Oct 7, 2010

Turkey with Sauerkraut, Riesling, and Pork Sausages

Braised with wine, sauerkraut, apples, and onions, this turkey comes out incredibly moist and aromatic.

Credit: Todd Coleman

12 juniper berries
6 cloves garlic, smashed
6 sprigs fresh parsley
6 sprigs fresh thyme
6 whole cloves
3 bay leaves
1 cup rendered duck fat
3 onions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black
   pepper, to taste
3 cups riesling
1 lb. smoked slab bacon, cut into
   3 ⁄4" strips
4 lbs. raw sauerkraut, rinsed and
   drained
2 Granny Smith apples, julienned
1 10–12-lb. turkey
12–14 strips thin-sliced bacon
6 knackwurst
6 bauernwurst
16 small new potatoes, peeled
Dijon mustard, for serving

1. Heat oven to 350°. Wrap juniper berries, garlic, parsley, thyme, cloves, and bay leaves in a piece of cheese-
cloth; tie ends with twine; set aside. Heat duck fat in an 8-qt. pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, season with salt and pepper, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 18–20 minutes. Add wine and 1⁄2 cup
water; boil for 2 minutes; transfer to a large roasting pan with spice bundle.

2. Arrange sliced slab bacon evenly over onions. Combine sauerkraut and apples in a bowl; transfer 3⁄4 of sauerkraut mixture over onion mixture. Season turkey with salt and pepper and stuff with remaining sauerkraut
mixture. Drape thin-sliced bacon over top of turkey; secure with tooth-picks. Put turkey on top of sauerkraut
in roasting pan. Cover with a sheet of parchment paper and 2 sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Crimp foil
tightly around edges of pan. Roast turkey until an instant-read thermometer inserted into deepest part of thigh
reads 160°, about 3 hours. Transfer turkey to a cutting board; let rest for 20 minutes. Remove bacon and skin.

3. While turkey rests, bring a 5-qt. pot of salted water to a boil. Add sausages, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer sausages to a large serving platter. Add potatoes to pot and sim-
mer until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer potatoes to platter. Carve turkey and arrange slices on platter. Serve
with mustard.

SERVES 10–12

Pairing note: Dr. Konstantin Frank Semi Dry Riesling 2009 ($15), from New York's Finger Lakes, is an aromatic match for this fragrant dish.