Recipe: Roasted Turkey with Southern Cornbread Dressing and Giblet Gravy (using hard boiled egg in the gravy)

ROASTED TURKEY WITH SOUTHERN CORNBREAD DRESSING AND GIBLET GRAVY

Cornbread (for the dressing, recipe follows)
1 (12 to 14 pound) turkey
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon thyme, crushed
1 teaspoon rosemary, crushed
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf
2 onions, peeled and cut in half
1 carrot, cut in pieces

FOR THE GIBLET GRAVY:
Giblets and neck from turkey
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
Water to cover
1/2 cup pan drippings (skimmed of fat) from turkey after roasting (save remainder for dressing)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1 hard boiled egg, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

FOR THE CORNBREAD DRESSING:
Cornbread (made earlier)
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
10 slices day old bread, crumbled
2 to 2 1/2 cups turkey or chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

The day before roasting the turkey, prepare cornbread for the dressing.

TO ROAST THE TURKEY:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove giblets and neck from turkey; reserve for gravy. Rinse turkey thoroughly with cold water; pat dry. Rub turkey inside and out with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Rub with thyme and rosemary. Put garlic clove, onion, carrot, and bay leaf inside of turkey cavity and place turkey, breast side up, in a roasting pan. Tuck legs under flap of skin around tail. Insert meat thermometer in meaty part of thigh, making sure it does not touch bone.

Bake at 325 degrees F until meat thermometer reaches 185 degrees F. If turkey starts to brown too much, cover loosely with aluminum foil.

WHILE TURKEY IS ROASTING BEGIN PREPARING THE GRAVY:
Combine giblets (except liver), neck, onion, celery, and salt in a saucepan. (Cover and refrigerate liver for later.) Cover with water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until giblets are fork tender.

Add liver, and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Drain, reserving broth. Remove meat from neck; coarsely chop neck meat and giblets. Set aside.

WHEN THE TURKEY IS TWO-THIRDS DONE:
When turkey is two-thirds done, cut the band of skin holding the legs to ensure the thighs are cooked internally. Turkey is done when drumsticks are easy to move up and down. (Approximate length of cooking is 3 hours.)

APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES PRIOR TO REMOVING TURKEY FROM OVEN BEGIN PREPARING THE CORNBREAD DRESSING:
Crumble the cornbread made earlier into a large bowl; set aside.

Saute celery and onion in butter until tender.

Remove the cooked turkey (if done) from the roaster and place on a platter. Pour giblet broth into roaster pan and stir until sediment is loosened from bottom of roaster. Measure broth. There should be approximately 4 cups of broth. Add canned broth to make 4 cups if necessary.

Pour 2 to 2 1/2 cups of broth into cornbread mixture. Add sauteed vegetables and remaining ingredients for the dressing to crumbled cornbread, stirring well. Spoon dressing into a lightly greased 13x9x2-inch pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes until very lightly browned.

MEANWHILE, TO MAKE THE GRAVY:
Continuing with giblet gravy, combine flour and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan; stir until smooth. Add remaining broth mixture; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in reserved neck meat, giblets, hard boiled egg, and pepper.

Serve the gravy hot with roasted turkey and dressing.

CORNBREAD

2 cups cornmeal
1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Place a well-greased 10-inch cast iron skillet in a 450 degree F oven for 4 minutes or until hot.

Meanwhile, combine all of the ingredients for the cornbread. Remove skillet from oven; spoon batter into skillet.

Bake at 450 degrees F for 35 minutes or until cornbread is lightly browned. Transfer to a plate and cool. Cover and save for next day.

Source: Beverly Wills, Huntsville, AL, 1990's