Roast Turkey with Herb Stuffing

Serves 8-16 depending on the size of your turkey

You will need:

150g butter 300g chopped onion Salt and freshly ground black pepper 350g soft white breadcrumbs 6 large tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley, thyme, chives, tarragon and marjoram) 1 turkey, approx 4kg-5 kg in weight 25g soft butter ½ tablespoon flour 250ml turkey or chicken stock

1

Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas 4. First, make the stuffing. Put the butter in a saucepan on a medium heat, then add the chopped onion, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover the onions with a butter wrapper if you have one (see my Top Tip, above left), and a lid, and cook them gently in the butter until they are soft, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat, then stir in the soft white breadcrumbs, and the finely chopped fresh herbs, and season again to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Allow the stuffing to cool completely.

2

Next, stuff the turkey by spooning the stuffing into the cavity at the leg end, though you might also want to put a little bit in the cavity at the neck end too. Make sure not to overstuff the bird — once it has been stuffed, you should be able to push the handle of a wooden spoon in under the breast.

3

Spread the 25g of soft butter over the breast and the legs of the turkey, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4

Weigh the bird and calculate the cooking time (20 minutes for every 500g, plus 20 minutes extra). To cook the turkey, put it in the preheated oven. When the skin is good and golden, cover it with some foil or a few butter wrappers to prevent it from drying out.

5

To check whether the turkey is fully cooked, pull one of the legs slightly — if it feels slightly loose from the carcass, then the bird is cooked. Once the turkey is cooked, remove it from the oven, transfer it to a carving board, cover it with foil, and allow it to rest somewhere warm for at least 30 minutes. If you don’t need your oven for cooking other things, leave the turkey in it, turn the oven off and allow the turkey to rest inside.

6

To make the gravy, pour the fat away from the juices in the roasting tray, keeping the juices in the tray, then put the roasting tray on the hob, on a medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook it for a minute over the heat. Pour the turkey stock or the chicken stock, whichever you’re using, into the tray and use a whisk to dissolve all the caramelised juices left in the tray. Allow the gravy to boil. Season it to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer the gravy to a saucepan, and, if you want it to be a bit stronger in flavour, boil it for another minute or so, uncovered, until it has reduced a bit. Reheat when needed.