Italian flavors create addictive turkey, stuffing

There is nothing subtle about the flavors of this turkey. But it is so intensely good, you won't be able to stop eating it, or its salami-studded stuffing.

And really, isn't the whole point of Thanksgiving to be unable to stop eating?

To create this amazing bird, we rubbed it with a puree of oil-poached garlic. The volume of garlic called for in the recipe may seem excessive, or even obscene (a mere 14 heads), but poached garlic has a far milder flavor than raw (the process produces garlic similar to roasted). The resulting puree is rubbed liberally under the skin of the turkey.

To create a stuffing worthy of this bird, we blend toasted bread with a blend of mushrooms, herbs, salami, artichokes and cheese.

The garlic and herb rub can be made a day or two ahead, and even the step of rubbing it into the bird can be done the day before. The garlic is poached in oil, most of which will not be used afterward. Save it for dipping your bread or tossing with veggies.

Also, if the idea of peeling 14 heads of garlic isn't appealing, most grocers sell jars of peeled garlic cloves.

Roasted garlic and herb turkey with forest mushroom and salami stuffing

Start to finish: 5 1/2 hours

Makes a 12- to 14-pound turkey with stuffing to serve 12

For the roasted garlic and herb rub:

4 cups peeled garlic cloves (about 14 to 16 heads)

3 cups vegetable or canola oil

1 bunch fresh rosemary, leaves only, minced

1 bunch fresh marjoram or oregano, leaves only

1/2 bunch fresh thyme, leaves only

For the turkey:

12- to 14-pound turkey

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

For the stuffing:

1-ounce package dried porcini mushrooms

3 cups chicken or turkey broth

8 ounces sliced genoa salami, finely chopped

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1/4 cup chopped shallot

1 pound mixed mushrooms, sliced (such as trumpet, oyster, crimini, shiitake, maitake)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

14-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, roughly chopped

8 ounces fontina cheese, grated and divided

2 eggs, beaten

1 loaf stale country bread, cubed and toasted (about 8 cups)

To make the roasted garlic and herb rub, heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the garlic and the oil in a small baking dish (a loaf pan works well). Ensure that all of the garlic is covered with oil. Cover the pan with foil and roast for 1 1/2 hours, or until the garlic is very soft and golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Once the garlic has cooled, drain the oil. Reserve 1/4 cup of the oil for the stuffing and the rest for another use.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the garlic, rosemary, marjoram and thyme. Process until smooth. Reserve 1/4 cup of the mixture for the stuffing.

To make the turkey, heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the turkey in a roasting pan fitted with a roasting rack. Gently loosen the skin of the turkey, being careful not to tear it. Rub the roasted garlic mixture under the skin and inside the cavity of the bird. Be sure to rub it on both the legs and the breasts, turning the bird as needed.

Rub more of the mixture on the outside of the skin, then season the entire bird with salt and black pepper. Roast for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the breast reaches 160 F and the thickest part of the thigh reaches 170 degrees.

During roasting, turn the pan occasionally to encourage even cooking. If the turkey begins to brown too much, tent with foil, as needed. Allow the turkey to rest in the pan for 10 minutes before moving to a platter.

When the turkey is halfway through roasting, begin the stuffing. Coat a large casserole dish or a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

In a medium skillet over high heat, combine the porcini mushrooms and broth. Bring to a boil, then remove the skillet from heat and allow to cool.

In a large saute pan over medium-high, heat the reserved 1/4 cup garlic oil. Add the salami and saute until crisped and lightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the onion, celery and shallot and continue to cook until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the sliced mushrooms, salt and pepper. Continue to cook until the mushrooms are tender and beginning to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove the saute pan from heat and stir in the reserved roasted garlic puree, porcini and broth mixture, the artichoke hearts, three-quarters of the fontina and the eggs. Add the bread cubes, toss well, then spoon into the prepared casserole dish. Top with the remaining fontina and bake for 35 to 45 minutes.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 1,052 calories; 552 calories from fat (52 percent of total calories); 63 g fat (16 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 291 mg cholesterol; 37 g carbohydrate; 81 g protein; 3 g fiber; 1,350 mg sodium.