- 4-5kg organic turkey with giblets
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 1 bouquet garni
- 1 lemon
- 1 garlic bulb
- A handful of rosemary
- 50g butter
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 454g pork stuffing with sage & onion
- 200g jar of cranberry sauce
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
- Sea salt + black pepper
- 2.05 ltrs hot water
- 1.
Around 2 hrs before you want to roast the turkey, take it out of the fridge and let it stand somewhere safe so it can come to room temperature. Take the giblets out of the turkey and rinse them.
- 2.
Fill your kettle and boil it. Peel and slice the onion. Scrub and slice the carrots. Pour 1 tbsp oil into a pan. Warm over a medium-high heat. Add the giblets. Season with salt and pepper. Fry for 3-4 mins till browned.
- 3.
Add the onion and carrots to the pan. Drop in the bouquet garni. Pour in 1½ ltrs hot water from the kettle. Bring to the boil, then cover with a lid, reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 1 hr. Strain the stock into a jug. You should have at least 1 ltr stock. Top up with water, if necessary. Set aside.
- 4.
Meanwhile, make the lemon, rosemary and garlic butter. Finely grate the lemon zest into a bowl. Slice the lemon into thick rounds and spread them out in a large roasting tin. Set aside. Finely grate 2 garlic cloves into the bowl. Cut the remaining bulb in half and tuck into the turkey’s body cavity. Finely chop the rosemary leaves and add to the bowl. Add 25g butter with a pinch of salt and pepper. Mash together with a fork. Set aside.
- 5.
Preheat your oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Weigh your turkey to check its exact weight. Pop the turkey on top of the lemons, breast-side down. Pour 500ml hot water from the kettle around (but not over) the turkey. Roast on the middle shelf for 1 hr (this is the same, whether your bird is nearer 4kg or 5kg).
- 6.
After 1 hr, take the turkey out of the oven and carefully turn it over so it’s breast-side up (protect your hands from the heat and have some sturdy spatulas to help turn it). Dot the lemon, rosemary and garlic butter over the top. Use a sharp knife to slice through the skin between the legs and breast to allow the juices to drain out and to help the thighs to cook. Insert the meat thermometer into a thigh. Top up the liquid in the tin with 250ml water. Return to the oven. Roast for another 1 hr if you have a 5kg turkey. If your turkey is closer to 4kg, roast for 45 mins.
- 7.
Meanwhile, melt 25g butter in a pan. Stir in 2 tbsp cornflour. Cook, stirring, for 2 mins. Slowly pour in the strained giblet stock and stir to incorporate. Bring the pan to a gentle simmer. Cook for 15- 20 mins, till the gravy has thickened. Set aside, lid on.
- 8.
When the meat thermometer in the turkey hits 60-65°C, transfer the turkey to a board, wrap loosely in foil and rest for 1 hr. Pour the roasting juices into a jug, discarding the lemon slices. Let it sit for 15-30 mins so the fat rises to the surface. Skim off the fat. Pour these juices into the gravy.
- 9.
While the turkey rests, place the stuffing on a tray and bake for 35-40 mins till the juices run clear and there’s no pink meat.
- 10.
Reheat the gravy. Serve with the turkey, stuffing and the cranberry sauce.
- Tip
CLOCK WATCHING:
Your KellyBronze® turkey needs less time to cook than a standard supermarket turkey because of the way it’s been reared. KellyBronze® turkeys are more mature than standard turkeys, so there’s more fat marbling the meat. This fat conducts the heat through the bird more effectively. They’re safer to cook at a lower temperature, and to eat with a little colour in the flesh, because the way the turkeys are cared for reduces the risk of them picking up bacteria. However, the most important thing when roasting your turkey is to check the internal temperature, so we’ve included a meat thermometer with your bird. Insert it into the thickest part of the meat (the thigh) when you’ve turned your turkey over. When the thermometer hits 60°C, take the turkey out of the oven and leave it to rest – but don’t take the thermometer out. The turkey will continue to cook while it’s resting. The thermometer should hit 65°C. This will give you juicy meat, still with a hint of colour. If you prefer your turkey more well-done, let it come to 65°C in the oven, so it reaches 70°C when it’s resting. - Tip
Weighty Check
Your turkey should weigh between 4kg and 5kg. For a 4kg turkey, the total cooking time is 1 hr 45 mins. A 5kg turkey will take 2 hrs. If it’s nearer 6kg, it will take 2 hrs 25 mins. For all weights, let the turkey rest for 1 hr afterwards, so it can keep cooking and reach the right temperature. - Tip
Want crispy skin?
You can leave the skin on the turkey while it rests, or make crispy turkey skin crackling with it. Just peel the skin off the breast and legs, and lay the skin flat on a baking tray. Slide it back into the oven and roast for 10-15 mins till it’s crisp and crunchy. - Tip
Love Your Leftovers:
Leftover roast turkey will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. The best way to store it is to pick all the meat off the carcass, transfer it to a tub and seal. You can store the carcass in the fridge overnight, then use it to make stock.