Hot turkey ballotine with pate stuffing, turkey stock and old-fashioned brown gravy

Cut a deep slit down the back of the turkey from neck to tail to expose the backbone.

With a small sharp knife, its edge always cutting against the bone, scrape and cut the flesh from the carcass down one side, holding the flesh off the bones with your fingers and keeping the skin intact.

At the ball joints connecting the wing and the second joints to the carcass, sever them and continue down to the ridge of the breast, then stop; the skin is thin and easily slit.

Repeat on the other side, then lift the carcass frame and cut closely against the ridge of the breastbone to free it.

Chop the wings off at the elbows, leaving the upper wing bones attached.

Lay the mass of skin and flesh flesh-side up and remove the second joint bones by detaching the meat around the exposed joint, scraping meat from bone, then cutting free at the ball joint of the drumstick.

Leave the drumsticks and upper wings in if you want it to still look like a turkey.

Roast the beef bones at 425 for about 30 minutes.

Roughly chop the carcass and bones, put them in the dutch oven with the gizzard and heart but not the liver, cover with water at least two inches above the bones, add the salt and bring to a simmer.

Once simmering, skim the scum for about five minutes, then add the browned beef bones, the leeks, carrots, clove-studded onions and the cheesecloth herb bouquet, topping back up with water.

Simmer uncovered 3 to 4 hours, skimming and taking the fat off and adding water as needed.

For the stuffing, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat and cook the minced onions until translucent and tender.

Add the cognac and Madeira and boil down to around half.

Combine the ground beef, ground pork and pork fat with the browned onions, the salt, thyme, allspice and pepper and the eggs, and beat vigorously until thoroughly mixed.

Season the boned turkey flesh with the salt, pepper and allspice and pour over the cognac.

Heap the stuffing in the centre and shape it into a loaf, bring the turkey skin up over it to enclose it completely and sew it shut.

Make three or four ties around the circumference to give it a cylinder shape, wrapping the string under the two legs and around the length, and stick a needle through the two legs to hold them together.

Rub butter over the skin and crank salt and pepper on top.

Put the turkey on its side in a roasting pan on a V rack and roast at 350 for 30 minutes, then on the other side for 30 minutes.

After a full hour turn the breast up, lower the oven to 325 and put a meat thermometer into the leg area.

Baste with butter until the bird leaks its own fat, then baste with the roasting fat every 20 to 30 minutes; an eight to nine pound bird takes around three and a half hours.

The book says to roast to 185; take it out at 160 instead and let it come up to a final 165.

Strain the finished stock into a big bowl, discard the carcass and vegetables and take the layer of fat off the top; three cups are set aside for the gravy and the rest refrigerated.

For the gravy, blend the flour with the turkey roasting fat in a saucepan over moderate heat until it turns walnut brown.

Off the heat, whisk in the hot turkey stock a little at a time until it is all added, then bring up to a simmer.

Put the roasting pan on the stovetop over heat, deglaze with the dry white vermouth and reduce, then pour it through the fat separator into the gravy and simmer several minutes.

Strain the gravy if it is clumpy.

Remove the string, and carve the ballotine by slicing it from end to end like a sausage.