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Thanksgiving From N.Y.’s Fallen Giant

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

DEAR SOS: In November 1998 you printed a letter requesting the turkey and cornbread dressing served at the Windows on the World Restaurant at the World Trade Center in New York. I’ve used these recipes, and family and friends have requested them again this year. I thought reprinting the recipes might be an appropriate tribute.

JUDY GARRETT

Cambria

DEAR JUDY: Windows on the World chef Michael Lomonaco, who survived the attack, provided both the turkey and stuffing recipes. He recommended cooking the stuffing separately. The recipe calls for a farm-raised wild turkey found at some markets, but a good supermarket turkey works well too. Ancho chile powder is available at most Latino grocery stores and many supermarkets.

If you have an oven large enough for the turkey and casserole dish of stuffing, add the stuffing to the oven about one hour after the turkey goes in. Both should be ready about the same time. If your oven will accommodate only a turkey, cook the stuffing first, then reheat the stuffing 15 to 20 minutes in a 350-degree oven while the meat rests and the gravy is made.

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Roasted Wild Turkey

Active Work Time: 20 minutes

* Total Preparation Time: 2 hours

1 (12-to 14-pound) turkey

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 to 3 bay leaves

1 head garlic, unpeeled, split in half

1 onion, diced

1 cup hot water, plus more as needed

3 tablespoons melted salted butter

Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

Season the turkey inside and out with salt and pepper to taste. Place the bay leaves, garlic and onion inside the cavity. Set the turkey, breast side down, on a rack in a roasting pan. Pour water into the pan and roast 30 minutes.

Turn the turkey breast side up, brush with the melted butter, reduce the heat to 350 degrees and roast until the juices run clear when the thigh joint is pierced with a fork and when a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, adding more water to the pan as needed.

Remove the turkey from the oven and allow to stand 20 minutes before carving. Serve with Corn Bread Stuffing.

6 to 8 servings. Each of 8 servings: 544 calories; 232 mg sodium; 210 mg cholesterol; 26 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 71 grams protein; 0.32 gram fiber.

Corn Bread Stuffing

Active Work Time: 15 minutes

Total Preparation Time: 1 hour plus 3 hours soaking

3 cups crumbled homemade or store-bought corn bread

1 cup cubed sourdough bread

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup molasses

1 cup chicken stock

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 pound smoked slab bacon, cut in 1/2-inch cubes

1 cup chopped green onions

2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped

3 tablespoons ancho chile powder

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Combine the corn bread, sourdough bread, buttermilk, molasses, chicken stock and beaten eggs in a bowl and soak 3 to 8 hours in the refrigerator.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until the bacon is browned. Pour off and reserve the rendered fat.

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Add the green onions and jalapenos to the bacon and cook 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.

Add the soaked bread along with the chile powder and chopped pecans to the green onion-jalapeno mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into a casserole dish and drizzle the top with several tablespoons of reserved bacon drippings.

Bake the stuffing until the top is browned and crisp, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool 15 minutes before serving.

6 to 8 servings. Each of 8 servings: 352 calories; 785 mg sodium; 109 mg cholesterol; 21 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 28 grams carbohydrates; 14 grams protein; 2.14 grams fiber.

*

Send requests to Culinary SOS, Food Section, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 or e-mail to: cindy.dorn@latimes.com. Please include your last name and city of residence for publication. Include restaurant address when requesting recipes from restaurants.

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