Boned Turkey in Aspic (Abruzzo)

Meat

Ingredients

Turkey - 8-10 pounds

Salt and pepper

Carrot - 1

Onion - 1

Celery - 1 stalk

Peppercorns - 4

Oil

Place the boned body of the turkey flat on the table, skin side down. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and roll it up tightly so that it looks like a large, thick, firm sausage. Sew upp along the side with a needle and thread.

Pour about 2 1/2 cups water for each pound of turkey meat into a large pan. Add the carrot, onion, celery, peppercorns and a little salt. Bring to a boil and add the turkey. Cover the pan tightly, lower the heat and continue cooking until the turkey is quite tender - about 3 hours, depending on the size of the bird. 

Take the turkey from the pan, but leave the stock simmering over a low heat until considerably reduced. Brush the turkey with oil and roast it in a hot oven (425F) for about 30 minutes. Then take it from the oven, cool it and remove the threads. Cut into neat, medium-thin slices and arrange these in a large, fairly deep, oval platter.

Strain the stock and chill in the refrigerator until it just begins to jell, then pour it over the slices of turkey, smoothing it down evenly with a warm palette knife. Leave the turkey in the refrigerator until the aspic is quite firm.

Serves 6-8