Turkey delight cravings

When it comes to selecting the Christmas roast, turkey is the obvious choice for many. But very few of us know how to cook it right.

Here are two fail-safe recipes to help even the most modest home cook have an X'mas table hit.

Cider roast turkey (Serves 8)

INGREDIENTS

4.5 to 6kg turkey, giblets removed

450g stuffing

2 leeks, trimmed and halved

2 carrots, halved

50g butter, softened

300ml dry cider

For the gravy

300ml dry cider

600ml chicken stock

2tbsp quince or red currant jelly

METHOD

Heat oven to 190° Celsius/fan 170° Celsius. Wash and dry the turkey after removing feathers. Pull out the giblets and the neck, then set aside. Lift up the skin that covers the neck opening, then stuff the stuffing up and under the skin, securing it tightly underneath with a skewer. Weigh the stuffed turkey, then calculate the cooking time, allowing 40 minutes per kg.

Put the leeks and carrots along the bottom of a roasting tin in a single layer — this will make a trivet for the turkey to sit on and add flavour to the gravy. Add the neck to the tin. Sit the turkey on top and coat the breast with butter. Pour in the cider, cover with foil, then roast according to your timings. At 30 minutes before the end of cooking, remove the foil and season generously.

To test that the turkey is ready, pierce the thigh through its thickest part; the juices should run clear. Take the turkey out and leave to rest, covered with a clean tea towel. Leave to rest for up to one hour. Now make the gravy. Drain the fat and juices into a jug. Place the tin over a flame, then pour in the cider, scraping up the flavour-filled crusty bits with a wooden spoon. Reduce the cider by half, then strain into a saucepan (this will save you hob space later).

From BBC Good Food Magazine

Turkey with caramelised onions (Serves 8)

INGREDIENTS

4.5kg turkey

100g salted butter

2tsp sea salt

2tsp ground black pepper

3 large onions

METHOD

The night before roasting, soften the butter and add half the salt and half the pepper, mixing well. Remove giblets from the bird and wipe it inside and out with kitchen paper. Remove any feathers — if there are a lot you can singe them over a gas flame.

Open the cavity of the bird and season the inside with the remaining salt and pepper. Rub the seasoned butter over the turkey. Take a piece of greaseproof paper twice the size of the breast and fold to give a double layer. Lay this over the breast and return the turkey to the fridge until morning. Calculate your cooking times — allow 20 minutes at high heat, then 30 minutes per kilo after that. A 4.5kg turkey will take approximately 2 1/2 hours to cook.

Heat the oven to 220° Celsius. Take the turkey from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature while the oven is heating. Cut the onions in half and place in the roasting tin. Sit the turkey on a trivet inside the tin. Bring a kettle of water to the boil and carefully pour around 250ml of the hot water into the cavity of the bird. Seal with a skewer. Pour another 500ml of hot water into the roasting tray with the onions. Cover with foil and seal.

Put the lot in the oven and cook for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 200° Celsius for the remaining cooking time. After 1 1/2 hours, remove the foil and the greaseproof paper and close the door. Don't open it again until the cooking time is up. To test whether the turkey is cooked, insert a skewer into the point where the thigh joins the breast. The juice should run clear; if it is pink, then roast for another 20 minutes.

Take the bird from the oven and leave it to rest for 30 minutes. Strain the juice from the bottom of the roasting tin into a large jug to settle. The fat will rise to the top, leaving the aromatic turkey and onion juice beneath. Skim off the fat and thicken the juices if you wish, or serve them as is.

By british celebrity chef John Torode