Stuffed Turkey - (Galopoula Yemisti) - The Best from Greece

Posted on: 24/Dec/2011 The Method and 2 stuffings.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 turkey, 3 kg
• 2 kg potatoes
• salt and black pepper
• juice of 2 lemons
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 30 gr. butter
• 200 ml water

  Ingredients for Stuffing I

• 3 medium onions, finely sliced
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• chicken liver and heart, rinced and thinly sliced
• 90 gr. long-grain rice, rinsed and drained
• 200 ml hot water
• salt and black pepper
• 90 gr. pine nuts, browned in a frying pan
• 45 gr. sultanas (optional)
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon thyme

  
  Ingredients for Stuffing II

• 1.5 glass white wine, or juice of a lemon
• 120 gr. pine nuts
• 270 gr. lean beef, minced
• 150 ml water
• salt and black pepper
• chicken liver and heart, rinsed and finely sliced
• 5 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 medium onion, finely sliced
• 1 piece cinnamon stick
• 45 gr. long-grain rice, rinsed
• 5 whole grains allspice

METHOD

Rinse and dry the turkey. Season the turkey with salt and black pepper all over, as well as in its cavity. Prepare the stuffing.
Place the turkey in the middle of a roasting tin, breast up. Peel and quarter the potatoes lengthways (quarter-moon shape), rinse them and arrange evenly around the turkey. Pour the lemon juice and olive oil over the turkey and potatoes, then sprinkle with most of the herbs. Dot the butter all over and carefully pour the water into a corner of the pan. Roast in a pre-heated oven, gas no.5/ 400 grades F/ 200 grades C, for 2.5-3 hours. A little water may be added if it looks as if it is drying up, no more than 6 tablespoons. The turkey should be golden brown by the end and the potatoes a little less so.

Stuffing I

Sautee the onions and garlic in the olive oil. Add the giblets and sautee for 5 minutes, then add the rice and sautee for a few minutes until it looks glistening. Add the hot water, salt and pepper and simmer slowly for 3 minutes untit most of the water is absorbed but the rice should remain hard. Take off the heat, add the pine nuts, the sultanas (if used) and the herbs. Mix well and stuff the turkey, leaving a little room for expansion.
There is no need for sewing up the opening of the turkey; in fact, you can seal this opening with half a potato, which seems to work well. In any case roast the stuffed turkey breast side up and avoid turning it too much.

Stuffing II

Put the pine nuts in a dry frying pan and roast them over a medium heat, shaking or stirring almost continuously for 3-4 minutes until they look nicely brown. Keep aside.
Sautee the minced meat, which should produce its own fat so there is no need to add more, and the giblets for a few minutes, breaking down any lumps. Add the onion and the spices and sautee for a further 3-4 minutes. Pour over the wine or lemon juice and, when the steaming subsides, add the water. Season with salt and pepper, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the rice, pine nuts, parsley and mix well. Stuff the turkey and roast as above.

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