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Turkey, with Truffles
Take a nice fat turkey the moment it has been killed; empty it, and put plenty of salt inside the body to draw the blood out. Then let it cool, and prepare some truffles in the following manner. Take two or three pounds, peel them, and smell whether they are all of a good flavour, and not musty. Pick out the smallest from amongst them, and chop them very fine. Take some fat white bacon, and rasp it, so as to obtain the fat only, without any of the sinews. When you have rasped a sufficient quantity to fill the body of the turkey, put the chopped truffles with the rasped bacon into the mortar, pound them, season well with salt, pepper, spices, etc., then mix this with large truffles, and put all in the turkey. Let the turkey remain thus for two or three days to acquire the flavour of the truffles; sew the bird up as soon as you have finished it, and when you want it roasted, put it on the spit, covered with bacon on the breast and a few sheets of white paper, and take great care when you remove the paper that you do not loosen the truffles. Serve with a clear Spanish sauce. This dish is one of the best possible if it is well seasoned and roasted. It is scarcely necessary to observe that the carver must serve the inside of the fillet, as that is one of the best parts of the dish.