Ingredients:
I think a 4.5kg turkey is definitely the way to go this Christmas season, even if you're cooking for four or six, because you'll have nice leftovers. If you want a bigger bird, then add 15-20 minutes extra cooking time for every extra 500g, or check the packaging for timings.
I think a 4.5kg turkey is definitely the way to go this Christmas season, even if you're cooking for four or six, because you'll have nice leftovers. If you want a bigger bird, then add 15-20 minutes extra cooking time for every extra 500g, or check the packaging for timings.
For the stuffing:
2 onions, finely chopped
2 rashers streaky bacon, chopped
1 tablespoons (15ml) Olive oil
25g butter
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
15g pack fresh sage, chopped
150g can of chestnuts, drained
500g sausage meat
1 large egg, beaten
200g fresh breadcrumbs
salt and black pepper to taste
2 onions, finely chopped
2 rashers streaky bacon, chopped
1 tablespoons (15ml) Olive oil
25g butter
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
15g pack fresh sage, chopped
150g can of chestnuts, drained
500g sausage meat
1 large egg, beaten
200g fresh breadcrumbs
salt and black pepper to taste
For the turkey...
4.5kg fresh turkey
8 jerk sausages
parboiled potatoes for roasting
8 rashers of streaky smoked bacon
4.5kg fresh turkey
8 jerk sausages
parboiled potatoes for roasting
8 rashers of streaky smoked bacon
Method
Let's start with the stuffing. Fry the onions in the olive oil and butter for 4 minutes. Now add the fennel seeds. Bash first in a tea towel with a rolling pin to crack them. Add the sage, crumble in the chestnuts, add a little seasoning and cook for a further 3 minutes, on medium heat, until the ingredients have all flavoured each other. Season to taste. Pour it out onto a tray to cool guickly. Once it's at room temperature, pop it into the fridge until chilled. Put the stuffing mixture back in a bowl, add the sausage meat and egg, and mix together. Add the breadcrumbs to lighten and bind. The mix should hold together but not be sloppy. Place the stuffing in an oven-proof dish and cook for about 45 minutes or until cooked thoroughly, to serve with the turkey.
Preheat your oven to 190°C, 375°F. Now remove any giblets from the turkey. Rub the inside and outside of the turkey with salt, tucking the skin under to make it look nice. Cover the turkey loosely in aluminium foil and place in the oven for 3 hours. Feel free to baste whenever you like after the first 30 minutes. For the final 50 minutes of cooking, remove the foil so the skin can crisp up nicely. At the same time, scatter your sausages, parboiled potatoes and bacon into another roasting tray and use some of the turkey fat to coat well. Once the turkey's done, take it out of the oven, put onto a plate and, most importantly, let it rest for at least 30 minutes before carving. During resting, you have time to do your vegetables and make the gravy. Skim off most of the fat, put the roasting tray onto the hob at a low heat to simmer, and stir in a good tablespoon (15ml) of flour. Keep stirring until thickened. After about 1 minute, add a pint of chicken or turkey stock, a little to start with, until it's all mixed together. Bring to the boil and simmer until it coats the back of a spoon.
