For many the Christmas turkey is the pinnacle of the festive season. Sitting and eating a mouthwatering turkey with the family on Christmas day has become something that almost every family finds themselves looking forward to (alongside opening all the exciting present on Christmas morning)
There’s quite some pressure to get everything right, to keep the bird succulent and tasty and for all the trimmings to be just perfect.
There are many tried and tested methods, each claiming to offer the ultimate in roast turkey perfection. Whilst there is no definitively right way to roast a turkey as every approach will ultimately lead to a slightly different taste and texture, there are some universal tips you might like to bear in mind.
Bring the bird to room temperature before it reaches the oven.
Don’t over stuff the stuffing! Too much stuffing will raise the cooking time massively (which is something you’ll want to take into consideration beforehand)
Save the run off juice for gravy – it’s precious and tastes phenomenal.
Use tin foil if you need to saviour some extra moisture.
Don’t worry about getting it “perfect” and remember, “It’s only a big chicken” 😉
A truly amazing roast doesn’t have to be overly complicated! This simple recipe will leave you wanting more:
- Preheat the oven to 210ºC/Gas mark 7.
- Season the turkey inside and out.
- Place the stuffed turkey into a roasting tray and spread butter over the entire bird.
- Cover with pancetta
- Place onions, leeks, carrots, celery, half a bulb of garlic, 10g of thyme and a handful of bay leaves all around the base of the turkey. Then pour 1 litre of water into the roasting tray and cover the entire tray with tin foil.
- Ensure your tin foil covers the turkey and roasting tray snuggly so that the turkey will steam away.
- Place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes. Turn the oven right down to 170ºC (Gas mark 3) and continue cooking for another 2 hours.
- For the final half hour of cooking remove your turkey from the tin foil and peel off the pancetta.
- Now turn the oven up to 200ºC (Gas mark 6) and roast until the skin of the turkey is golden brown and crispy.
- Once fully rested roasted remove from the oven and allow to rest for 45 minutes
- To serve, carve the turkey and serve with vegetables and the gravy saved from earlier.
Now armed with these top tips, you’ll have no problem impressing the whole family with a delicious turkey this Christmas!