Out with the bone, in with goodies

By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor

Joy and Jim Magoon of Hawai'i Loa Ridge have this advice for those considering a boned turkey this Thanksgiving:

• Use a small bird — 12 pounds at the most.
• Use a sharp boning knife and use mainly the tip. A boning knife is a slender, long-bladed knife. It should be sharp enough to slide right through the skin of a tomato, or to slice the edge of a piece of paper.
• Allow yourself plenty of time and work slowly, gently and carefully, being very careful not to slit the skin except for the initial long cut. (A small slit or two isn't a disaster, though these tend to puff up and may brown or grow excessively dry.)

After stuffing the turkey with the dressing, lift the edges and sew shut with needle and string or secure with skewers. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

One difficulty you may run into is finding mustard greens. The Magoons have substituted chard before; the day we experimented with this recipe, the only greens we could find were collards or red Swiss chard. We used the red chard, which changed the color a bit but tasted great.

The rice used here is the medium-grain Calrose type preferred by many Island families. We used fresh rather than dried herbs, and the flavor was not pronounced; you could use more sage and thyme if you prefer, or eliminate any of the herbs and double up on others if you don't like the flavor of a particular herb.

Be sure the sausage is well broken up, not in large chunks, and be sure to use fresh Parmesan cheese.

The stuffing can be made the night before and refrigerated.

One caution: It's important to handle the turkey gently once it has been boned and stuffed. The bird will be a bit unwieldy, and the skin could tear if the turkey is not well supported as it's moved from counter to rack, from rack to cutting board.

The original recipe calls for glazing the turkey with salad oil and a little salt and pepper. I used a blend of very soft butter and salad oil, brushed on. Joy Magoon swears by mayonnaise; it's easy to brush on, stays in place and gives a beautiful golden color, she said.

Boned Turkey with Rice and Sausage Dressing

• 10- to 12-pound turkey
• 2 1/2 cups medium-grain rice
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons each of fresh sage and fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds mild Italian sausage
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 3/4 pound mustard greens, finely chopped
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Oil, mayonnaise and/or butter for glazing the turkey
• Salt and pepper

Bone the turkey (see step-by-step directions above).

Make the dressing: Place the rice in a saucepan with the broth and herbs, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove rice to large bowl and reserve.

Remove casings from sausage and crumble meat, breaking it into small bits. Saute over medium-high heat until lightly browned and not pink at the center. Add raisins and cook just until plump.

Remove sausage mixture from pan to bowl with rice and reserve.

In the same pan, saute greens until wilted, bright green and beginning to brown.

Add greens, drippings and Parmesan to rice. Mix.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spread the boned turkey open on a large, flat work surface, skin side down. Mound the dressing in the center, shaping to resemble missing bone structure. Lift edges over the dressing and sew shut with large needle and cotton string, or secure with small skewers. You can add some stuffing to the neck cavity as well, or just sew it up or skewer it.

Fold wing tips over the back and truss the turkey, securing the legs and wings.

Rub the turkey lightly with oil, butter or mayonnaise, turning it gently, and place it in a V-shaped roasting rack in a large roasting pan.

Roast in a 350-degree oven.

After 40 minutes, tent the bird, or, if you prefer crisper skin, shield the wing tips, legs and neck end with foil. Watch carefully to avoid over-browning.

Roast until a meat thermometer or instant-read thermometer shows 175 degrees on the thickest part of the thigh or inside the leg shows 175 degrees, about 2-2 1/2 hours.

Allow turkey to rest 30 minutes before carving.