Traditional roast turkey

SERVES 8 PREP AND COOK TIME 3 HOURS 15 MINUTES (+ STANDING TIME)

4.8kg turkey

75g butter, melted

¼ cup fresh thyme sprigs

1.5 litres (6 cups) salt-reduced chicken stock, approximately

⅓ cup (50g) plain flour

HERB AND CHRISTMAS SPICE STUFFING

100g butter, chopped

2 onions (300g), chopped finely

1 trimmed celery stalk (100g), chopped finely

¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

3 cups (200g) fresh breadcrumbs ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).

2 HERB AND CHRISTMAS SPICE STUFFING Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat; cook onion, celery and herbs, stirring, for 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; add breadcrumbs and spices. Season with salt and pepper.

3 Discard neck from turkey. Fill cavity with stuffing. Tie legs together with kitchen string; tuck wings under turkey. Place turkey on an oiled rack in a large flameproof roasting pan. 4 Combine butter and thyme in a medium bowl. Brush half

the butter mixture all over the turkey; sprinkle with salt. Pour 2 cups (500ml) of the stock into the pan. Cover pan tightly with two layers of greased foil.

5 Roast turkey for 1 hour 20 minutes. Uncover; brush turkey with remaining butter mixture. Roast, covered with foil, for 1 hour. Remove foil; roast for 20 minutes or until browned and cooked through when tested. To test if turkey is cooked, insert a skewer sideways to the bone in thickest part of thigh; juices should run clear. (Check liquid in base of pan during cooking; pan juices need to brown but not burn. You may need to drain excess liquid if it’s not colouring or add extra water if drying out too much or burning.) Transfer turkey to a tray or platter, cover with foil; rest for 15 minutes before carving.

6 Meanwhile, pour pan juices from pan into a large jug; stand for 5 minutes or until fat has risen to the surface. Skim off 2 tablespoons of the fat from the juices; return to roasting pan. Skim and discard remaining fat from juices. Top up pan juices in jug with enough of the remaining stock to make

1 litre (4 cups). Place roasting pan over medium heat, add flour; cook, stirring, until mixture bubbles and is well browned. Gradually stir in stock mixture; cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. Season. Strain gravy into a heatproof jug.

7 Carve turkey legs and thighs, then breast; serve with gravy. Not suitable to freeze or microwave. Do-ahead

Stuffing can be made a day ahead; keep covered in the fridge. See overleaf for stuffing recipe variations.