Roast Turkey with Chestnut Herbed Stuffing

1/2 cup whole chestnuts
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled and minced
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 clove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons crushed dried parsley
1 teaspoon crushed dried sage
1 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
1 teaspoon crushed dried thyme
1 tart apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 egg, lightly beaten
5 cups stale bread, cubed and then lightly crumbled
1-1/4 cups chicken broth, warm
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 10-lb. whole turkey
1/4 cup butter, melted

To roast chestnuts, cut an X in the flat side of each chestnut. Bake 10 to 15 minutes in a 425 F oven. Cool, peel and chop.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat oil, add onions and celery and saute until soft and lightly golden, 3 to 5 minutes.

Reduce heat and stir in garlic, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme and apple, cook 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in egg, then add chestnuts and bread. Toss mixture well. Stir in warm broth, season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 325?F. Remove any giblets from inside the turkey. Rinse turkey inside and out with cold water. Dry with paper towels. Loosely fill the neck cavity with the chestnut stuffing, fold skin under and fasten with a toothpick. Loosely stuff the main cavity allowing room for expansion.

Place turkey, breast-side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan. Drizzle with melted butter. Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake, uncovered, basting the turkey every 20 to 30 minutes with pan juices. Roast for 20 minutes per pound or until the stuffing registers 165?F and the thickest part of the thigh registers 180?F on a meat thermometer. The juices should run clear, without any pink color, and the skin should be golden brown and crispy.

Place the turkey on a warm platter, reserving the pan juices for gravy. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered, for 15 minutes, before slicing. Serve with stuffing and gravy.

Servings 8.