Galopoula Gemisti Politiki (Γαλοπούλα Γεμιστή Πολίτικη)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •large roasting pan with rack or vegetable bed, at least 40cm
• •instant-read thermometer
• •wide heavy saute pan, 30cm
• •kitchen twine

Instructions

1. 1

   Salt the turkey

   Pat the turkey very dry inside and out. Rub it all over with the salt and 1 teaspoon of the pepper, including the cavity, then refrigerate it uncovered for 12 to 24 hours. This dries the skin and seasons the meat all the way in, so the bird roasts instead of sweating under its own moisture.

2. 2

   Start the stuffing

   Warm 60ml of the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the onions with a small pinch of salt and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until soft and sweet but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, just until it smells alive.

3. 3

   Brown the mince

   Add the minced meat and chopped liver. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon, until the meat loses its raw color and begins to catch lightly on the bottom of the pan. Pour in the red wine and scrape up the browned bits.

4. 4

   Cook the filling

   Stir in the rice, chestnuts, pine nuts, raisins, cinnamon stick, allspice, cloves, bay leaf, and 300ml of the warm stock. Simmer gently for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid but is still a little firm. The stuffing must be cooked before it goes into the turkey. Raw meat and rice packed inside a bird heat too slowly, and Christmas dinner is not the day to negotiate with food safety.

   The filling should be moist, not soupy. If it looks dry before the rice softens, add another splash of stock.
5. 5

   Finish stuffing

   Take the pan off the heat. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf, then stir in the parsley, dill, lemon zest, and half the lemon juice. Taste and adjust with pepper and a little salt if needed. Let the stuffing cool until warm, not hot.

6. 6

   Fill the bird

   Take the turkey from the refrigerator 45 minutes before roasting. Heat the oven to 180C. Rub the softened butter with 40ml olive oil and smear it over the breast and legs. Spoon some stuffing loosely into the neck and main cavity, leaving room for heat to move through. Put any extra stuffing in a small covered baking dish for the last 35 minutes of roasting.

7. 7

   Set the pan

   Scatter the carrots and celery in a large roasting pan and set the turkey on top, breast side up. Add the halved lemon to the cavity. Pour 250ml water and the remaining 200ml stock into the pan. Tie the legs loosely with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips under the bird.

8. 8

   Roast covered

   Roast the turkey for 2 hours, basting every 40 minutes with the pan juices. If the breast colors too fast, cover it lightly with foil. The pan should never go dry, so add a little water if the juices reduce hard and dark.

9. 9

   Brown uncovered

   Remove the foil and continue roasting for 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, until the skin is deep gold and glossy. The thickest part of the thigh should reach 74C, and the center of the stuffing should also reach 74C. A thermometer is not a decoration here. It tells you the truth.

10. 10

    Rest and serve

    Move the turkey to a warm platter and rest it for 30 minutes before carving. Spoon off excess fat from the pan, press the vegetables into the juices, and brighten the sauce with the remaining lemon juice. Serve the carved turkey with the stuffing, pan juices, and whatever extra stuffing you baked on the side.

Chef Tips

• •Buy the best turkey you can, preferably not one injected with salty solution. A good bird, properly salted, needs less help than a poor one buried under butter and wishes.
• •Chestnuts matter here. Use cooked peeled chestnuts if you trust the source, or roast and peel your own a day ahead. If they are dry and chalky, they will taste dry and chalky in the stuffing too.
• •Do not pack the cavity tight. Stuffing swells, and heat needs space to pass through. Loose filling gives you a safer bird and a better texture.
• •Serve this with lahanosalata, roasted potatoes with lemon, and a sharp spoon sweet or fruit preserve on the table if your family keeps that habit. Christmas food likes contrast.

Advance Preparation

• •Salt the turkey 12 to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate it uncovered.
• •The stuffing can be cooked 1 day ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated. Bring it back to room temperature before filling the bird.
• •Chestnuts can be roasted, peeled, and chopped up to 2 days ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 480g)