Recipe: Roast Turkey with Cherry-Hazelnut Dressing

Makes 12 servings

Dressing:

1 cup shelled hazelnuts

1 cup yellow cornmeal

½ cup flour

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup low-fat milk

1 egg

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped finely

2 ribs celery, chopped finely

½ pound ham, finely diced

2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 (16-ounce) package frozen cherries, defrosted

½ cup dried cherries

½ cup chicken broth

Turkey:

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons cherry juice

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 (14-pound) turkey, giblets removed

2 teaspoons rosemary leaves

Freshly ground black pepper

1. To prepare dressing: Toast hazelnuts in a preheated 350-degree oven 10 minutes, or until papery skins begin to crack. Cool slightly and place in a kitchen towel. Rub together to remove skins. Place ½ cup nuts in a food processor and grind finely. Coarsely chop remaining ½ cup nuts and set aside. Raise oven temperature to 400 degrees.

2. Stir together finely ground nuts, cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk and egg just to combine. Pour into a greased 9-inch square pan and bake about 20 minutes, or until cornbread tests done. Let cool before cutting into small squares.

3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and celery; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in ham, rosemary and pepper; cook 5 minutes. Cool.

4. Drain defrosted cherries. Reserve 2 tablespoons juice in refrigerator. Combine cherries with cornbread, vegetable mixture, chopped hazelnuts and dried cherries. Lightly oil a casserole or coat with cooking spray. Spoon dressing into dish and drizzle chicken broth on top. Cover and refrigerate. (Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before cooking.)

5. To prepare turkey: In a small saucepan, melt butter; add cherry and lemon juices. Loosen turkey skin from breast. Put rosemary leaves under skin. Replace skin and sprinkle with pepper. Place turkey on a rack in a roasting pan and roast in a preheated 325-degree oven about 3 ¾ hours, or until a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached in the innermost part of the thigh, wing and the thickest part of the breast. Baste every 30 minutes with the pan joices and the juice mixture. Let rest 15 minutes before carving.

6. Cover and bake stuffing in 325-degree oven 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking 15 minutes.

The cornbread recipe used in the stuffing comes from "Jane Brody's Good Food Gourmet"