Old-Fashioned Roast Turkey with all the Trimmings
SERVES
12
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
MINUTES
CUISINE
COURSE
Main
Method
Remove the wishbone from the neck end of the turkey, for ease of carving later. Using a tall, narrow saucepan, make a turkey stock by covering the neck, gizzard, heart, wishbone, wing tips, vegetables, bouquet garni and peppercorns with cold water. (Keep the liver for a smooth turkey liver pâté. Bring to the boil and simmer while the turkey is being prepared and cooked, 3 hours approx.
To make the fresh herb stuffing: Sweat the onions gently in the butter until soft, for 10 minutes approx., on a low heat, then stir in the crumbs, herbs and a little salt and pepper to taste. Allow it to get quite cold. If necessary, wash and dry the cavity of the bird, then season and three-quarters fill with cold stuffing. Put the remainder of the stuffing into the crop at the neck end, or you may decide to do a different stuffing.
Either way, tuck the remaining neck flap underneath the bird and secure with the wing tips.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.
Weigh the turkey and calculate the cooking time. Allow 15 minutes approx. per 450g and 15 minutes over. Melt the butter for basting the turkey and soak a large piece of good quality muslin in the melted butter. Cover the turkey completely with the muslin and roast in a preheated moderate oven, for 2 ¾ -3 ¼ hours. There is no need to baste it because of the butter-soaked muslin. The turkey browns beautifully, but if you like it even browner, remove the muslin 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
Alternatively, smear the breast, legs and crop well with soft butter and season well with salt and freshly ground pepper. If the turkey is not covered with butter-soaked muslin, then it is a good idea to cover the whole dish with a large sheet of parchment. However, your turkey will then be semi-steamed, not roasted in the traditional sense of the word.
The turkey is cooked when the thigh juices run clear.
To test, prick the thickest part at the base of the thigh and examine the juices: they should be clear. Remove the turkey to a carving dish, keep it warm and allow it to rest while you make the gravy.
To make the gravy, spoon the surplus fat from the roasting pan. Deglaze the pan juices with fat-free stock from the giblets and bones. Using a whisk, stir and scrape well to dissolve the caramelised meat juices from the roasting pan. Boil it up well, season and thicken with a little roux if you like. Taste and correct the seasoning. Serve in a hot gravy boat.
If possible, present the turkey on your largest serving dish, surrounded by crispy roast Potatoes and garnished with large sprigs of parsley or watercress and maybe a sprig of holly. Make sure no one eats the berries.
Serve with Cranberry Sauce, Bread Sauce and Gravy.
Ingredients
Fresh Herb Stuffing
350g chopped onions
175g butter
400-500g approx. soft breadcrumbs made from good bread. (check that the bread is non-GM) (or approximately 600g gluten-free breadcrumbs)
50g freshly chopped herbs, e.g., parsley, thyme, chives, marjoram, savoury, lemon balm
salt and freshly ground pepper
Turkey Stock
neck, gizzard, heart, wishbone and wing tips of turkey
2 carrots, sliced
2 onions, sliced
1 stick celery
green part of a couple of leeks if available
bouquet garni
3 or 4 peppercorns
For basting the turkey
225g butter
large square of muslin (optional)
For the farnish large sprigs of fresh parsley or watercress
To Serve
Cranberry Sauce
Bread Sauce
Method
Remove the wishbone from the neck end of the turkey, for ease of carving later. Using a tall, narrow saucepan, make a turkey stock by covering the neck, gizzard, heart, wishbone, wing tips, vegetables, bouquet garni and peppercorns with cold water. (Keep the liver for a smooth turkey liver pâté. Bring to the boil and simmer while the turkey is being prepared and cooked, 3 hours approx.
To make the fresh herb stuffing: Sweat the onions gently in the butter until soft, for 10 minutes approx., on a low heat, then stir in the crumbs, herbs and a little salt and pepper to taste. Allow it to get quite cold. If necessary, wash and dry the cavity of the bird, then season and three-quarters fill with cold stuffing. Put the remainder of the stuffing into the crop at the neck end, or you may decide to do a different stuffing.
Either way, tuck the remaining neck flap underneath the bird and secure with the wing tips.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.
Weigh the turkey and calculate the cooking time. Allow 15 minutes approx. per 450g and 15 minutes over. Melt the butter for basting the turkey and soak a large piece of good quality muslin in the melted butter. Cover the turkey completely with the muslin and roast in a preheated moderate oven, for 2 ¾ -3 ¼ hours. There is no need to baste it because of the butter-soaked muslin. The turkey browns beautifully, but if you like it even browner, remove the muslin 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
Alternatively, smear the breast, legs and crop well with soft butter and season well with salt and freshly ground pepper. If the turkey is not covered with butter-soaked muslin, then it is a good idea to cover the whole dish with a large sheet of parchment. However, your turkey will then be semi-steamed, not roasted in the traditional sense of the word.
The turkey is cooked when the thigh juices run clear.
To test, prick the thickest part at the base of the thigh and examine the juices: they should be clear. Remove the turkey to a carving dish, keep it warm and allow it to rest while you make the gravy.
To make the gravy, spoon the surplus fat from the roasting pan. Deglaze the pan juices with fat-free stock from the giblets and bones. Using a whisk, stir and scrape well to dissolve the caramelised meat juices from the roasting pan. Boil it up well, season and thicken with a little roux if you like. Taste and correct the seasoning. Serve in a hot gravy boat.
If possible, present the turkey on your largest serving dish, surrounded by crispy roast Potatoes and garnished with large sprigs of parsley or watercress and maybe a sprig of holly. Make sure no one eats the berries.
Serve with Cranberry Sauce, Bread Sauce and Gravy.
