Turkey With Oyster-Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients:

Turkey

• 1 Turkey (8 lb.)
• 1 1/2 c Water
• 1 c Butter or margarine- softened

Stuffing:

• 8 c Crumbled cornbread/muffins
• 5 Scallions; washed & minced-(include tops)
• 10 med Mushrooms; wiped and chopped
• 1 c Coarsely chopped pecans
• 18 Oysters; drained and chopped-(reserve liquid)
• Turkey giblets- cooked and chopped
• 1 Egg1 Garlic clove- peeled and crushed
• 2 tb Minced parsley
• 1/2 ts Powdered savory
• 1/4 ts Fresh ground pepper
• 2 1/2 ts Salt
• 5 tb Oyster liquid
• 5 tb Giblet-cooking water
• 1/4 c Melted butter or margarine
  

Directions:

1. Wipe turkey well with a damp cloth, inside and out. Remove any pinfeathers, and singe off hairs.
2. Simmer the giblets in 1 1/2 c water for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from cooking water, and chop. Save the cooking water.
3. Mix the dressing ingredients together thoroughly, and stuff both neck and body cavities of the bird. Wrap remaining stuffing in aluminum foil
4. Skewer the turkey openings shut, truss, and place the turkey breast down on a poultry rack in a large roasting pan.
5. Place the foil-wrapped stuffing in the bottom of the pan.
6. Rub the bird generously with about 1/4 cup of the softened butter. Roast the turkey, uncovered, in a moderately slow oven, 325 degrees, basting every 20 minutes with a mixture of the oyster liquid, giblet-cooking water, and remaining butter, melted.
7. After 1 1/2 hours or roasting, turn the turkey breast side up.
8. Allow about 30 minutes per pound for roasting the turkey.
9. The turkey is done when the leg joint moves easily.