Traditional Christmas turkey with fresh herb stuffing and gravy
This is my favourite roast stuffed turkey recipe. It may not have exotic ingredients, but it is moist and full of flavour - exactly as a Christmas turkey should be.
SERVES
10
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
20
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
240
MINUTES
Ingredients
1 x 10-12lb (4.5-5.4kg), free-range and organic, turkey, with neck and giblets
For the stuffing:
175g butter
350g chopped onions
400-500g soft white breadcrumbs
50g freshly chopped herbs eg. parsley, thyme, chives, annual marjoram, lemon balm salt and freshly-ground pepper
For the stock:
Turkey giblet, neck, gizzard, heart, wishbone and wingtips of turkey
2 sliced carrots
2 sliced onions
1 stick celery
Bouquet garni
3 or 4 peppercorns
For basting the turkey:
225g butter large square of muslin (optional)
Method
Make a turkey stock by covering with cold water the neck, gizzard, heart, wishbone, wingtips, vegetables and bouquet garni.
Bring to the boil and simmer while the turkey is being prepared and cooked, 3 hours approx.
To make the fresh herb stuffing, sweat the onions gently in the butter until soft, for about 10 minutes, then stir in the crumbs, herbs and a little salt and pepper to taste. Allow it to get quite cold.
If necessary wash and dry the cavity of the bird, then season and half-fill with cold stuffing. Put the remainder of the stuffing into the crop at the neck end.
Weigh the turkey and calculate the cooking time: Allow 15 minutes approx. per lb and 15 minutes over.
Melt the butter and soak a large piece of good quality muslin in the melted butter; cover the turkey completely with the muslin and roast in a preheated moderate oven, 180°C/Gas Mark 4, for 2 ¾ -3 ¼ hours depending on the weight and whether the turkey has been brined. Brined turkey cook considerably faster — be careful not to overcook. There is no need to baste it because of the butter-soaked muslin.
The turkey browns beautifully, but if you like it even browner, remove the muslin 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Alternatively, smear the breast, legs and crop well with soft butter, and season with salt and freshly-ground pepper. If the turkey is not covered with butter-soaked muslin then it is a good idea to cover the whole dish with dampened parchment paper. However, your turkey will then be semi-steamed, and not roasted in the traditional sense of the word.
The turkey is cooked when the juices run clear.
To test, prick the thickest part at the base of the thigh and examine the juices: they should be clear. Remove the turkey to a carving dish, keep it warm and allow it to rest while you make the gravy.
To make the gravy, spoon off the surplus fat from the roasting pan.
De-glaze the pan juices with fat-free stock from the giblets and bones. Using a whisk, stir and scrape well to dissolve the caramelised meat juices from the roasting pan.
Boil it up well, season and thicken with a little roux if you like. Taste and correct the seasoning. Serve in a hot gravy boat.
If possible, present the turkey on your largest serving dish, surrounded by crispy roast potatoes, and garnished with large sprigs of parsley or watercress and maybe a sprig of holly. Make sure no one eats the berries.
How to brine
My top tip is to brine the turkey ahead — it greatly enhances the flavour, and reduces the overall cooking time. For wet brine, you’ll need a large enough container to fully submerge the turkey in the brine for 24 hours. Some people brine the bird in their stainless steel sink. Use 100g salt to every 1 litre of water, stir to fully dissolve. Drain and dry well before stuffing and covering with butter-soaked muslin. If you want to do a dry brine, rub pure salt all over the surface of the turkey. Leave overnight, the next day pat the bird dry and proceed as above. Gutsy herbs like thyme and rosemary can be chopped and added to the salt. I'm not sure why but brining decreases the cooking time so check for doneness at least 30 minutes earlier and allow to rest for a further 30 minutes.
