STUFFED TURKEY

 1 whole 10 to 12 pounds turkey (5-6 kg)
 juice of 1 lemon
 poultry seasoning, to taste
 ground black pepper, to taste
 paprika, to taste
 meat thermometer

Note: If you want to prepare turkey in microwave oven, place stuffed turkey in cooking bag and put in microwave baking dish. Cook according to Turkey Microwave Timetable.

Ingredients For Stuffing:

2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 pound (500 g) ground lean veal or chicken
2 Tbsp. parsley, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 cups cooked rice
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

• Clean and dry the turkey, brush skin with lemon juice and season to taste; set aside.
• In a large skillet or wok sauté onion in butter for few minutes, add celery and mushrooms and sauté for few more minutes.
• Add ground meat and saute for 4 to 5 minutes, add parsley and garlic and continue cooking for few more minutes.
• Remove from heat and add cooked rice, chicken broth, poultry seasoning and ginger.
• Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, add pepper to taste and add salt if needed.
• Let stuffing stand for 15 minutes.
• Rub large cavity with salt and spoon in stuffing.
• Shake turkey to settle stuffing; do not pack.
• Saw cavity, tie drumsticks securely to tail and press wings to body.
• Set oven at 325 F (165 C).
• Place turkey breast up on rack in roasting pan and leave  in this position for entire roasting time.
• Grease skin thoroughly with melted butter.
• If you use thermometer, insert it in the center of the inside thigh muscle adjoining  the cavity.
• Cover turkey with loose "cap" of foil; avoid having it touch top or sides, this will prevent too stick to the turkey.
• Roast according to Turkey Roasting Timetable or until meat thermometer register 190-195F.
• When turkey is about two-thirds done according to timetable, remove foil and cut cord or band, so heat can reach inside of thighs.
• If you have any extra stuffing, bake stuffing (covered) the last half hour of roasting and baste occasionaly with pan drippings.
• About 15 minutes before roasting time is up, test doneness. Turkey should feel soft and drumstick should move up and down easily.
• When turkey is done, remove from pan to warm plater and keep on warm place until you prepare gravyfrom pan drippings.

• Let turkey stand 20-25 minutes, because carving is easier and slices are neater.
• First carve drumsticks; hold drumstick with fingers, cut the joint joining the leg to the blackbone. Put meat on plate and cut the joint to separate drumstick from thigh. You can than slice drumstick and the thigh parallel to bone.
• Hold wing with fingers and make a cut to cut the joint with part of white meat.
• To cut white meat, make cut into breast starting halfway up breast and thinly slice white meat down.
• Than take stuffing from opening where leg was removed.