Truffled Turkey

Truffled Turkey:

Grind 2 pounds fresh pork fat, 1/2 pound raw poultry livers and the peelings of 1 1/2 pounds truffles through the finest blade of the meat grinder.
Blend the mixture in a mortar with salt, pepper and a pinch of thyme until it is reduced to a smooth paste.
Press it through a fine sieve.
Put one quarter of the paste into a saucepan with the truffles (quartered or left whole).
Season with salt, pepper, thyme and powdered bay leaf.
Stir over a low flame for 10 minutes.
Stir the hot forcemeat into into the rest of the forcemeat stuffing.
Add 2 ounces of Cognac and mix well.
After the forcemeat has cooled, stuff the turkey.
Sew up the opening.
Sprinkle 12 large slices of truffle with salt, pepper and Cognac.
Loosen the skin of the turkey breast by slipping the fingers under the skin.
Lay 4 of the truffle slices over the breast meat on each side.
Loosen the skin from the legs in the same way.
Insert 2 truffle slices over the leg meat on each side.
Truss the turkey.
Store it in the refrigerator for two days so the flavor of the truffles will permeate the bird.
Traditionally, truffled turkey is roasted on a spit.
To roast in the oven, lard the breast with strips of pork fat.
Wrap the turkey completely in buttered heavy paper.
Roast the bird in an open roasting pan in a moderate oven (350ºF).
Roast for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
Unwrap the turkey during the last 1/2 hour of roasting to brown it.
Serve with either the pan gravy or with sauce Periguenx to which the pan juices are added.