The ultimate Christmas turkey recipe

butter

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Olive oil is lower in saturated fat.

fresh herbs

🥗Healthier: dried herbs

💰Cheaper: spices

Dried herbs are more accessible and cost-effective.

chicken broth

🥗Healthier: vegetable broth

💰Cheaper: water with seasoning

Vegetable broth is lighter and can be made from scraps.

bread crumbs

🥗Healthier: oats

💰Cheaper: crushed crackers

Oats provide fiber and are often cheaper.

Welcome to the cooking show and Merry Christmas!

Gather ingredients for the turkey: 1 lemon, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, cooked chestnuts, dried sweetened cranberries, carrots, clementines, 2 white onions, good quality chicken stock, smoked bacon, salt, pepper, plain sausage meat, and a 3.5 kg turkey.

Start with the stuffing: In a bowl, combine chopped chestnuts, cranberries, fresh rosemary, thyme, and sausage meat. Finely chop all ingredients and mix them together with your hands until well incorporated.

Prepare the flavored butter: Soften a stick of butter at room temperature, then mix in chopped cranberries and chestnuts. Get your hands in there to combine well.

Prepare the roasting tin: Place a wire rack in a roasting tin and add chopped carrots and clementines for flavor. These will not end up in the gravy but will help flavor the turkey.

Make the gravy: After roasting, use the drippings from the turkey and mix with a tablespoon of flour, then simmer until thickened. This will create a beautiful gravy.

Prepare the turkey: Create a pocket under the skin of the turkey to insert the flavored butter. Massage the butter under the skin to keep the turkey moist during cooking.

Stuff the turkey: Add the sausage stuffing into the cavity of the turkey, ensuring not to overstuff it to allow for even cooking. Also, add lemon and clementine to the cavity for moisture.

Cover the turkey with a layer of smoked bacon for flavor and moisture. This will help to keep the turkey from drying out.

Transfer the turkey onto the wire rack in the roasting tin with the trivet ingredients. Add giblets to the roasting tin for flavor.

Roast the turkey in the oven, which will take about 2 hours and 20 minutes. No need to baste during cooking as the butter will keep it moist.

Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for at least an hour before carving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens