Rinse and dry the turkey. Season the turkey with salt
and black pepper all over, as well as in its cavity. Prepare the
stuffing.
Place the turkey in the middle of a roasting tin, breast up. Peel
and quarter the potatoes lengthways (quarter-moon shape), rinse them and arrange
evenly around the turkey. Pour the lemon juice and olive oil over the turkey and
potatoes, then sprinkle with most of the herbs. Dot the butter all over and
carefully pour the water into a corner of the pan. Roast in a pre-heated oven,
gas no.5/ 400 grades F/ 200 grades C, for 2.5-3 hours. A little water may be
added if it looks as if it is drying up, no more than 6 tablespoons. The turkey
should be golden brown by the end and the potatoes a little less so.
Stuffing I
Sautee the onions and garlic in the olive oil. Add
the giblets and sautee for 5 minutes, then add the rice and sautee for a few
minutes until it looks glistening. Add the hot water, salt and pepper and simmer
slowly for 3 minutes untit most of the water is absorbed but the rice should
remain hard. Take off the heat, add the pine nuts, the sultanas (if used) and
the herbs. Mix well and stuff the turkey, leaving a little room for
expansion.
There is no need for sewing up the opening of the turkey; in fact,
you can seal this opening with half a potato, which seems to work well. In any
case roast the stuffed turkey breast side up and avoid turning it too much.
Stuffing II
Put the pine nuts in a dry frying pan and roast them
over a medium heat, shaking or stirring almost continuously for 3-4 minutes
until they look nicely brown. Keep aside.
Sautee the minced meat, which
should produce its own fat so there is no need to add more, and the giblets for
a few minutes, breaking down any lumps. Add the onion and the spices and sautee
for a further 3-4 minutes. Pour over the wine or lemon juice and, when the
steaming subsides, add the water. Season with salt and pepper, cover and simmer
for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the rice, pine nuts, parsley and mix
well. Stuff the turkey and roast as above.