Herb-Rubbed Turkey with Pear Stuffing

1/2 cup uncooked wild rice
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
2 14-ounce cans chicken broth
1-1/4 cups orzo pasta
2 medium red pears, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts
1/2 cup sliced green onion
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons dried sage leaves
3 tablespoons dried savory leaves
1-1/2 teaspoons whole white or black peppercorns
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 10- to 12-pound turkey
Cooking oil or olive oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Chicken broth or water
Salt and pepper (optional)

Autumn fruits such as pears, crab apples, and lady apples, and assorted
fresh herbs, such as tricolor sage, sage, or bay laurel (optional)

Rinse and drain rice. In a medium saucepan cook rice in the margarine or
butter over medium heat for 2 minutes. Carefully add the 2 cans chicken
broth. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Add
the orzo; return to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 to 12
minutes more or until rice is tender. Stir in pears, hazelnuts, green
onion, raisins, and ginger. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a clean, dry blender container combine
sage, savory, peppercorns, celery salt, and paprika. Cover and blend until
coarsely ground. Set aside.

Lightly spoon pear stuffing into neck and body cavities. Pull neck skin of
turkey to back and fasten with a skewer. If a band of skin crosses the
tail, tuck the ends of the drumsticks under band. If there is no band, tie
drumsticks to the tail. Twist wing tips under the back. Place any
remaining stuffing in a casserole; cover and chill.

Brush turkey with cooking oil or olive oil. Rub ground herb mixture over
entire bird. If desired, loosen skin from breast and rub mixture over meat
under breast skin to infuse greater flavor from rub into meat.

Place bird, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Insert a
meat thermometer into the center of one of the inside thigh muscles. (The
bulb should not touch the bone.) Cover turkey loosely with foil. Roast for
2-1/4 hours. Cut the band of skin or string between the drumsticks so the
thighs will cook evenly. Continue roasting for 3/4 to 1-1/4 hours more, or
until thermometer registers 180 degrees F and stuffing registers 165
degrees F. Uncover the last 30 minutes of roasting. Bake any remaining
stuffing, covered, the last 45 minutes of turkey roasting. Remove from
oven. Cover turkey; let stand for 15 minutes before carving.

Transfer turkey to a serving platter. Pour pan drippings into a large
measuring cup, scraping the browned bits into the cup. Skim and reserve
fat from drippings. Pour 1/4 cup of the fat into a medium saucepan;
discard the remaining fat. Stir in flour. Add enough chicken broth or
water to remaining drippings to make 2 cups. Add all at once to flour
mixture in saucepan.

Cook and stir broth mixture over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.
Cook and stir 1 minute more. If desired, season to taste with salt and
pepper. Garnish serving platter with fall fruits and assorted fresh herbs,
if desired. Makes 12 to 14 servings.

Jenn Mom2Samantha and Tiny


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