Herb-Rubbed Turkey with Pear Stuffing

The ingredients for this recipe include a twelve-pound turkey, olive oil, autumn fruits, water, ¼ cup of flour, one teaspoon of paprika, one teaspoon of celery salt, three tablespoons of dried sage leaves, one teaspoon and half of black or white peppercorns, three tablespoons of dried savory leaves, and pear stuffing.

Step #1: Blend the sage, celery salt, paprika, and peppercorns in a dry blender until they are coarsely ground.

Step #2: Prepare the turkey then fill it with pear stuffing. If there is any remaining stuffing, put it in a casserole and cover it.

Step #3: Brush the turkey with oil, and rub the ground herb mixture over it. For greater flavor into the meat, you may rub mixture under the breast skin.

Step #4: Place the turkey in a shallow roasting pan, breast side up, and insert a thermometer into one of the thigh muscles. Be careful so the meat thermometer doesn`t touch the bone.

Step #5: Roast the turkey until the thermometer reaches 180 degrees F and the stuffing reaches 165 degrees F. Uncover the last half an hour of roasting and then remove from the oven. Cover the turkey and let it stand for fifteen minutes before carving.

Step #6: Put the turkey on a serving platter, pour the pan drippings into a measuring cup, and reserve the fat from drippings. Take a medium saucepan, pour ¼ cup of the fat into it, and stir in flour. Complete the remaining drippings with enough chicken broth so you make two cups.

Step #7: Combine the flour mixture with the dripping mixture then cook it at a medium temperature until it`s thickened and bubbly. If you wish, add more salt and pepper.

For the pear stuffing drain half a cup of uncooked wild rice into a medium saucepan. Add two tablespoons of butter or margarine and cook the mixture for two minutes over medium heat. Add fourteen ounces of chicken broth and bring to boiling. Reduce the heat, and simmer it covered for thirteen minutes.

Add about 1-1/4 cups of orzo pasta, return to boiling, and simmer it covered for up to twelve minutes. Core and cut two medium pears into ½ inches cubes and stir them along with half a cup of golden raisins, one tablespoon of fresh ginger, half a cup of sliced green onion, and ¾ cup of toasted chopped hazelnuts.

The preparation time takes forty-five minutes, and the recipe includes up to fourteen servings. One serving includes 520 calories, 121mg of cholesterol, 2g of fibers, 43g of proteins, 39g carbohydrates, 5g of saturated fats, and a total fat of 24g. The values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.