Ballotine of turkey with cumquat & pistachio stuffing & cumberland sauce

SERVES PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR 40 MINUTES (+ RESTING TIME)

1 large single turkey breast, skin on (about 1.5kg) 20g dehydrated cumquats

⅓ cup (80ml) boiling water

80g unsalted butter

300g fresh free-range chicken livers

⅓ cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra as needed

2 medium (300g) brown onions, peeled, roughly chopped

¼ cup fresh rosemary, chopped finely

2 cups course fresh breadcrumbs, from crustless bread`

¼ cup lemon thyme, chopped finely

½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped

½ cup pistachios, toasted lightly

¼ cup (60ml) verjuice

CUMBERLAND SAUCE finely grated zest of 2 oranges + 100ml juice finely grated zest of 2 lemons + 80ml juice ½ cup (140g) red currant jelly

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ cup (125ml) port

½ cup horseradish cream

1 Place turkey breast, skin-side down, on a chopping board, butterfly the thicker part of the breast and then gently flatten with a meat mallet so that the breast thickness is the same all over. Place flattened turkey breast onto a tray, skin-side up; refrigerate, uncovered to dry out the skin slightly while you prepare the stuffing and sauce.

2 CUMBERLAND SAUCE Place the orange & lemon zest, red currant jelly, mustard, ginger and port in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over a medium-high heat, stirring to combine, then cook for 20 minutes or until thickens a little. Leave to cool completely, then stir in the horseradish cream. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until ready to serve.

3 To make the stuffing place the cumquats in a heatproof bowl and pour over the boiling water, then set aside to rehydrate for 30 minutes.

4 Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large heavy-based non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Add the chicken livers and seal for 90 seconds only on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside until cool enough to handle. Carefully cut out the connective tissue, taking care to keep the livers as whole as possible.

5 Add the olive oil to the same pan over medium high heat; add the onion, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes or until soft and caramelised. Add the rosemary and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes, then remove from the heat.

6 Place the breadcrumbs, lemon thyme, parsley, drained cumquats, pistachios, chicken livers and onion mixture into a large bowl and mix together well, then stir through enough extra virgin olive oil to just bring the stuffing together. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

7 Preheat the oven to 240°C

(220°C fan- forced).

8 Remove the turkey breast from the fridge, place it on a chopping board, skin-side down. Spoon the stuffing down the centre of the breast, making sure the liver pieces are evenly spread. Lift one side over the stuffing then roll over so that the stuffing is now contained within the breast. Using butchers’ twine, truss the breast at 2cm intervals along the length to secure it into a compact roll.

9 Place the turkey breast onto a large, lined baking tray, brush with olive oil and season with sea salt. Place into the pre-heated oven and roast for 45 minutes or until the centre reaches 62°C on a meat thermometer. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes and the internal temperature should reach 67°C. Drizzle with verjuice and turn over to rest for a further 10 to 15 minutes.

10 To serve, slice the turkey into thick slices and serve with the Cumberland Sauce and pan juices.