PHIL VICKERY’S
XMAS TURKEY
INGREDIENTS
● 1x5kg Bronze turkey, with giblets and wish bone removed
● Your favourite stuffing mix
● Salt and ground black pepper
● 2 large carrots, peeled
● 2 large onions, peeled
● 6 sticks of celery
● 1 leek
● 2 bay leaves
● 2 chicken stock cubes
● 1/ bottle dry white wine 2
● 2 pints cold water
● 55g melted butter
● 2tbsp roughly cornflour
● 4-6tbsp cold water
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/392°f/gas 6.
2. Season the bird well with salt and pepper and pack the stuffing into the body cavity. Tie the legs together with string and secure well.
3. Chop the veg into large chunks and place in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Place the turkey on top, breast-side up.
4. Pour over the white wine, cold water and chicken stock cube. Then cover tightly with two layers of foil and pop into the oven. Cook the bird for approximately 2 hours.
5. To check if the bird is cooked, carefully remove the foil and insert a knife where the thigh attaches itself to the body of the bird. The juices should run clear. If not, cover again and cook for a further 20 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and turn it up to 230°C/fan X/gas 8. Brush with the melted butter and cook until browned for 15 mins.
7. When nicely browned, remove from the oven, tip off all the stock and juices and rewrap turkey in foil to keep it warm.
8. Reboil the stock and juices and mix in the cornflour to thicken and turn it into gravy.
9. Serve the bird with the gravy and stuffing.
What are your plans for Christmas? It’ll be a family affair. My wife Fern [Britton] has been away on tour with Calendar Girls, but is back home now so we’ll be at home together. Fern organises all the presents and decorations and I’m in charge of all the cooking. Our paths don’t cross! What do you eat on Christmas Day? We like to have a curry on Christmas Eve and then a turkey with all the usual vegetables and trimmings on the big day. We’ll usually indulge in Christmas pudding and then a nice bit of Christmas cake later on.
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