festive feast

Scrumptious Christmas Day recipes with all the trimmings

Roast turkey with cranberry polenta stuffing

Takes 3 hrs serves 6

50g butter 4.5-5.5kg bronze turkey 500g sausagemeat 2tbsp fresh parsley, chopped 50g herby lemon breadcrumbs 50g polenta 2tbsp cranberry sauce 250ml white wine

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 6. Rub the butter all over the turkey and then season it well. Mix the sausagemeat, parsley, breadcrumbs, polenta and cranberry sauce and season. Stuff this inside the neck cavity of the bird (save any that’s leftover for the stuffing balls). 2 Put the turkey into a roomy roasting tin, roast for 20 mins, then turn down the heat to 180°C/gas 4. Pour in the wine and 200ml water and roast for 2-21⁄2 hrs (cover with foil once brown). Be sure to baste every so often. Once cooked, a meat thermometer should read 75°C, or the juices should run clear when you insert a skewer into the thickest part of the meat. Remove from the oven and rest it in a warm place, loosely covered, for up to 1 hr. Keep the cooking juices to add to your gravy.