Easy Christmas Turkey
Roast turkey stuffed with garlic, lemon and bay leaves, buttered with rosemary under the skin, served with shallots and wine.
- 100 g butter, softened
- 3 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked and finely chopped
- 1 turkey (around 4kg), giblets removed
- 1 garlic bulb
- 1 lemon, halved
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 banana shallot, unpeeled, cut in half lengthways
- 250 ml white wine
- 1 red cabbage (about 900g), cut into wedges
- 500 ml good-quality chicken stock
- 1 tsp cornflour (optional)
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Add to a shopping listHow the shopping list works →- Step 1
Take your turkey out of the fridge at least 1 hr before you cook it.
- Step 2
Heat oven to 200 C/180 C fan/ gas 6 and beat the butter with the rosemary.
- Step 3
Starting from the neck of the turkey, carefully push your fingers underneath the skin until you can get your whole hand between the skin and the breast meat.
- Step 4
Trying not to tear the skin as you go, spread the butter inside the pocket, squishing some into the crevice between the thigh and breast meat.
- Step 5
Put the garlic, lemon and bay leaves inside the turkey, then season liberally all over.
- Step 6
Put the shallots in your largest flameproof roasting tin and put the turkey on top, breast-side up.
- Step 7
Roast for 1 hr, then give it a good baste, pour in the wine and nestle the cabbage wedges in the tin (or underneath the turkey if they won’t fit).
- Step 8
Return to the oven for another 30 mins – covered with foil if the turkey is looking too brown.
- Step 9
The juices should run clear when you pierce the thickest part of the thigh, or a thermometer should read 75 C. If not done, carry on cooking for a further 5-10 mins.
- Step 10
Set aside the turkey on a board to rest for 1 hr, transferring the garlic and bay to the roasting tin for the gravy.
- Step 11
If you want crispy skin, don’t cover the turkey.
- Step 12
Wrap the cabbage wedges in two parcels of foil, with a spoonful of the turkey juices, season liberally and return to the bottom of the oven to carry on cooking while the turkey rests.
- Step 13
Spoon away most of the turkey fat, then put the tin on the hob over a medium heat.
- Step 14
Mash the veg with the back of a wooden spoon to extract as much flavour as possible, then pour in the stock and reduce the gravy by half.
- Step 15
If you want to thicken it, stir in the cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp water.
- Step 16
Once happy with the consistency, strain and keep warm until ready to eat.
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