TURKEY GRAVY WITH CIDER & WALNUTS

This gravy is the perfect accompaniment to your Christmas turkey – using the juices from the cooked bird makes it extra tasty.

Serves 8-10

Bacon, onions, lemon and trimmings from the turkey 3 sprigs of rosemary 3 tomatoes, chopped

1ltr (1¾pt) quality dry cider 600ml (1pt) good-quality chicken stock

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2tbsp walnut pieces, toasted

Once you’ve transferred the cooked turkey to a platter to rest, drain off most of the fat from the roasting tray and place on the hob. Roughly chop the bacon that was on the turkey breast, add to the tray and fry for a few minutes. Chop the onions and lemon that were inside the turkey and add to the tray with 2 sprigs of rosemary and the tomatoes. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the turkey wings, parson’s nose and drumstick tips. Fry for a few more minutes.

Pour the cider in and boil for a few minutes. Add the juices from the resting turkey and simmer to reduce the liquid by half. Pour the stock in, return to the boil, then reduce the heat slightly.

Using a potato masher, crush the vegetables in the tray. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced again by a third. Take off the heat. Strain the gravy into a saucepan, pressing down on the solids with a ladle to extract as much of the juice as possible. Add a sprig of rosemary to the pan, season, then turn off the heat and leave to infuse.

Before serving, remove the rosemary and reheat the gravy. Coarsely crush the walnut pieces using a pestle and mortar and then tip into a warmed jug. Pour the piping hot gravy on top and serve.