Roast Turkey with Orange & Thyme Butter & Festive Stuffing

Method

1. 1. Preheat oven to 180 °C/350 °F/Gas Mark 4. Mix the butter, thyme, parsley and orange zest ingredients 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.
2. 2. Stuff the main turkey cavity with the garlic halves, thyme sprigs, and a quarter of the onions, carrots and celery. Truss the turkey then spread the reserved 1 tablespoon of butter mixture over the turkey. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. 3. 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 breasts with foil. Roast for 2 hours.
4. 4. Remove the foil covering the turkey breasts and add another third of the stock to the tin. Continue roasting until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 80 °C, about 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Remove from the oven and transfer the turkey to a warm platter and cover in a loose tent of foil, then let rest 30 minutes.
5. 5. While the turkey is roasting, prepare the 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.
6. 6. 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.
7. 7. Dot 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.
8. 8. When the turkey is cooked, place the tin with the vegetables and cooking juices directly on the hob and add the remaining stock. Bring to the boil, scraping the bottom of the tin with a wooden spoon to remove any sediment. Season to taste and then strain the cooking juices into a small pan, discarding the vegetables. Set aside until needed.
9. 9. To serve, carve the turkey into slices and arrange on warmed plates with the stuffing. Skim any excess fat from the gravy and return to a simmer to warm through, then pour into a warmed gravy jug and hand around separately.

• Main Meals
• Christmas
• Christmas Dinner
• Orange & Thyme Butter
• Traditional Christmas Food
• Stuffing
• Flavoured butter

Ingredients

• US
• METRIC

You'll Need