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Braised Turkey

Draw a turkey, truss it as for boiling, and stuff it with a chestnut-and-truffle stuffing, which should be made as follows. Peel off the dark skin from a quantity of chestnuts, place them in a saucepan with two bay leaves, a handful of coriander seeds, a lump of salt and plenty of water, boil and when nearly soft, drain them, and remove the inner skin. Put one pound of finely-minced bacon and two or three chopped shallots into a stewpan, and toss them over the fire for a few minutes. Cut one pound of chestnuts up into small pieces, put them in with the bacon, add one-half pound of truffles, also cut into moderate-sized pieces, and season to taste with pepper, salt, spices and a moderate quantity each of thyme and marjoram. Stir the mixture over the fire for two or three minutes longer, then stuff the bird with it. Put a few slices of bacon at the bottom of a stewpan and put in the bird with three or four sliced carrots, onions, a clove of garlic, a bunch of sweet herbs tied together with a few sprigs of parsley and a bay leaf, add a few peppercorns and salt to taste, moisten to height with one-half pint of sherry and clear stock and cover with a sheet of buttered paper. Put the lid on the pan with some hot ashes on it, and place it over a slow fire. Braise the turkey for about four hours, and when cooked, place it over a slow fire. Braise the turkey for about four hours, and when cooked, place it on a hot dish. Strain the cooking liquor into a small saucepan, skim off all the fat and boil it up again; then pour it over the bird, garnish round with potato croquettes and Brussels sprouts, and serve.