Name: Roast Turkey with Challah Stuffing, Roasted Grape and Chestnut Gravy
Yield: Yield: 8 to 10 Servings
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons Marsala or Cognac; Additional grape clusters or herb sprigs, for garnish; 2 teaspoons balsamic or sherry vinegar; 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, preferably smoked; 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses; One 12- to 14-pound fresh-killed turkey; 1½ cups whole chestnuts, cooked and peeled (frozen, vacuum-packed, jarred or canned are fine for peeling raw chestnuts, then simmer the shelled nuts in water until tender); ¾ cup coarsely chopped garlic; 1 small loaf challah (about ¾ pound), to be divided for the flavor paste and stuffing; 1 cup whole black or Concord grapes; 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves; 2 tablespoons mild olive oil; 1 tablespoon plus; ⅓ cup coarsely chopped garlic (6 to 9 fat cloves); 1 cup chicken broth; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves; 2 cups toasted challah cubes (from the challah loaf); 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves; 1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme leaves; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 cup thinly sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only); 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage; 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves; 3 cups chicken broth; 4 cups chopped onion; ¾ cup mild olive oil; 1 large egg, beaten; 1 cup coarsely chopped shallots; Remaining bread cubes from the challah loaf

Preparation info

Yield:
8 to 10
Servings

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Jewish Holiday Cooking

By Jayne Cohen

Published 2008

About

Purim food metaphors are pretty straightforward. We eat grains and legumes because that’s what Queen Esther did; in devouring pastries shaped like various parts of Haman, we swallow up our enemy; sweets are the taste of victory over forces that sought to destroy us.

But how did turkey, a bird that began in North America, become a symbol of King Ahasuerus of Persia?

His “bird brain” is one answer. While the chicken is no rocket scientist, the turkey has a reputation as a part