A Christmas Turkey to celebrate with your loved ones
By Amanda Scali

24/11/2020 12:02pm

A Christmas Turkey to celebrate with your loved ones
What a year 2020 has been! No doubt celebrating Christmas with those you love will be more important than ever this year given all the craziness, and we are hoping that you can be together with your nearest and dearest this year.
 
If you are hosting Christmas, you might be looking to cook up a traditional Christmas Turkey for all to enjoy. And if you are isolated from your family this year, maybe you could both cook the same turkey recipe and enjoy it via Skype or Facetime together.
 
Here is a recipe that is sure to delight on Christmas night.
 
 
What you’ll need:
 
5-6kg turkey
150g butter
3 cloves of garlic finely grated
A large handful of mixed herbs such as parsley, thyme or bay leaves picked and chopped, stalks reserved, plus extra thyme and herbs to serve
2 lemons halved, 1 juiced
1 onion roughly chopped
2 carrots roughly chopped
 
For the gravy
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tsp yeast extract
A large glass of red wine (about 200ml)
500ml chicken or turkey stock
 
 
Method:
 
12 hrs before cooking, loosen the skin over the turkey breast so you can get your hands underneath it.
 
Season the bird all over, including under the skin, with 2 tbsp sea salt.
 
Put the turkey in a large roasting pan breast-side up. Leave uncovered in the fridge until ready to cook.
 
Remove the turkey from the fridge at least 1 hr before cooking. Heat the oven to 240C.
 
Melt the butter in a pan set over low heat, then add the garlic, chopped herbs and lemon juice. Sizzle for 1 min, remove from the heat and leave to cool a little.
 
Remove the turkey from the tin and scatter in the onions, carrots, turkey neck and giblets. Put a roasting rack, trivet or ovenproof cooling rack in or over the tray and sit the turkey on top.
 
Stuff the squeezed and whole lemons in the turkey cavity with the herb stalks and extra thyme. Lift the skin and spoon about 4 tbsp of the garlicky herb butter over the meat underneath, then massage the skin to spread it out. Brush most of the remaining butter all over the bird, reserving about 2 tbsp. For a neat finish, tie the wings and legs together.
 
Put the turkey in the oven and reduce the heat to 180C.
 
Roast for 1 hr, then remove from the oven and brush with more of the butter. Turn the tin around and return to the oven for another 30 mins. Brush again with the butter and roast for another 30 mins.
 
After the turkey has had 2 hrs in total, check its temperature with a thermometer. It's cooked perfectly when the thickest part of the breast reads about 65C, and the thickest part of the thigh reads 75C. 
 
If the temperature is lower, return the turkey to the oven for periods of 15 mins until the temperature is reached. Cool for 10 mins on the rack, then transfer to a board and leave upside down – the turkey should rest for at least another 20 mins and will stay hot for at least 40 mins more.
 
Meanwhile, make the gravy. If the roasting tin is flameproof, put it directly over medium heat. If not, scrape the contents into a large, shallow pan. Scatter over the flour and stir to make a paste. Add the soy sauce and yeast extract, stir, then pour in the wine and combine to form a thick paste. Pour in the stock and turkey juices (if you aren't already cooking them in the roasting tin). Simmer for about 5 mins, stirring to make rich gravy. Strain into a jug or pan to reheat when needed.
 
Put the turkey on a platter, then serve with the gravy and other trimmings of your choice.