South American Roast Turkey
(Pavita Rellena a la Criolla)

Ingredients

Turkey

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups soft bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped pimento-stuffed olives
• 2 large peaches, peeled and coarsely chopped*
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (12 pound) turkey, giblets and neck reserved
• Olive oil

Gravy

• Giblets and neck of turkey
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup turkey drippings (fat and juices)
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Half-and-Half
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste

* or 1 (16 ounce) package frozen unsweetened peach slices, thawed and coarsely chopped

Instructions

1. Cook and stir onion and sausage in skillet over medium heat until sausage is brown; drain. Beat eggs with fork in 2 1/2-quart bowl. Add sausage mixture, bread crumbs, olives, peaches, oregano, salt and pepper; toss.
2. Remove giblets and neck from turkey; prepare for Gravy. Fill wishbone area of turkey with stuffing. Fasten neck skin to back with skewer. Fold wings across back with tips touching. Fill body cavity lightly. Tuck drumsticks under band of skin at tail, or tie or skewer to tail.
3. Place turkey, breast side up, on rack in shallow roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of inside thigh muscle or thickest part of breast mead and does not touch bone. Brush with oil. Roast at 325 degrees F, brushing with pan juices every 45 minutes, until meat thermometer registers 185 degrees F, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Let turkey stand 20 minutes before carving.
4. Prepare Gravy; serve with turkey.
5. Gravy: Heat giblets, neck, water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Remove giblets and neck; chop giblets and discard neck. Reserve broth for gravy. Pour and scrape all drippings from roasting pan. Pour 2/3 cup drippings into 3-quart saucepan; stir in flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and bubbly; remove from heat.
6. Stir in reserved broth, half-and -half and chopped giblets. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in salt and pepper.

Yield: 12 to 14 servings