ROAST TURKEY CROWN WITH HARISSA, POMEGRANATE & CUCUMBER RAITA WITH MOROCCAN TOMATO JAM

SERVES 10 12

1 x 3.7-4.5kg organic turkey crown 4 tbsps harissa

2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsps nely chopped fresh coriander

Brine 6 litres water 600g salt

To serve

Plain couscous

Moroccan tomato jam, pomegranate and cucumber raita (see opposite)

Method

1 Brine the turkey overnight. This is not essential but it makes for moist, tender and avourful meat.

2 Mix the harissa, olive oil and coriander together in a little bowl. Spread all over the skin of the turkey crown, smearing some underneath the skin if possible. Cover and allow to marinate in the fridge for several hours or even overnight. 3 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Put the turkey into a deep roasting tin and cover with tin foil. Roast in the preheated oven for 1¼ hours. Remove the tin foil, reduce the heat to 160°C/320°F/ gas mark 2 and cook, uncovered, for a further 15-30 minutes approx. To test if the turkey is cooked, prick the thickest part of the esh with the point of a knife and examine the juices – they should run clear.

4 Remove to a carving dish, keep warm and allow to rest for about 15 minutes. Serve with couscous, Moroccan tomato jam and pomegranate and cucumber raita. Enjoy with an Irish craft beer or dry cider.

MOROCCAN TOMATO JAM Darina says: “A high percentage of cinnamon is in fact cassia, so seek out cinnamon from Sri Lanka. I rst came across this delicious jam when I visited a Berber family in the Atlas Mountains in the 1980s. It is delicious with cold meats, cheese or crostini” MAKES 6 X 200ML JARS 4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil

110g chopped onion

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2.2kg very ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped 2 tbsps tomato purée

1–2 tsps Sri Lankan cinnamon, ground (be careful though – you don’t want too much) 4 tbsps chopped fresh coriander

4-6 tbsps honey

Method

1 Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavybottomed stainless steel saucepan or sauté pan. Add the chopped onion. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and cook on a gentle heat for a couple of minutes while you peel and chop the tomatoes. Add the tomato purée to the onions with the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon and 3 tablespoons of the freshly chopped coriander. Cook, uncovered, until the tomato is thick and concentrated, approx. 30 minutes. Stir occasionally, otherwise it will catch on the bottom.

2 It will now be thick and jam-like. Stir in another teaspoon of cinnamon, the remaining coriander and the honey. This is meant to be sweet, but reduce the amount of honey if you would prefer it to be less intense. Cook for a couple of minutes, taste and tweak the seasoning if necessary. Pour into sterilised glass jars, cover and store in a cool, dry place – keeps for months.