I think Thompson Turkey recipe author Morton Thompson was smart to pen this recipe in prose. Looking at the ingredients in list form is enough to make anyone laugh out loud--and then run the other direction. But to be deterred would be to miss out on one of life's greatest food experiences. If you're hosting Thanksgiving, you're going to spend the day in the kitchen anyway. Why not spend your time crafting the meal of a lifetime? This, my version, makes the fabulous feast gluten-free. Bonus: This recipe includes not-to-be-missed gravy.
Prep the turkey: Rub turkey inside and out with salt and pepper. Open the packet of giblets that come inside the turkey. Set the liver aside and chop the gizzard, neck and heart. In a saucepan, combine the chopped innards with 5 cups water and the bay leaf, garlic, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and the coriander. This is your bastiing liquid; keep it just below a simmer, uncovered.
In another bowl, mix together the celery, garlic, onions, cloves, bell pepper, bay leaf, parsley, celery seed, poultry seasoning, oregano, dry mustard, caraway seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, black pepper, salt, mace, turmeric, marjoram, summer savory, and hot red pepper sauce in another bowl.
In a third, large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, pork, butter, and reserved turkey fat; mix well.
Heat oven to 500°F. Lightly fill the turkey body and neck cavities with stuffing. Skewer and tie the opening closed with butcher string.
Meanwhile make the paste: combine the egg yolks, garlic, mustard, onion juice, salt and cayenne pepper. Add enough of the flour to make a thick paste (think pancake batter thick).
Turn down the oven to 325°F. Paint the turkey all over with the paste, using a basting brush. Return the turkey to oven until the paste sets, about 5 minutes. Then paint again and return to oven. Repeat this painting every 5 minutes, adding water to the paste as necessary to keep from drying out, until paste is used up.
Continue to roast turkey, generously basting every 15 minutes (baste using a turkey baster, using about 6 tablespoons each time), adding more if necessary to ensure the bottom of the roasting pan doesn't get dry; add equal parts water and apple cider to the basting liquid as needed to keep it from depleating. Roast until a meat thermometer reads 180°F, 170°F in the breast, about 4 hours.
Meanwhile, make the gravy: skim as much of the fat off the top of the pan drippings in the roasting pan to a bowl. In another bowl, mix 3 tablespoons of the fat with enough GF flour to make a thick paste. Heat the remaining pan drippings/reduced basting liquid in the roasting pan on the stovetop; it should be hot and barely simmering but not boiling. Chop the reserved liver into small pieces. Slowly whisk the flour paste into the drippings to thicken the gravy, whisking until it;s smooth. Whisk in the chopped liver. If there isn’t a lot of gravy or it’s too richly flavored, whisk in some chicken broth—and more flour/fat combo if needed—until you have the consistency and flavor you want.
To serve, remove the stuffing to a serving bowl, carve turkey and plate the turkey, and serve with gravy.