FESTIVE FEASTING

Yotam Ottolenghi has the ultimate spread for the season’s entertaining – all you need to add is a side of Christmas cheer.

For the turkey, preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Put anchos in a medium heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Weigh down with a saucer and soak for 20 minutes. Discard soaking liquid, remove seeds and roughly chop flesh. Put in a food processor with red chillies, chopped onion, garlic, spices, tomato paste, half the oil and 1 tsp salt, and whiz until smooth. Transfer to a clean bowl and stir in remaining oil.

Put turkey giblets in a large, 38cm x 32cm baking tray with a lip. Add onion quarters and 2 cups (500ml) water, and top with a large roasting rack. Pat turkey dry and season with 2 tsp salt and a good grind of pepper; season the inside, too. Rub half the spice mix over the turkey, including the cavity and between the breast and skin. Put turkey on rack over baking tray, roast for 1 hour, then rotate and baste. Repeat every 20 minutes or so, for 2 hours 20 minutes, or until the juices run clear, (around 74°C on a thermometer). If the skin gets too dark around the 90-minute mark, loosely cover with foil.

Meanwhile, for the beans, put a large saucepan with lid over high heat. Once it’s smoking, add one-quarter of all the beans and cook, tossing, for about 5 minutes, until charred in places. Transfer to a tray and repeat, in batches, with the remaining beans. Add garlic and chilli to the pan and cook in the same way for about 5 minutes, until charred all over, then add to the beans. Leave the pan to cool slightly. Put 90ml oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until soft and golden. Add charred beans, garlic, chilli, stock, 11/2 tsp salt and a grind of pepper. Bring to a simmer, lower heat to medium-low, cover and cook for about 20 minutes until beans are very soft, then stir in lemon zest and juice. In a bowl, combine herbs, preserved lemon, remaining oil,

1/4 tsp salt and plenty of pepper. Set aside.

Remove turkey from oven and rest, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Once rested, set on a platter and keep warm. Discard giblets from tray, add remaining spice paste, 400ml water and 1/2 tsp salt. Scrape up any stuck-on, flavoursome bits. Return to oven for 15-20 minutes until bubbling and slightly thickened. Keep warm.

For the carrots, preheat oven to 240°C (220°C fan-forced). Put sultanas, vinegar and maple syrup in a medium heatproof bowl and leave to plump up for about 20 minutes. Peel carrots and trim the tops to leave 2-3cm of green stem attached. Pick and set aside roughly 2 tbs of leaves. Spread carrots on a large oven tray lined with baking paper, and toss with 11/2 tbs oil, 3/4 tsp salt and a good grind of pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes, turning once halfway, until carrots are cooked and have taken on some colour. Put remaining 11/2 tbs oil, butter and almonds in a small frypan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes until nicely browned, then pour into the sultana bowl. Add 1/4 tsp salt and reserved carrot leaves and mix. Set aside.

Arrange carrots on a platter, sprinkle over toasted spices and pour over sultana and almond dressing. Serve beans warm or at room temperature with herb mix stirred in just before serving. Spoon gravy into a jug and serve alongside turkey.