving platter. Remove any unmelted fatty bacon from the pan.
8. For the sauce, wash the turkey offal or chicken wings and place in a saucepan with cold water, white wine, and carrot slices. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 2 hours, skimming off foam every 15-20 minutes.
9. Strain the mixture through a sieve, pressing out any solids. Pour the strained stock back into the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Season with mustard, salt, and pepper. Add sauce thickener as desired and stir until thickened.
10. Serve the turkey with red cabbage and potato dumplings.