What is American cooking? Fried chicken and apple pie are part of it--but what about sweet and sour pork or gnocchi with basil? Saveur Cooks Authentic American, created by the editors of the like-named food magazine, includes just such recipes, true examples of our all-embracing, melting-pot cuisine.
Thanksgiving is not a time for culinary experimentation. "Everybody just wants a taste of tradition that day," says Memphis caterer Anne Scott Coleman. "If we served something different, the family wouldn't eat it."
1 (10-12 lb.) fresh turkey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR STUFFING:
4 cups crumbled corn bread
2 strips bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1 medium tart apple, peeled, cored, and diced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried savory
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons butter, softened
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse turkey well, pat dry with paper towels, and season inside and out with salt and pepper.
For stuffing, spread crumbled corn bread on a cookie sheet and bake until golden, 20-30 minutes. Cool slightly, then transfer to a large bowl.
Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp, 8-10 minutes. Add bacon and drippings to corn bread. Melt butter in same skillet, add onions and celery, and cook for 5 minutes. Add to corn bread mixture. Stir in apple, bay leaf, savory, sage, marjoram, thyme, and basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Fill cavity of turkey with stuffing. Tuck wings under back, tie legs together with kitchen string, and rub skin with butter. Place turkey in a large roasting pan, breast side up, and roast until turkey and stuffing reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees, 10-12 minutes per pound. Allow turkey to rest 20 minutes, then remove stuffing and carve.
