Roast turkey with bacon & sage stuffing

PREP + COOK TIME 4 HOURS (+ COOLING & STANDING) SERVES 12

It’s a big responsibility cooking the turkey on Christmas Day. We take the drama out of it with our step-by-step guide .

5kg turkey

50cm square muslin

125g butter, melted

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons sea salt

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

BACON & SAGE STUFFING

50g butter

4 rindless bacon slices (260g), chopped finely

1 medium brown onion (150g), chopped finely

2 trimmed sticks celery (200g), chopped finely

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

4 cups (280g) stale breadcrumbs

1 egg, beaten lightly

PORT GRAVY

40g butter

1 medium brown onion (150g), chopped finely

1 trimmed stick celery (100g), chopped finely

2 cloves garlic, crushed

¼ cup (35g) plain flour

¼ cup (60ml) port

2¼ cups (560ml) chicken stock, approximately

1 Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan.

2 Make bacon and sage stuffing.

3 Rinse turkey inside and out under cold water; pat dry with paper towel. Fill large cavity with stuffing. Tie legs together with kitchen string. Fill the neck cavity with stuffing; secure opening with toothpicks. Tuck wing tips under the turkey.

4 Place turkey on an oiled wire rack in a flameproof baking dish. Dip the muslin in melted butter, then place over turkey. Cover dish tightly with foil. Roast for 2 hours.

5 Remove foil and muslin from turkey; brush with combined pan juices and oil. Roast, uncovered, for a further hour or until browned and cooked through. To test, insert a skewer into thickest part of the thigh. Remove skewer, press flesh to release juices; if juices are clear, the turkey is cooked. (Or, insert a thermometer into the thickest part of turkey thigh, without touching the bone; it should read 90°C. Test the stuffing – it should read at least 75°C.) Remove turkey from dish, sprinkle with salt and thyme. Cover with foil; stand for 20 minutes.

6 Meanwhile, make port gravy.

7 Serve turkey with port gravy, roasted potatoes and steamed greens, if desired.

BACON & SAGE STUFFING

Heat butter in a large frying pan. Cook bacon, stirring, for 3 minutes or until browned. Add onion and celery.

Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Cool for 10 minutes. Combine bacon mixture with remaining ingredients.

PORT GRAVY

Drain turkey pan juices from baking dish into a large jug, skim fat from the top; reserve juices, discard fat. Place dish over medium heat; melt butter in dish. Cook onion, celery and garlic, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add flour. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until flour is well browned. Remove from heat, stir in port; return to heat. Gradually stir in combined reserved pan juices and stock. Cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. Strain gravy into a large jug.