Roasted turkey with stuffing inside or out

Directions

1. Wash the turkey very well inside and out and let it drain.
2. In a bowl put lemon and orange juice and add the melted margarine.
3. Rinse and rub the turkey (inside the cavity too) with a little of the mixture of juices and margarine.
4. Sprinkle over belly, chest and inside the cavity 1 tablespoon salt and some pepper.
5. At this point you can stuff the turkey. I personally prefer the stuffing separately on the side. Alternatively, we can fill the cavity of the turkey with quartered whole lemons, oranges and a brunch of thyme.
6. Tie the legs together with a string and tuck the wings underneath the bird.
7. Put the turkey in a roasting pan with rack breast side up. Pour about 1/2 cup of water into the pan and add some more, little by little, during the roasting.
8. Cover the turkey with an aluminum foil so that it covers the chest and the legs, leaving the sides uncovered. Put it in the oven and roast for 2,5 to 3 hours.
9. During the roasting brush the turkey, constantly, with the mixture of juices and margarine. 15 minutes before removing from the oven leave it uncovered to golden brown.
10. Meanwhile put chestnuts in a saucepan, cover with water and boil for 20 minutes. Let them cool. Peel chestnuts and quartered some of them (1 cup) for the stuffing .
11. Boil peel and cut the potatoes into big cubes.
12. Steam or grill asparagus and carrots.
13. In a deep skillet, or in a wide shallow saucepan, sauté the whole chestnuts, potatoes, apples and whole prunes with a little butter or margarine. We can also add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the turkey liquid (left in the roasting pan) as well as 3 - 4 tablespoons orange juice and 3 teaspoons brown sugar to caramelize the vegetables. Sauté asparagus and carrots separately.
14. Wash and cut into small pieces the turkey giblets. Sauté the onion, giblets and ground meat with olive oil (or margarine).
15. Add the rice and sauté a few more minutes. Pour the chicken broth and cook for 20 minutes.
16. Add cut chestnuts (1 cup), pine nuts, chopped prunes, sage leaves, salt and pepper and cook for another 10 minutes.
17. Instructions for gravy (Alton Brown’s recipe)
18. Transfer the liquid to a fat separator* and let sit for 5 minutes to allow fat to separate. Return 2/3 to 3/4 cup of the fat to the roasting pan and place over medium-high heat.
19. Discard any remaining fat. Add the flour and whisk to combine.
20. Once this happens, gradually add the liquid back to the pan and whisk until smooth and you have reached your desired consistency, approximately 5 to 6 minutes.
21. Remember, your gravy should be slightly thin in the pan as it will thicken once you serve it.
22. Add the herbs and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
23. * If you don’t have a fat separator:
24. 1. Use a shallow spoon to carefully skim the iridescent fat from the top of the liquid as it rises. Allow it to settle for a few minutes to allow any additional fat to rise to the surface.
25. 2. Gently soak up any remaining fat spots from the surface of the liquid with a piece of bread.
26. 3. Place the liquid in the refrigerator until it has cooled and the fat on the top is solidified and opaque. Use a spoon to scoop out the hardened fat until only the desired liquid remains.