Du Pont Turkey With Truffled Zucchini Stuffing

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 medium onions
• chopped fairly fine
• 6 cloves garlic
• minced
• Salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 6 tablespoons black truffle butter
• 3 pounds zucchini
• trimmed and chopped fairly fine
• 1 1/2 cups dry whole-wheat bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped mint leaves
• Ground black pepper
• 1 10- to 12-pound turkey
• preferably heritage breed
• at room temperature
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup flour (for gravy
• optional)
• 1/2 cup stock or white wine (for gravy
• optional)

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large saute pan.
2. Add onion and garlic and cook on low about 10 minutes, until soft.
3. Add 1 teaspoon salt and the ginger.
4. Stir in 4 tablespoons of the truffle butter.
5. Fold in the zucchini.
6. Cook on medium-low, stirring, until zucchini softens and most of the liquid it gives off has evaporated, about 7 minutes.
7. Remove from heat.
8. Stir in bread crumbs, parsley and mint.
9. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
10. Store in refrigerator if not using immediately.
11. About 3 hours before serving time, heat oven to 400 degrees.
12. Rub the outside of the turkey with remaining truffle butter.
13. Brush the inside with lemon juice.
14. Loosely stuff the turkey with the zucchini mixture.
15. Truss or skewer the cavity.
16. Place turkey on a roasting rack in a roasting pan.
17. Roast 45 minutes.
18. Baste with pan drippings.
19. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and roast about 1 hour 15 minutes longer, until an instant thermometer registers 155 degrees in the thigh.
20. Baste from time to time.
21. Remove turkey from the oven.
22. Scoop out zucchini stuffing, place in a serving dish and keep warm.
23. Let turkey rest for 20 minutes before carving.
24. Make gravy, if desired: Place roasting pan over medium heat.
25. Whisk 4 tablespoons flour into pan drippings, scraping the pan.
26. Whisk in 1/2 cup stock, white wine or water.
27. Add any juices from the carving board.
28. Simmer until gravy is as thick as heavy cream.
29. Season with salt and pepper.