Stuffed Turkey with Vegetables

Ingredients

• 4.5 kg turkey
• Salt
• Pepper
• 300 g natural rice
• 100 g pine nuts
• 3 dried tomatoes
• 15 sage leaves
• 4 Garlic cloves
• 3 tomatoes
• 3 tsp dried thyme
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 l water
• 100 ml lemon juice
• 500 g waxy potatoes
• 3 zucchini
• 1 egg
• 1 bunch fresh parsley

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash the turkey, pat dry, and rub inside and out with salt and pepper. Cook the rice according to package instructions in salted water. Toast the pine nuts briefly in a dry pan until golden brown. Dice the dried tomatoes. Wash, shake dry, and slice the sage leaves into fine strips. Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves. Wash the tomatoes, halve them, remove seeds, and dice.

2. 2.

   Mix the rice, pine nuts, garlic, sage, thyme, tomatoes, sun‑dried tomatoes, and 3 tbsp oil together. Add salt and pepper. Stuff the turkey with the rice mixture and tie it with kitchen twine. Set aside any remaining filling.

3. 3.

   Heat 0.5 tbsp oil in a roasting pan, place the turkey breast side up, and brush with the remaining oil. Place on the lower rack of a preheated oven at 220 °C (fan 200 °C; gas: level 3–4) and roast for about 30 minutes.

4. 4.

   Mix water and lemon juice. Baste the turkey with 250 ml lemon‑water, turn it over, and roast another 30 minutes. Reduce the oven to 160 °C (fan 140 °C, gas: level 2), flip the turkey again, and cook for an additional 2½–3 hours, basting every time with 2 tbsp lemon‑water and roasting juices.

5. 5.

   Meanwhile peel the potatoes and slice the zucchini into thick rounds. Knead the remaining filling with 1 egg and form small balls. About one hour before the end of cooking, place the potatoes and rice balls on top of the turkey. Thirty minutes before finishing, add the zucchini slices. Serve the finished turkey with its sides and fresh parsley garnish.