Stuffed Turkey on Vegetables

Ingredients

• 3 milk rolls
• 100 ml milk
• 150 g poultry liver
• 150 g mushrooms (e.g., oyster and button)
• 1 Garlic clove
• 1 onion
• 40 g Butter
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 250 g cooked chestnuts
• 1 egg
• 20 ml cognac
• 1 young turkey (ready-to-cook; with liver, heart, stomach, about 3–4 kg)
• Salt
• pepper (ground)
• 2 carrots
• 2 parsley roots
• 600 g small waxy potatoes
• 500 g Brussels sprouts
• 500 g black salsify

Instructions

1. 1.

   Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) with upper and lower heat.

2. 2.

   Soak the milk rolls in milk. Wash, pat dry, and roughly chop the innards. Clean and cut the mushrooms into pieces. Peel and finely mince the garlic. Peel, chop the onion, and sauté in a hot pan with 1 tablespoon butter until translucent. Remove thyme leaves and add them along with the garlic and mushrooms. Stir in the chopped innards and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the chopped chestnuts, mix well, and remove from heat. Squeeze out excess liquid from the soaked milk rolls, crumble them into the pan mixture. Beat the egg and fold in the cognac, then combine with the pan contents. Season with salt and pepper. Wash, pat dry, season inside and outside of the turkey with salt and pepper, and fill it with the prepared mixture. Tie the cavity open with kitchen twine. Place the turkey breast-side down on a buttered baking sheet, dot the remaining butter in small clods over it. Roast in the hot oven for 2½–3 hours, basting frequently with pan juices and adding water if needed. Flip the turkey halfway through cooking.

3. 3.

   Meanwhile, peel and slice carrots and parsley roots into rounds. Peel and halve potatoes. Clean and halve Brussels sprouts. Boil black salsify, Brussels sprouts, and potatoes in salted water for about 10 minutes until just tender. Shock in ice water and drain. Slice black salsify diagonally. Arrange the vegetables around the turkey during the last 40 minutes of roasting, seasoning with salt and pepper and turning occasionally.

4. 4.

   Wrap the finished turkey in aluminum foil and let it rest for 20 minutes in an turned-off oven.

5. 5.

   Arrange the vegetables on a plate, slice the turkey, and serve with pan juices or a reduced sauce made from them.