The Gourmet Cookbook Volume 1?

Here is a bibliographic note, which may be helpful in case you are ever searching for this again.
First, the recipe also appears in the 1950 edition, word for word, identical.
Second, the edition dated 1970 is actually a reprinting of the revised edition first published in 1965. The 1970 version was the third printing - not a new edition. The set I have is the eighth printing, from 1979 - a gift from my mother when I went away to law school, and the first cookbook (the 2- volume set) that I ever owned. So any Gourmet Cookbook published between 1950 and 1979 (volume 1 from 1965 on) will have this recipe. It appears in the revised edition on page 356, entitled "Roast Turkey Charente."
What a marvelous find. Thank you for sharing it with us!
Happy Thanksgiving.
Cheers,
AJ ;o)
P.S. This information should be helpful for any other searches for Gourmet Cookbook recipes between 1965 and 1979 - any published during that period will do!

Jenny, here is the recipe, verbatim:

"Stuff a 12- to 15- pound turkey with chestnut stuffing. Cover the breast of the turkey with a large thin slice of fat fresh pork. Put the bird, breast down, on a rack in a roasting pan brushed with bacon drippings. Roast in a very hot oven (500 degrees Fahrenheit) for 20 minutes. Add to the pan 1 cup Port, 8 crushed peppercorns, 1 teaspoon salt, and a bouquet garni. Lower the temperature to moderate (350 degrees Fahrenheit) and roast the bird, basting frequently with the drippings and wine, for 1 hour.
Brush it all over with melted butter and continue roasting, allowing 18 minutes per pound. One hour before the turkey is done, discard the pork and set the bird directly on the pan, breast side up, so that the breast skin will crisp and brown. When done, transfer the bird to a warmed heat-proof platter. Remove the roasting pan from the oven, turn off the heat, and leave the oven door open for a few minutes to reduce the temperature to about 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the turkey on the platter into the oven and let it stand in this slack heat for 15 - 25 minutes, depending on size, to allow the meat to mellow and the flavor of the stuffing to penetrate.
Skim most of the fat off the liquid in the roasting pan, leaving approximately 2 tablespoons of fat in the pan. Discard the bouquet garni. Add 2 tablespoons of flour to the liquid and cook it over medium heat, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the brown bits. When the liquid is light brown, stir in 1 cup hot beef broth and cook the gravy for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste the gravy for seasoning and strain through a fine sieve. The gravy should have the consistency of light cream. Serve it very hot in a heated sauceboat."
Jenny, I can understand why your family has been using this recipe all these years! I have never made it but can easily imagine this turkey being anointed with Genius Recipe status here. I may just have to try this over the Christmas holidays. With the Port, and the chestnut stuffing, it would be quite nice!
;o)

There is also a roast turkey recipe in Volume 11 of that edition, which is a bit more conventional. (In fact, it describes to a T pretty much how my mother roasted her turkeys for almost 60 years.) I'm happy to provide details, if you wish. ;o)

Jenny, I'm happy to provide the rest of the recipe this evening if that is the recipe you need. The procedure is then to add port, peppercorns, etc. and roast for an hour, etc., with time per pound instructions, finishing and resting, etc. There are some fascinating details in this recipe, by the way! The last paragraph is the gravy recipe - also, quite interesting. ;o)

Jenny - Epicurious has Gourmet's recipes and some filters (for dinner, thanksgiving, roasted, with bacon). I can't tell which is your family favorite, but got it down to a skimmable 41 for you to review. Good luck:
http://www.epicurious.com/search/turkey%20roasted%20with%20bacon?meal=dinner&technique=roast&occasion=thanksgiving&sort=makeItAgain

Hi Jenny, do you happen to know the name of the recipe?