We did the turkey by a method I found on cooks and then Mother told me my father did them that way, down to the carving it like a butcher. The best part is always after ward when the goddess makes soup. So here we go:

Roasted Turkey with Venison Sausage Stuffing:

12-16 pound Turkey
2 cups kosher salt
2 gallons water
4 Tbsp butter, softened
2-3 cups bread cubes
1/2 pound venison sausage
1/4 pound mushrooms cooked
4 sprigs of fresh sage, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 Tbsp butter

Add salt to water and mix until dissolved. Add turkey. Put into frig for 4-6 hours.

Cook sausage until browned thru. Cool and crumble. Heat butter in pan and add onion and celery. Cook until softened. Add mushroom, sausage, sage, salt and pepper, and bread cubes. Mix well. Moisten if need with a little sherry and broth.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Remove bird from brine. Rinse well and pat dry. Let warm to room temperature with an ice bag on the breast.  Stuff sausage-bread mixture into body cavity. Rub turkey withj softened butter. Place burd in oven breast side down on a V rack. Cook for 45 minutes. Reduce oven to 325 and turn bird over. Roast until breast meat reaches 160 F and legs reach 170.  Remove from oven and let sit for 40 minutes.

Cutting instructions can be found here. Work great.

BTW, not everyone here helped. Some just read...



Connie's Turkey Soup
1 turkey carcass and bones from a 12 pound bird (and the neck)
1 large onion quartered
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 celery stalks with leaves
2 large carrots, halved
1 large parsnip, halved
4 whole cloves
4 sprigs each of fresh dill and parsley
4 whole peppercorns
dash of salt

Put all of the above into a 6 quart pressure cooker, add 1/2 cup of vinegar, and fill 1/3 of the way with water. Cook at 15 psi for 30 minutes and let cool to room temperature. Drain and filter the broth. Cool and remove fat.

Turkey broth from above*
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4" rounds
1 medium parsnip, ditto
2 celery stalks, no leaves, diced
1 medium leek, white only, cleaned and cut into 1/4" slices
3 Tbsp fresh dill, minced
3 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
salt and black pepper to taste
1 pound diced turkey meat
4 oz coated egg noodles

Add carrots and parsnip to broth and then heat to boiling. Simmer for 10 minutes and add the celery and the leek. Simmer another 10 minutes and add the remaining items. Simmer 2-3 minutes to heat everything thro and serve.

* you may need to dilute the broth. Depends how many bones and meat scrapos you have.