Roast Turkey
Origin: Tidewater Virginia
Source: Mary Randolph, 1824
Ingredients
- bread crumb
- 1/4 pound beef suet
- sausage meat or veal
- nutmeg
- pepper
- salt
- 3 eggs
- cold lard
Instructions
- Prepare the forcemeat by combining the bread crumb, shredded beef suet, and sausage meat or pounded veal. Season with nutmeg, pepper, and salt to your taste. Mix lightly with three eggs. Stuff the craw of the turkey with this forcemeat. Spit the turkey and lay it down a good distance from a clear, brisk fire. Dust and baste it several times with cold lard—cold lard makes the froth stronger than hot basting with dripping pan drippings, and makes the turkey rise better. When the turkey is cooked through, froth it up as before. Dish it and pour on the same gravy as for boiled turkey, or bread sauce. Garnish with lemon and pickles, and serve. A middle-size turkey will require one hour and a quarter to roast.