Corn Bread Sausage Stuffing

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 2. Pat the bird completely dry inside and out with a paper towel. Rub the cavity with 1 teaspoon of the salt and few grindings of pepper and set the bird aside. 3. In a heave 10-12 inch ungreased skillet, fry the sausage meat over medium heat, stirring frequently and mashing the meat with the back of a fork to break up any lumps as they form. When no trace of pink remains, scoop up the sausage meat with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a fine sieve to drain. 4. Pour off all but a few tablespoonfuls of the sausage fat remaining in the skillet and add the finely chopped onions and celery. Stirring frequently, cook the mixture over medium heat until the vegetables are soft but no brown, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer them to a deep bowl. Add the drained sausage meat, the cornbread, sherry, milk, parsley, thyme, nutmeg, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and a few grindings of pepper, melted butter and toss together gently but thoroughly. Taste for seasoning and let the stuffing cool to room temperature. 5. Fill both the breast and the neck cavities of the bird with the stuffing and close the openings by lacing them with small skewers and kitchen cord or sewing them with heavy white thread. Truss the bird securely.