The butcher offered to do all the roasting and preparation for us. At first I felt this was a betrayal of the home cooking tradition, until I considered the logistics. Almost all the home ovens (and basically kitchen appliances in general) installed in Europe are tiny when compared to their American counterparts. Meaning that it would have been a challenge to fit in a decent-sized turkey enough to feed twenty people. And in the end, I have to say it was a good idea leaving the cooking to an expert because the meat came out deliciously moist. No dried-out turkey for us.
The only thing was the stuffing, which the butcher unknowingly prepared as a compact French-style terrine loaf, which was then cut up in slices, as opposed to the loose American style that you spoon onto your plate. But being in France, I figured it was appropriate that our meal had a slight French spin to it, in company with the traditional American feast we prepared: mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, biscuits, cornbread, etc. I even made a cranberry sauce from reconstituted dried cranberries (My search for fresh or frozen cranberries was fruitless, pardon the pun, but they're impossible to find here.) And for dessert? I helped myself to the classic two slices, one of apple pie and one of pumpkin.
Here you can see the finished turkey, with the special stuffing on the side.
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