It is that time of year again when you have everyone round the dinner table to enjoy a festive feast of succulent roast turkey. The one recipe that all my family thoroughly enjoy is Roast Turkey with Chestnut & Bacon Stuffing.
This stuffing is light, buttery, flavoursome made with fresh herbs and is very simple to put together. When it comes to making the very best roast turkey, you need to start with the very finest Irish turkey, preferably a bronze turkey which will give the very best results.
In this recipe, I used Glenilen country butter on the bird and in the stuffing which is made from the finest west cork produce using delicious sea salt....
This stuffing is light, buttery, flavoursome made with fresh herbs and is very simple to put together. When it comes to making the very best roast turkey, you need to start with the very finest Irish turkey, preferably a bronze turkey which will give the very best results.
In this recipe, I used Glenilen country butter on the bird and in the stuffing which is made from the finest west cork produce using delicious sea salt....
Shopping List:
Turkey:
- 10lb or 4.5kg Bronze Turkey (keep turkey giblets for stock).
- 100g Irish Country Butter.
- 6-8 Pieces of Streaky Bacon.
- Salt & Black Pepper.
Stuffing:
- 3 Medium Onions (diced).
- 200g Bacon Lardons (or chopped bacon).
- 150g Country Butter.
- 350g Breadcrumbs.
- 1 Clove Garlic (crushed).
- 200g Chestnuts (vac pac, roughly chopped).
- 30g Fresh Thyme (chopped).
- 20g Fresh Parsley (chopped).
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper.
Cranberry Sauce
- 250g Fresh Cranberries.
- 100g Muscovado Sugar.
- 125ml Port.
- Zest and Juice of 1 Orange.
Giblet Stock:
- Turkey Giblets (discard the liver).
- 1 Onion (sliced).
- 1 Carrot (sliced).
- A Stick of Celery (sliced).
- 3 Sprigs of Thyme.
- 3 Sprigs of Parsley.
- 1 Bay Leaf.
- 6 Whole Peppercorns.
- 1 Garlic Clove.
- A Generous Pinch of Sea Salt.
Gravy
- 500ml Turkey Stock.
- Roux (25g flour mixed with 25g butter).
Method:
Christmas Eve:
In order to give yourself sufficient time on Christmas day; make the stock, cranberry sauce and stuffing Christmas Eve while leaving your turkey come up to room temperature overnight in a cool dry place.
In order to give yourself sufficient time on Christmas day; make the stock, cranberry sauce and stuffing Christmas Eve while leaving your turkey come up to room temperature overnight in a cool dry place.
1. Remove the giblets from inside your bird and wash (discarding the liver as it will make the stock bitter).
2. Bring a large heavy bottomed saucepan with 900ml of water to the boil. Add in the giblets, onion, celery, herbs, garlic and bay leaf to the pot. Bring to the boil once more, then simmer for 1 hour.
3. Using a large metal spoon remove the stock froth from the surface of the liquid and discard. Pour the stock into a container, allowing it to cool and refrigerate until needed.
For The Chestnut Stuffing:
1. Sweat the onions, bacon and garlic in the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan over a gentle heat until soft about 7-10mins. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
2. Add the chestnuts, herbs, for a further 2-3 minutes before mixing in the breadcrumbs. Allow to cool before covering and placing in the fridge.
For The Buttered Turkey:
The turkey needs to come up to room temperature before roasting which can take a number of hours. On Christmas Eve, wash the cavity of the bird, season and cover your bird. Leave in a cool place over night allowing you to roast first thing Christmas morning.
For The Cranberry Sauce:
1. Place the cranberries in a heavy bottomed sauce pan with 150ml cold water and bring to the boil.
2. Once boiled reduce the heat, add the orange juice, zest, sugar and simmer for 10 minutes until the berries start to burst and the sauce is thickened. Allow to cool before placing in the fridge until ready to serve.
2. Once boiled reduce the heat, add the orange juice, zest, sugar and simmer for 10 minutes until the berries start to burst and the sauce is thickened. Allow to cool before placing in the fridge until ready to serve.
Christmas Morning:
For The Roast Turkey:
There are many different ways to roast a turke, but I find this one to work very well. Preheat your non-fan assisted oven to 220ºC or Gas Mark 7, then calculate your cooking time as below weighing the bird (including the stuffing). The general rule of thumb is 15 min per lb (450g) + 30 mins over with the table below being a good reference point:
- (10lb) = 2 hours
- (12lb) = 2½ hours
- (17lb) = 3 hours
- (20lb) = 3½ hours
- (25lb) = 4½ hours
1. Smear your turkey liberally with pure Irish country butter, salt, black pepper and place 6-8 strips of streaky bacon on top. Cover with foil and roast the turkey in the oven for the first 30 mins at 220ºC or gas mark 7.
2. After 30 mins baste your turkey once more, cover in foil again, lower the temperature to 180ºC or gas mark 4 for the guided times above and continue to baste your turkey at 30 minute intervals throughout cooking.
3. Remove the foil, baste your turkey once more, and increase the temperature again to 220ºC for the final 30 minutes.
4. The turkey is cooked when the thickest part of the turkey's leg is pierced with a skewer and the juices run clear. If the juices are still pink, place the turkey back in the oven and keep checking at 15 minute intervals until the juices have run clear.
5. Place the turkey on a serving plate allowing to rest for 40mins to 1 hour before carving.
Note: The timings above are approximate guidelines. Ovens vary so just use the above scale as an approximate guide and the skewer test to ensure the turkey is cooked thoroughly.
4. The turkey is cooked when the thickest part of the turkey's leg is pierced with a skewer and the juices run clear. If the juices are still pink, place the turkey back in the oven and keep checking at 15 minute intervals until the juices have run clear.
5. Place the turkey on a serving plate allowing to rest for 40mins to 1 hour before carving.
Note: The timings above are approximate guidelines. Ovens vary so just use the above scale as an approximate guide and the skewer test to ensure the turkey is cooked thoroughly.
1. Warm 500 ml of turkey stock, while the stock is warming strain the fat from the roasting tin leaving only the juices.
2. Pour the stock over, grate in small amounts of chilled roux and whisk with the juices over a gentle heat until it turns a smooth delicious golden brown.
3. Serve in a warmed gravy boat alongside the turkey with all the trimmings.
Perhaps Something Sweet For Dessert?
Try something different like Pedro Ximenez Chocolate Tart recipe here.
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Photography: Jakub Walutek Photography
Got questions or comments about this recipe? Email Dermie.
