Turkey wellington

4 HOURS + COOLING | SERVES 8 A LITTLE EFFORT

Some butchers will do a turkey breast joint (a breast that has been butterflied and then re-rolled as a roasting joint) – if you can get hold of one of those, perfect! This can be prepared up to two days in advance, then just popped in the oven for half an hour. Plus, any leftover slices can be frozen.

skinless turkey breast 1.5kg

flat-leaf parsley a large bunch, roughly chopped

garlic 3 cloves, crushed, plus Ω a bulb, cloves bashed

lemon 1, zested

soft white breadcrumbs 150g

dried cranberries 75g

olive oil 2 tbsp, plus extra for drizzling

onions 1 thickly sliced, Ω finely chopped

chestnut mushrooms 500g, finely chopped

caramelised red onion chutney 2 tbsp

english mustard 1 tbsp

parma ham 12 slices

puff pastry 2 x 500g blocks

egg 1, beaten

thyme 6 sprigs, leaves stripped

cranberry sauce to serve

GRAVY

plain flour 2 tbsp, plus more for dusting

olive oil 1 tbsp (optional)

white wine a large glass chicken or turkey stock 750ml

redcurrant jelly 1-2 tbsp

• Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Put the turkey breast onto a chopping board and trim so that it’s roughly cylindrical. Use a sharp knife to slightly butterfly the breast. Put a piece of baking paper over the top and gently bash the thicker parts of meat with a rolling pin, so it’s all one equal thickness.

• Put the parsley, crushed garlic, lemon zest and 75g of the breadcrumbs into a food processor, then whizz until smooth-ish and vivid green. Season, then stir in the cranberries and 1 tbsp of oil to moisten. Spread the stuffing evenly over the turkey breast, leaving a 1-2cm border all around the edge. Roll up the turkey breast, sealing the stuffing inside, and use toothpicks to secure.

• Evenly scatter the sliced onion and bashed garlic cloves on a baking tray. Drizzle the turkey with oil, season well and put on top. Cover with foil and roast for 1 hour or until just cooked through – an instant-read thermometer should say 68C. Cool the turkey breast to room temperature, then remove the toothpicks and keep the turkey to one side.

• Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a non-stick pan and gently fry the finely chopped onion with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes until soft, then add the mushrooms and cook for 15-20 minutes or until all of the moisture has been released and they’re beginning to caramelise. Stir in the remaining breadcrumbs and the chutney, then season. Tip into a food processor, pulse to form a rough paste, then cool.

• Pat the turkey breast dry with kitchen paper, then brush all over with the mustard.

• On a worksurface, lay one slice of parma ham horizontally, then lay another alongside it, overlapping the slices. Repeat using all 12 slices, until you have a large rectangle.

• Spread a layer of the mushroom mix (about the size of the turkey breast) over the ham, then lay the turkey on top of it, seam-side down. Spread the remaining mushroom mix all over the turkey in an even layer, then lift the parma ham slices up and over the breast so that it’s completely encased.

• On a lightly floured worksurface, roll one block of pastry out to a 22cm x 32cm rectangle – it needs to be big enough to fit the turkey breast with a 3cm border.

• Roll the second pastry block to 40cm x 50cm. Move the smaller pastry rectangle to a baking tray lined with baking paper, then put the encased turkey breast in the middle. Brush the edge of the pastry with beaten egg (reserving some for later), then lay over the larger pastry rectangle, gently moulding it around the breast. Trim any overhang, then use a fork to crimp the two pieces of pastry together. Use the back of a knife to very gently score the pastry all over in a diamond pattern. Chill until ready to bake – at this stage the wellington can be chilled for up to two days.

• To make the gravy, put the tray you roasted the turkey in over a medium heat, scraping any bits off the bottom. Add the flour, stir, then cook for several minutes before tipping in the white wine (you may need to add

1 tbsp of oil to the tray to cook the flour out). Simmer for 10 minutes, really scraping the tray to remove all the crispy bits, then tip into a pan with the chicken or turkey stock, along with all the roasting bits from the tray. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes until thickened. Season, pour into a clean pan through a fine sieve, then stir through the redcurrant jelly. Keep warm.

• Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Brush the wellington all over with beaten egg, then scatter with the thyme leaves. Put into the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the pastry is deeply golden. Rest for 4-5 minutes, then use a serrated knife to cut into thick slices. Serve with the gravy, cranberry sauce and any trimmings. Any leftover slices can be frozen – simply defrost in the fridge overnight, cover with foil and reheat fully in a medium oven.

PER SERVING 952 KCALS | FAT 42.6G SATURATES 18.1G | CARBS 67.2G | SUGARS 14.7G FIBRE 7.2G | PROTEIN 67.9G | SALT 3.6G

For more Christmas recipe inspiration, including a Christmas Day dinner planner, visit Omagazine.com.