Tacchino Ripieno alla Lombarda
Ingredients: Ingredients for 6 persons - 1 turkey weighing 3 lbs. 4 1/2 oz. - 8 3/4 oz. Italian-style sausages - 1 cup prunes - 2 apples - 15 chestnuts - the turkey liver - 2 oz. pancetta in one piece - 14 oz. ground lean beef - 3 eggs - grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano - 1 1/2 cups dry white wine - salt - pepper - 1 pinch nutmeg - butter - several strips of pancetta - prosciutto (raw ham) - sage leaves - rosemary - broth or water - potato starch or 1 tbsp. butter with 1 tbsp. flour worked into it.
The breast bone should be removed from the turkey but it is a complicated and somewhat arduous operation that few cooks are prepared to tackle these days. Ask the butcher to remove the bone. If he can't or won't, proceed with the understanding that the cavity will not contain as much stuffing with the breastbone in place. Remove the skins from the sausages and break them into small pieces. Pit the prunes, peel the apples and quarter them. Boil the chestnuts. Remove the filaments from the turkey liver and cut it into small cubes. Cut the pancetta into large cubes. Combine the ground beef, sausage meat, eggs, prunes, apples, chestnuts, turkey liver and grated Parmesan. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add one cup dry white wine and mix well. Stuff the turkey and sew the openings at front and back with kitchen string. Prick the turkey with the needle in numerous places and tie the bird with kitchen string.
Grease a large pot with butter, put some strips of pancetta and ham, some sage leaves and a sprig or two of rosemary in the bottom of the pot and place the turkey on the condiments. Put the pot over moderate heat and brown the turkey on all sides, turning it frequently. Drain off the grease and pour 1/2 cup dry white wine over the turkey. Lower the heat and continue the cooking for 3 hours, basting the turkey occasionally with broth or water. Scoop up some of the cooking juices as well and baste the breast. When the turkey has cooked, remove it from the pot, cut away the strings and put the bird on a large platter. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spatula to loosen the cooking juices. If they are too thick, dilute with a bit of broth or water. If the juice is too watery, bind it with potato starch or butter blended with flour. Baste the breast of the turkey with some of the juice and serve the remainder in a gravy bowl