Roast turkey with sour cherry and chestnut stuffing
Allow this recipe to serve as your handbook to making a traditional roast turkey dinner, replete with trimmings
| PREP TIME | 30 m |
|---|---|
| COOK TIME | 3h |
| SERVES | 6-8 |
150gm soft butter
1 young turkey, approx. 3-3.5kg
750gm stale white bread, crusts cut off, diced
1 onion, diced
200gm sour cherries (about a jar)
3 ½ tbsp (50gm) melted butter
1 unwaxed lemon, halved, zest grated
1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
250gm cooked chestnuts, chopped
2 eggs
100ml cream
2 sprigs thyme, leaves removed
For the gravy
200ml veal stock
200ml chicken stock
3 ½ tbsp (50gm) cranberry sauce
200ml cream
Ground cinnamon
For the sprouts
1kg Brussels sprouts, base scored
20gm butter
Nutmeg
1. Heat the oven to 180°C and grease a roasting tin with some of the butter.
2. Season the turkey inside and out with salt and ground black pepper.
3. Place the bread, onion and cherries in a bowl. Stir in the butter, lemon zest, parsley and chestnuts. Season with salt and ground black pepper.
4. Place half of the stuffing mixture into a baking dish to serve as a side dish. Add the eggs and the cream to the rest and mix well. Stuff into the turkey along with the lemon and tie the legs closed with kitchen twine.
5. Place the turkey, breast side up, in the prepared roasting tin and cover with a damp cloth. Roast at the bottom of the oven for 2-2.5 hours, basting occasionally with the remaining butter and some water if necessary. Remove the cloth for the final 45 minutes and put the stuffing into the oven.
6. To make the gravy, place the chicken and veal stock, cranberry sauce and cream in a pot and simmer until thick, adding a little cornflour to bind if necessary. Season with salt, ground black pepper and cinnamon.
7. Cook the Brussels sprouts in saltwater. Drain and swirl in the hot butter, season with salt and nutmeg.
8. Remove the turkey and stuffing from the oven and arrange on a platter. Garnish with thyme leaves and fruit, if desired. Serve with stuffing, sprouts and gravy.
Image courtesy: Jonathan Gregson/Stockfood