- 4-5kg organic turkey with giblets
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 1 bouquet garni
- 1 lemon
- 1 garlic bulb
- A handful of rosemary
- 50g butter, room temperature
- 454g pork stuffing with sage & onion
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 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 your 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.
While the turkey comes to room temperature, make a giblet stock. Fill your kettle and boil it. Peel and thickly slice the onion. Scrub and thickly slice 2 carrots. Pour 1 tbsp oil into a pan and warm to a medium-high heat. Add the giblets. Season with salt and pepper. Fry for 3-4 mins, turning, till browned.
- 3.
Add the onion and carrots to the pan. Drop in the bouquet garni. Pour in 1 ltr hot water from the kettle. Bring to the boil, then cover the pan with a lid, reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 1 hr. When cooked, strain the stock into a jug.
- 4.
While the stock simmers, make the lemon, rosemary and garlic butter. Finely grate the lemon zest into a bowl, then slice the lemon horizontally into thick rounds and spread them out in a large roasting tin. Set aside. Finely grate or crush 2 garlic cloves into the bowl. Cut the remaining bulb in half horizontally and add tuck into the turkey's body cavity. Finely chop the rosemary leaves and add to the bowl. Add 25g of the room temperature butter with a pinch of salt and pepper, and 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 (see our guide to weights and cooking times, overleaf). Pop the turkey on top of the lemons, breast-side down. Pour 500ml hot water from the kettle around (but not over) the turkey. Pop the turkey in the oven on the middle shelf. Roast for 1 hr (this is the same, whether your bird weighs 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 of the turkey. Use a sharp knife to slice through the skin between the legs and breast to allow the juices to drain out and 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 and roast for another 1 hr for a 5 kg turkey. If your turkey is closer to 4kg, roast for 45 mins.
- 7.
Meanwhile, make the gravy. Melt 25g butter in a pan and warm to medium heat. Stir 2 tbsp cornflour into the melted butter and cook, stirring, for 2 mins. Slowly pour in the strained giblet stock and stir to incorporate. Bring the pan to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 mins, till the gravy has thickened, then set aside, lid on.
- 8.
When the meat thermometer in the turkey hits 60-65°C (see timings tip, below), transfer the turkey to a board, wrap loosely in foil and rest for 1 hr. Pour the roasting juices into a jug, discarding the lemons and garlic. Let it sit for 15-30 mins so the fat rises to the surface. Skim off the fat. Pour the juices into the gravy, stir then reheat just before serving.
- 9.
While the turkey rests, place the stuffing on a tray and bake for 35-40 mins, thrning regularly, till the juices rub clear and there's no pink meat.
- 10.
Serve the turkey with the gravy, apple stuffing and the cranberry sauce.
- Tip
CLOCK WATCHING:
Your KellyBronze® turkey needs less time to cook than standard supermarket turkeys because of the way it has been reared. KellyBronze® turkeys are more mature than standard turkeys, so there is more fat marbling the meat. This fat conducts the heat through the bird more effectively. They are also 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 do not take the thermometer out. The turkey will continue to cook while it’s resting, so the thermometer should hit 65°C. This will give you juicy meat, still with a hint of colour to the flesh. If you prefer your turkey a little more well done, let it come to 65°C in the oven, so it reaches 70°C when it’s resting. - Tip
Weighty matters:
Your turkey will 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 is 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 – the important thing is to keep your eye on the thermometer. That’s how you’ll know your bird is ready. - 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 on Boxing Day. To make stock, pop the carcass in a large pan with sliced onion, carrots, celery and herbs, such as thyme, parsley or bay. Cover with cold water, pop on a lid and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 3 hrs. Strain the stock into a bowl or jug, discarding the carcass and veg. The stock is great for turkey soup, curries, risotto or stews.
