Here is a classic Christmas turkey recipe but flavoured with thyme, citrus fruit and redcurrant jelly.
Prep time: 60 minutes/Cook time: 210 minutes/Serves: 8-10
Ingredients:
4.5-5.6kg (10-12lb) turkey, thawed if frozen, giblets removed
2x bunches of lemon or regular thyme
1 orange
1 lemon
8 tbsp olive oil
Lightly-spiced Christmas stuffing (see next recipe)
4 bay leaves
4 carrots, halved lengthways and cut into chunks
1 large onion, roughly chopped
50g butter, softened
300ml (1 1/4 cups) red wine
1 tbsp (heaped) redcurrant jelly
600ml turkey or chicken stock
For the vegetables:
10 small red onions, peeled and quartered lengthways but still attached at the root
2 small butternut squash (total weight about 500g [1lb 2oz]), cut into thin wedges and peeled
Method:
Chop the leafy tops of the thyme but not the hard, woody branch ends (save these for the cavity). Finely grate the orange and lemon zest into a small bowl and mix with the chopped thyme, olive oil and seasoning. Mash the mix into the oil with the back of a metal spoon (or use a pestle and mortar) to release its flavour. Set aside to infuse.
Preheat the oven to 190C (170C fan/375F/Gas Mark 5). Wash the turkey inside and out and dry well with kitchen paper. To make carving easier, you can now cut out the wishbone, but it’s not essential.
Put the reserved third of the stuffing in the neck end of the turkey and push it towards the breast. Don’t overfill, as the stuffing will expand during cooking. Secure the neck end flap with a small metal skewer. Weigh the stuffed turkey and calculate the cooking time – allow 18 minutes per 450g (1lb).
Season the turkey generously with salt and pepper inside and out. Halve the orange and lemon and put in the cavity (squeezing the fruit as it goes in) with the thyme branches and two of the bay leaves. Tie the turkey legs together to give the bird a good shape.
Throw the chopped carrots and onion and remaining bay leaves into a large roasting tin. Sit the turkey on top of the vegetables, smear the butter over the skin and cover with a loose tent of foil. Roast the turkey for the calculated time, basting with the pan juices every hour.
Meanwhile, tip the red onions and squash into a shallow roasting tray and toss in half of the thyme oil, making sure you get it right into the cuts in the onions. Set the tray aside.
Half an hour before the end of the turkey’s cooking time, whip off the foil and leave the bird to brown. After 15 minutes, drizzle the turkey with the remaining thyme oil.
To test if the turkey is cooked, insert a skewer into the thickest part of a thigh – the juices should run clear. If they are still pink, cook for a further 20-30 minutes and test again. Remove the turkey from the oven and turn the oven up to 200C (180C fan/400F/Gas Mark 6). Transfer the turkey to a serving platter, cover tightly with foil and leave to rest while you finish off the vegetables and trimmings.
Put the red onions and squash in the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes. At the same time, roast the bacon-wrapped sausages (see Lightly spiced Christmas stuffing, right) for 30 minutes. Now make the gravy. Discard any fat from the roasting tin. Stir the wine and redcurrant jelly into the carrots and onion in the tin. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 8-10 minutes to reduce by half. Scrape the sticky bits off the bottom of the tin with a wooden spoon as the gravy boils. Pour in the stock and simmer for 10 minutes until you have a dark, tasty gravy, adding salt and pepper to taste. Strain the gravy into a pan (discard the vegetables), bring back to the boil and serve in a warm jug.
