HOLIDAY TURKEY

      Title: HOLIDAY TURKEY
  Categories: Turkey
       Yield: 12 Servings
  
       1    Turkey
            Margarine; room temperature
            Salt, kosher
            Pepper
       2 lg Onion; quartered
       1    Celery stalk; w/leaves
       2 c  ;Water
            Flour
            ;Water
  
   Cut the celery in large pieces.  Mix some flour and water together
   and make a thick, creamy "kid's paste," then water it down a bit.
   Thaw any size turkey.  Wash it down real good in the sink and don't
   be ashamed of scrubbing her down good.  Make the old girl sing like
   Ethel Merman. My kids lived for this event each year as all my
   turkeys sang in the shower as if their forthcoming debut was at Town
   Hall. This bird you're washing is the star of the show and should be
   treated as such. You'll have more fun watching the turkey bathe if
   you select a noted singer. I've cooked several Ethel Merman turkeys
   and a Kate Smith or two and I remember one Billie Holiday bird.
   
   Slightly dry Ethel with paper towels.  Grab a handful of margarine
   and rub it between your hands.  Now rub the star as if she's getting
   her final massage.  Make sure you get plenty of margarine rubbed into
   the bird. Now, with margarine still on your hands, rub a palmful of
   salt between your hands and apply this to the bird as you did the
   margarine, making sure plenty of salt gets rubbed in. You need not
   worry about too much salt or margarine and a couple of handfuls may
   be required.
   
   Lightly pepper the bird, but don't rub this in.  Dip your hands in the
   creamy paste created from the watered down "kid's paste" of flour and
   water.  Dab this lightly on the skin all over, careful not to go over
   areas already covered with paste.   This is not a crust, but a more
   delicious sealer.
   
   Place turkey in a large roasting pan.  Place quartered onions under
   wings behind drumsticks, in the cavity, and some on the bottom of the
   pan to cook in the broth that you'll need later on. Now place the
   celery along- side the onion and leave the celery tops in the bottom
   of the pan to cook in the broth.
   
   Pour two cups of cool water in the bottom of the pan. DO NOT pour
   over the turkey.  Preheat oven to 350 F. and let the bird cook slow.
   Cover and cook the turkey for at least a couple of hours or until the
   meat turns brown and falls apart at the limbs.  This is a tender
   turkey and will not hold up to carving at the table. Prepare your
   turkey platter on the kitchen cabinet as this bird will fall apart if
   you try and lift it. After the turkey has cooked for at least 1-1/2
   hours, baste the turkey every 30 minutes. Drain off broth and reserve
   to make the stuffing.
   
                                     -- Aunt Pearl's Cookbook
                                        Joe Sears Submitted By SAM WARING
     On   MON, 20 NOV 1995 145733
   GMT
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