Preparation:
Combine the rice with 3 cups of salted water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat,
cover and simmer until the rice is al dente -- 25 to 35 minutes. Wild rice varies considerably, so watch it carefully toward the end. You do not want the rice fully cooked -- only a few of the rice grains should have split. The rice will continue cooking in the bird.
In a Dutch oven, crumble the suasage meat and brown it. Pour off any accumulated fat. Add the butter and melt it. Add the onion and mushrooms. Cook, uncovered, until the onions are soft and the mushrooms have given up their liquid. The mixture should not have any excess water. Remove from the heat. Mix in the sage and parsley. Taste and adjust the seasoning -- it probably will not not need any salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Prepare your Weber Kettle or other barbecue for indirect heat, or preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Clean the turkey, removing as much loose interior fat as possible. Reserve the neck and giblets for another use. Salt and pepper the cavity. Stuff the bird fairly full -- the stuffing will swell up just a little. Truss the bird and roast until done -- 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Remove the bird from the oven or barbecue and let it rest 10 minutes before carving. Combine any excess stuffing with the turkey neck in a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.
If cooked on the barbecue, smoking the bird adds a delicate smoke flavor to the meat. Scatter the soaked apple wood on the coals several times during the first 1 1/2 hours of cooking. You will also have to add some charcoal every half hour or so to keep the fire going. Discard any drippings from the barbecue.
If roasted in the oven, the drippings can be used to make gravy. |
