Roast turkey with gravy

SERVES 8-12

5-6kg free-range turkey, with giblets

50g unsalted butter, softened A few sprigs of rosemary 1 chicken or vegetable stock cube

50g plain flour

1 Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas 5. Pat the outside of the turkey dry with paper towel. Rub the butter all over the skin of the bird, season well with salt and pepper, then tuck the sprigs of rosemary into the creases of the legs. Place it in your biggest roasting tin and put the neck of the turkey (from the bag of giblets) in the tray too.

2 Pour 100ml of water into the roasting tin, being careful not to pour it over the turkey, then place in the oven to cook for 20min per kg, plus 70min (for 5kg, the total cooking time is 2hr 50min), occasionally basting the turkey with the cooking juices.

3 Put the rest of the giblets in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer. Skim off any scum from the surface of the water. An hour after the turkey has gone into the oven, remove the neck from the roasting tin and add it to the saucepan with the rest of the giblets. Allow to simmer gently for a further hour, then set the pan to one side.

4 You can tell when the turkey is cooked as the leg will pull away easily from the rest of the body and the juices will run clear. If you have a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should read 72ºC. Remove the turkey from the oven, transfer onto a large board and cover with foil and clean tea towels for insulation. Rest for 35min, while you cook the roast potatoes. Don’t panic if everything isn’t ready in exactly 35min – the turkey can happily rest for up to an hour.

5 Finish the gravy by removing the giblets from the saucepan and adding the stock cube.

Pour any juices from the turkey roasting tin into a jug and allow to sit, undisturbed, until the fat separates. Carefully pour away as much fat as possible, then add the remaining juices to the saucepan with the giblet stock.

6 Put the turkey roasting tin over a low heat on the hob and sprinkle the flour over the remaining crusty bits in the tin, using a wooden spoon to stir. Slowly add the turkey stock from the saucepan, stirring all the time to avoid the gravy clumping.

7 If you don’t think there’s enough gravy, add a little boiling water from the kettle. Season and allow to simmer for a few minutes in the roasting tin, before pouring back into the saucepan (if you’re not eating immediately) or into a warmed gravy jug to take to the table. Finally, bring the turkey to the table for carving.