WEN Recipe
By Billy Doukas
When I operated a small Mediterranean restaurant, my staff loved this holiday special so much, some even asked me to cook it for their weddings. Good god! Who has stuffed roast turkey at a wedding??!!
But it seems that Greeks are not the only ones who love this meat-based stuffing in their holiday birds. The lemon-cinnamon-oregano flavoring combined with berries and nuts creates a delicious aromatic and puts a new spin on traditional poultry seasonings.
Demeter, goddess of the harvest, was honored by The Thesmophoria which occurred during the ancient autumn full moon festival in ancient Greece. The rituals performed at this three-day festival were intended to secure divine protection for the land, ensuring a healthy climate that would bring a successful harvest. And I always thought stuffed roast turkey was strictly an American tradition!
Greek Stuffed Roast Turkey
Serves 6–8
Turkey
1 turkey, about 10 pounds
Kosher salt and black pepper
4 ounces butter
1 lemon, scrape zest from rind and quarter for squeezing
2 tablespoons thyme
2 tablespoons oregano
1 cinnamon stick
Stuffing
1 large yellow onion, chopped fine, plus ½ whole onion (for sealing cavity)
½ celery stalk, chopped
2 ounces butter
2 ounces olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon thyme
turkey liver and giblets, chopped
1 pound ground pork
½ cup sliced almonds
½ cup raisins (California or golden seedless)
1 cup chicken, turkey, or vegetable stock
½ cup long-grain rice
½ cup white wine
For roux to thicken gravy: 4 ounces butter plus 1 cup flour
2 meat thermometers
Poultry Prep
A day before roasting, rinse the thawed turkey thoroughly inside and out. Place in a pan and sprinkle salt over the entire bird and cavity; cover with plastic and return to the refrigerator. Pre-salting is similar to dry-brining the turkey. This will allow time for the salt to draw out the meat juices. Salt is then reabsorbed into the meat and breaks down the muscle proteins, resulting in a tender and juicy seasoned turkey.
On the day of roasting, place butter in a bowl and allow to soften. Add lemon zest, thyme, oregano, and pepper, whip ingredients together. Above the larger cavity, separate the skin and breast; insert and spread butter mix. Squeeze quartered lemon over turkey skin. Sprinkle sides with thyme, oregano, and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Stuffing
Gently heat butter and add onion, celery, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, and cinnamon. After 10 minutes add giblets and ground pork; stir while cooking for another 5 minutes. Add almonds, raisins, rice, wine, and stock. Stuffing mix should be placed promptly in turkey just before roasting.
Prep for roasting
Place the stuffing in both ends of the turkey; fill the neck side cavity and pull the excess skin over securing, with poultry skewers. Turn the turkey over and stuff (position legs to secure). Place half a large onion in the opening to prevent the stuffing from burning. Use a piece of cooking twine around the bird’s middle to pin the wings against the body.
Place breast side up on rack and insert two thermometers — one into the thickest part of the breast and another for the stuffing. Add 2 cups of stock and a cinnamon stick to the pan. Cover with foil poked with a few holes.
Ready for roasting
Place in the preheated oven and baste every 30 minutes. The internal temperatures of the turkey and stuffing should reach 165°F. Set oven temperature to 325°F and roast between 3 and 4 hours. Remove foil after the first hour. Transfer the turkey to a large platter and allow it to rest for 20 minutes.
To prepare gravy, set the turkey pan over the stovetop and gently heat while occasionally stirring. After 10 minutes, strain juices into a kettle. In a separate pot, heat 4 ounces butter and add a cup of flour for roux. Thicken the collected stock in the kettle with roux while whisking over medium heat.
Note: Serving with sautéed bitter greens such as turnip, beet or dandelion offset the sweet meat of the turkey.
Special Thanks To: William “Billy” Doukas is a longtime Portland resident based in Longfellow Square/Parkside. With his mother Rita Panagakos-Doukas, he co-owned and operated Longfellow Cafe and the Trojan Horse restaurant between 1980-1990. A former Maine D.O.T. engineer, Billy now competes as a chef and hosts two annual food events.
