Maple-Bacon Glazed Turkey with Wild Ri..

Cooking Instructions

Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey; discard the liver. Simmer the turkey neck heart and gizzard in the broth for about 30 minutes strain. Rinse the turkey inside and out and pat it dry. Combine the dried cranberries and cider in a small saucepan bring to a simmer remove from the heat and let stand for about 5 minutes (you can also use the microwave for this). Drain reserving the cranberries and cider separately.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl toss the cornbread cooked wild rice half of the pears the melted butter parsley scallions sage garlic and drained cranberries. Season with the salt and pepper. Stir in about 1 cup of the broth plus half of the reserved cider.

Loosely stuff the front and back cavities of the turkey. Put the remaining stuffing in a buttered baking dish cover with aluminum foil and bake alongside the turkey for the last 45 minutes of roasting adding a little broth if it seems dry.

Put the turkey breast side up on a roasting rack in a heavy roasting pan tuck the wings under the back of the turkey and lay the bacon strips over the breast. Add 1 cup of the broth and the remaining reserved cider to the pan as well as the remaining pears. Roast for about 3 hours basting frequently and adding more of the broth if the pan gets dry. If you use a large roasting pan you\\\'ll definitely need to add broth during roasting.

During the last hour of roasting baste the turkey with the drippings and brush it with the maple syrup. The turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh away from the bone registers 170 degrees F and the juices run clear when you remove the thermometer 3 1/2 to 4 hours total. Transfer the turkey to a platter; tent it with foil to keep warm. To make carving easier remove the bacon first.

Pour the juices from the roasting pan into a heatproof 1 quart measuring cup holding back the fruit. Let the juices sit for at least 10 minutes so the fat rises. Spoon 4 tablespoons of the fat back into the roasting pan; discard the remaining fat. Add enough broth to the juices to make 4 cups. Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with the flour and set over low heat. Whisk the flour and fat together to make a roux scraping up the bits of dark drippings stuck to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes stirring constantly; don\\\'t worry if the fruit gets a bit smashed just whisk it along with the roux. Gradually whisk in the pan juices and broth; cook until the mixture thickens whisking occasionally about 5 minutes. Add the bourbon and then taste and adjust seasoning with more salt pepper or bourbon. Keep warm over very low heat while you carve the turkey.