Roast Turkey with Grand Marnier Apricot Stuffing

Ingredients:

1 ea Turkey 21 pounds

2 ea Oranges cut in half

1 ts Dried thyme

Salt pepper to taste

2 c  Butter, room temp.

Grand Marnier Apricot Stuffing: 

1 c  Diced, dried apricots

1 1/2 c  Grand Marnier

Turkey liver and heart

1 c  Unsalted butter

2 c  Coarsly chopped celery

1 lg Yellow onion,chopped

1 lb Bulk pork sausage

1 lb Herb stuffing mix

1 c  Slivered almonds

2 c  Chicken stock

1/2 ts Dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

Make the stuffing (see below).

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Rinse the turkey inside and out and pat dry. Squeeze the juice of the oranges all over the turkey and in the neck and body cavities.

Spoon the stuffing loosly into the cavities. Set aside any extra stuffing.

Sew up the cavities or close with small trussing skewers.

Place the turkey on a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Sprinkle all over with tyme and salt and pepper to taste. Spread the butter all over the turkey. Turn breast side up in the pan and cover the pan with aluminum foil.

Place turkey in the oven and reduce heat to 425 degrees F.

Roast for 3 hours.

Remove the foil and roast, basting occasionally, until the juices run clear when the meaty part of the theigh is pierced with a sharp skewer, about 2 more hours.

Bake leftover stuffing in a baking dish at 325 for 30 minutes.

Let turkey stand, covered with foil for 15 minutes before carving.
 
Grand Marnier Apricot Stuffing::
 
Place the apricots and 1 cup of Grand Marnier in a small saucepan. Heat to boiling. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Simmer the turkey liver and heart in water to cover in a small saucepan for 5 minutes; set aside and cool.

Melt 1/2 cup of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and saute for 10 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Cook the pork sausage in the same skillet, crumbling with a fork, until it is no longer pink.

Remove and add to the celery mixture. Add the stuffing mix, apricots with liquid, and almonds.

Finely dice the turkey liver and heart and add to the stuffing mixture, stir to combine.
 
Heat the remaining 1/2 cup butter and the stock in a small saucepan just until the butter melts. Pour over the stuffing mixture and add the remaining 1/2 cup Grand Marnier. Stir well to moisten the stuffing. Season with thyme, salt and pepper to taste.
 
Enough for a 21-24 pound turkey.

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