MARINATED BONELESS TURKEY ROAST

This is a delicious, easy-to-carve way to enjoy turkey. Boneless turkey roasts can be found at supermarkets or see croziersturkeys.co.nz for stockists. Insure the bird is completely defrosted before marinating, which you’ll need to begin 24 hours ahead.

3kg boneless turkey roast

8-10 rashers streaky bacon

50g butter, softened

1 orange, juice and finely grated zest

1 lemon, juice and finely grated zest ½ cup pure maple syrup

½ cup flavourless oil

¼ cup soy sauce

6 garlic cloves, smashed

1 thumb ginger, coarsely chopped

3 whole star anise

Good grind of black pepper

Place all marinade ingredients in a turkey-size roasting bag sitting in a baking dish. Add turkey, keeping the netting in place to hold its shape. Coat turkey in marinade and tie the bag. Refrigerate for 24 hours, turning once during this time.

The next day, bring turkey to room temperature. Remove turkey from bag and drain liquid through a sieve, reserving the liquid. Heat oven to 180C. Place bacon on a cutting board and flatten a little with the back of a knife. Carefully pull back half the netting from turkey and cover with half the bacon rashers. Re-cover with netting and repeat at the other end.

Place turkey back into roasting bag and add ½ cup of reserved marinade liquid. Spread butter over top of turkey then re-tie the bag.

Bake for 2 hours or until juices run clear. Remove from the oven and leave in bag with juices, covered loosely with foil, for 30 minutes.

Once rested, baste turkey liberally with juices before slicing. Use leftover reserved marinade and cooking juices to make gravy by thickening the mixture with cornflour paste.

Serves 8-10