Perfect roast turkey
Prep time 20 mins Cook time 1 hr 45 mins Serves 8-10
INGREDIENTS
● A whole turkey, about 4.5kg ● 100g butter, softened ● Salt and black pepper, to season ● 1kg roast turkey stuffing (optional) ● Roast potatoes, parsnips and any other vegetables of your choice, to serve
METHOD
1 Preheat the oven to 190°C/Fan 170°C/Gas Mark 5. Use tweezers to remove any stubborn feathers left in the skin of the turkey.
2 Place the turkey on a rack, breast-side down, and then place the rack into a roasting pan. Take the butter and rub it all over the skin, making sure you get it into the folds of the legs too. Sprinkle salt and black pepper all over. Fill with stuffing, if using (see the recipe on the next page).
3 Pour 2cm of water into the base of the roasting pan, underneath the rack. Roast on the bottom shelf of the preheated oven for 45 minutes, then turn the turkey over and baste by using a spoon to scoop the liquid from the bottom of the pan over the turkey. Sprinkle over a little more salt and black pepper. Return to the oven for 1 hour more but remove the turkey and baste it every 15 minutes.
4 After this time, check to see if it’s cooked: at the thickest part of the leg, scratch the surface with a fork and press down. If the juices are still pink, return to the oven for another 10 minutes and check again. If your turkey is bigger or smaller than the one used here, you can work out the total cooking time at 25 minutes per 1kg unstuffed weight.
5 Once cooked, allow the turkey to rest for 8-10 minutes. Serve with gravy, stuffing, roast potatoes, parsnips, pigs in blankets and any other sides you like.