Here is my go-to method to cook your turkey this Christmas so it will be packed with flavour, moist, succulent and most importantly safe for you and your family to enjoy on Christmas Day. Also a must make and cook on Christmas Eve is stuffing, fresh cranberry sauce and a show-stopping honey glazed ham.

 

• 5kg turkey, preferably free-range or organic
• Olive oil
• 200g soft butter mixed with 2 tablespoons chopped thyme
• and sage
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 onions peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 sticks of celery roughly chopped
• 2 carrots roughly chopped

1. Take your turkey out of the fridge about an hour before you are ready to cook it so it comes up to room temperature before roasting
2. Pat it dry with some kitchen paper, making sure you soak up any water in the cavity
3. Be sure to give your hand and all surfaces a good wash after handling raw poultry
4. Take the legs off the bird if you wish or it can be roasted as a full bird. The butcher will happily bone and roll the legs for you
5. Mix the soft butter with the herbs and push under the skin of the bird, this will add flavour and help keep the meat moist and succulent
6. Drizzle the meat with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and then rub this seasoning all over the bird, making sure you get in to all the nooks and crannies!
7. I like to roast the crown in one tray and the legs in another tray, this way I can ensure that I cook them both perfect
8. Pre heat the oven to 220 degrees so it’s nice and hot before we add the bird in to cook
9. Cover the turkey with tin foil then put it in the hot oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 180°C. Cook for about 35 to 40 minutes per kilo. The 5kg bird in this recipe will take about 3 to 3½ hours.
10. Check on your turkey every 30 minutes or so and keep it from drying out by basting it with the lovely juices from the bottom of the pan. After 2½ hours, remove the foil so the skin gets golden and crispy
11. When the time is up, take your turkey out of the oven us a thermometer to ensure that the thickest part of the bird has reached 75 degrees Celsius
12. Be sure that the juices run clear, If not, pop the turkey back in the oven to cook for a bit longer then check again
13. When you are confident it’s cooked, rest the turkey for at least 1 hour, preferably 2 hours for bigger birds

 

APRICOT & SAGE STUFFING

• 250g fresh bread crumbs
• 100g butter
• 2 onions finely diced
• 2 tbsp chopped sage
• 2 tbsp chopped thyme
• 80g dried apricots
• Salt and pepper

1. To make the stuffing, put a medium sized pot and add the butter, sauté the onions for 2 minutes, add the herbs and apricots
2. Cook for a further 2 minutes
3. I like to put it into a oven proof dish and bake at 180 for 35 minutes until golden and crispy on top

CRANBERRY SAUCE

• 500g fresh cranberries – you can use frozen also
• 2 Clementine’s juiced
• 2 star anise
• 1 cinnamon
• 100g brown sugar

1. To make the cranberry purée, place all the ingredients into a heavy based pot, cook over a medium heat until reached a jam consistency
2. Remove the star anise, cinnamon stick and purée in a food processor or leave if you prefer your sauce with pieces of cranberry
3. Place into a sterilized jar and it will keep for 3 months in a cool dark place

 

Friday Food on The Pat Kenny Show with Gareth Mullins Executive Chef of The Anantara Marker Hotel. Follow Gareth on Instagram.

You can also get more Christmas tips from Gareth and Gary O'Hanlon on their GoLoud Original Podcast "Dishing It Out"

All with thanks to Cully & Sully.

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