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My Essential Christmas Turkey Recipe | DonalSkehan.com
  • christmas

My Essential Christmas Turkey Recipe

December 07

A great tip for testing if your turkey is to invest in a meat thermometer, they are invaluable at this time of year to ensure the perfectly cooked bird. I prefer to use a free range or organic bird for this special occasion. If you want to carve it at the table, fill the neck cavity with a bunch of fresh herbs and arrange the roast potatoes and Parmesan crusted parsnips around it, draping them with redcurrant sprigs for that festive touch!

  • serves Serves 8
  • time 40mins + 5h + 20mins

Method

  1. 1. For the turkey:
    Up to two days before the big feast, in a bowl combine the ingredients for the dry brine. Massage all over the turkey in a large roasting tin paying extra attention to the interior cavity. Cover and leave to refrigerate until you’re ready to cook. Remove from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature brushing away any excess dry rub.
  2. 2. Once ready to cook, preheat the oven to 180°C/350 °F/Gas Mark 4. Mix the butter, thyme, sage, parsley and orange zest in a medium bowl. Season the butter mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Beginning at the neck end of the turkey and using your fingers, carefully make a pocket between the flesh and skin of the turkey breasts. Gently slide all but 1 tablespoon of the butter mixture into the pocket under the skin, and spread the butter to cover the turkey breasts.
  3. 3. Stuff the main turkey cavity with the garlic halves, thyme sprigs, and a quarter of the onions, carrots & celery. Truss the turkey then spread the reserved butter mixture over the turkey. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. 4. Place the remaining onions, carrots, and celery in the bottom of a heavy, large roasting tin. Place the prepared turkey on top of the vegetables and pour around a third of the stock. Cover the bird with foil and roast for 2 hours.
  5. 5. Remove the foil covering and add another third of the stock to the tin. Continue roasting until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest thigh registers 80 °C/175°F, for a total of approximately 3 ½ to 4 hours (cooking time may vary so rely on the internal cooking temperature). Remove from the oven and transfer the turkey to a warm platter, cover in a loose tent of foil and rest for 30 minutes.
  6. 6. For the stuffing:
    While the turkey is roasting, prepare the baked stuffing. Tip the cranberries into a bowl and cover with boiling water. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan and soften the onion. Tip into a large bowl and leave to cool. Add the almonds to the same pan and toast until golden brown. Leave to cool, then roughly chop.
  7. 7. With their peel on, whizz the Clementine quarters in a food processor until puréed. Drain the cranberries. Add the nuts, Clementine purée, cranberries and the remaining ingredients, except the butter, to the onion, with plenty of seasoning. Stir everything together, then tip into a casserole dish(this is a great element to prepare in advance and keep covered in the fridge).
  8. 8. Dot the stuffing with butter, cover with foil and roast in the oven with the turkey for 30 minutes. Uncover, give everything a good stir and then roast for a further 10-15 minutes until crisp and golden, tossing again to ensure it cooks evenly. If necessary, this can be kept warm in a low oven covered with foil until needed.
  9. 9. For the gravy:
    When the turkey is cooked, strain all the vegetables and save the cooking juices. Place the roasting tin directly on the hob and add the port. Bring to the boil, scraping the bottom of the tin with a wooden spoon to remove any sediment. Whisk in the flour until well combined and then gradually whisk through the remaining stock and reserved cooking juices. Season to taste, set aside and keep warm until needed.
  10. 10. To serve, carve the turkey into slices and arrange on warmed plates with the stuffing, sides and hot gravy.

Ingredients

For the dry brine:

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp black peppercorns, ground

3 tbsp sea salt

2 tbsp sugar

Zest from 2 oranges

 

For the orange & thyme butter:

1 stick softened butter

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves

2 tsp finely grated orange zest

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Seasoning the turkey:

12-14lb turkey, neck and giblets removed

1 garlic head, halved horizontal

small handful fresh thyme sprigs

2 onions, thickly sliced

2 carrots, thickly sliced on the diagonal

2 celery stalks, thickly sliced on the diagonal

Handful garlic cloves, peeled

20 fl oz turkey or chicken stock 

 

For the baked cranberry stuffing:

handful dried cranberries

1⁄2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

small handful blanched almonds

2 clementine’s, peel on, quartered

handful dried figs, roughly chopped

1 eating apple, grated (core discarded)

1⁄4 tsp ground allspice

12oz fresh white breadcrumbs

1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

Large knob of butter

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

For the gravy:

3 tbsp plain flour

1/3cup port, sherry or white wine

 

For the dry brine:

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp black peppercorns, ground

3 tbsp sea salt

2 tbsp sugar

Zest from 2 oranges

 

For the orange & thyme butter:

100g softened butter

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves

2 tsp finely grated orange zest

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Seasoning the turkey:

12-14lb turkey, neck and giblets removed

1 garlic head, halved horizontal

small handful fresh thyme sprigs

2 onions, thickly sliced

2 carrots, thickly sliced on the diagonal

2 celery stalks, thickly sliced on the diagonal

Handful garlic cloves, peeled

600ml turkey or chicken stock 

 

For the baked cranberry stuffing:

100g dried cranberries

1⁄2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

50g blanched almonds

2 clementine’s, peel on, quartered

100g dried figs, roughly chopped

1 eating apple, grated (core discarded)

1⁄4 tsp ground allspice

350g fresh white breadcrumbs

1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

Large knob of butter

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

For the gravy:

3 tbsp plain flour

75ml port, sherry or white wine

 

You'll Need

large bowls

large roasting tin

heavy large roasting tin

space in fridge