Ingredients

- 1 fresh Turkey (if you buy it frozen allow it to defrost, depending on its size it can take few days, check on the package!)

- stuffing (read the recipe here)

- 2 carrots

- 1-2 stalks celery

- 1 onion

- fresh herbs: sage, thyme, rosemary

- butter

To brine

- salt and pepper

- water and ice cubes

For the broth

- water

- 1 onion / 2 carrots / 3 celery stalks

- turkey neck (chiken legs are fine too)

Wash the turkey from blood with cold water and then place it in a pot/bowl big enough to contain it. Add pepper and salt generously over the turkey.

Brine the turkey. Fill the pot with cold water and add ice cubes also inside the turkey. Wrap it with plastic paper and leave it in the refrigerator for 5 to 12 hours. We did it the night before.

Make the broth. Bring to boil a pot of water with sliced onion, celery and carrots. We added also the turkey neck that came with the turkey. If you dont have it you can put chicken legs or simply leave it just with veggies. You can also buy already made chicken broth.

Stuff the turkey. Wash the turkey from salt, really well also inside and place it on a cutting board. Cut in big pieces the carrots, onion and celery and place them at the bottom of your turkey oven pan. If you have a rack use it!

With your hands, gently separate the turkey skin from the meat. Start to fill the turkey, making sure to press the stuffing really well inside the turkey.

You can put a layer of stuffing also between the meat and the skin. (this will hel the meat to stay very moist during the cooking). Remember to stuff also the neck.

With a cooking thread, sew the turkey skin so the stuffing is secured inside. Tie legs and wings together.

With alluminum foil cover the ends of the legs, so they wont burn. Spread some butter over the turkey and sprinkle with fresh herbs: rosemary, sage and thyme.

Pour 4-5 cups of broth in the oven pan. Your turkey is ready for the oven!

Pre-heat the oven at 200C (400F) and start to cook the turkey. Cooking time for a STUFFED turkey: 10 to 18 pounds > 3 to 4 1/2 hours. 18 to 22 pounds > 4-1/2 to 5 hours. 22 to 24 pounds > 5 to 5-1/2 hours. 24 to 29 pounds > 5-1/2 to 6-1/4 hours.

Check the big bird every half an hour and pour over it its broth. If you have a big turkey, like we had, you will need to add more broth during the cooking. It needs to have 1cm of liquid broth on the bottom constantly, except for the last hour, then it needs to get dense for the gravy.
If you can make small holes in the turkey skin and squeez the broth under the skin in the stuffing, it will keep the meat very moist!

If the turkey starts to get too tan, cover it with alluminum foil and continue to cook.
The turkey is ready when the temperature of its meat it's about 75C (165F). Don't worry too much if the skin is a bit burn, the meat under it is very good! :-)
When the turkey is done, remove from the oven and allow to stand for 20-30 minutes before carving.

Make the gravy. Remove the vegetables from the bottom of the pan. Save the dripping and warm it up in a pot, adding some flour until it gets dense like a cream. If it gets too dense add more broth.

Cut the turkey. First take out legs and wings. Then start to slice the turkey breast and serve it with the stuffing.

On thanksgiving day, turkey is commonly served with mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, brussel sprout and dinner rolls!