2019-12-01_Red_UK

1 Take the turkey out of the fridge and remove any wrappings,
giblets or trussing 1hr before cooking. Pat dry with kitchen
paper and use tweezers to pluck out any stray feathers. Allow
the turkey to come up to room temperature. Weigh the turkey
and calculate the cooking time, allowing 30-35min per kg.
2 Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan) mark 5. Finely grate
the zest of 2 of the clementines into a medium bowl. Halve the
zested and unzested clementines and set aside. To the zest
bowl, add the softened butter, leaves from half the thyme
sprigs, garlic, maple syrup and some seasoning. Mix.
3 Lift up the turkey neck flap and use your fingers to ease the skin
gently away from some of the breast meat. Work half the butter
mixture under the skin and over the breast. Place the zested, halved
clementines and remaining thyme sprigs in the central turkey cavity.
4 Make a trivet in a large, sturdy roasting tin with onion slices.
Loosely tie the turkey legs together with kitchen string and rub the
remaining flavoured butter all over the bird. Add the remaining
halved clementines to the tin along with 100ml water and loosely
cover the tin with foil.
5 Roast for the calculated time, basting occasionally. Remove the
foil for the last 30min of cooking. To check the turkey is cooked,
insert a fork into the thickest part of the breast and check that
the juices run golden and clear. If there’s any red tinge to the
juice, return the bird to the oven and keep checking every 10min.
Alternatively, use a meat thermometer – the temperature needs to
read at least 72°C when inserted into the thickest part of the breast.
6 Transfer the turkey to a board (set aside the roasting tin for
gravy); cover well with foil and tea towels to help keep the heat
in. Leave to rest in a warm place for at least 30min or up to 1¼hr.
7 Make the gravy. Spoon off all but about 2tbsp excess fat from
the roasting tin (leaving other roasting remains in tin). Put the
tin over medium hob heat and whisk in the flour, mashing the
onion and clementines as you go. Cook, whisking, for 1min.
Whisk in the sherry (scraping up all the sticky bits from the base
of the tin) and leave to bubble for a few min. Whisk in 350ml
water and leave to simmer, whisking occasionally, for a couple
of min, until thickened. Strain into a warmed gravy jug or clean
pan (to reheat when needed). Check seasoning.
8 To serve, unwrap turkey and transfer to a warm serving plate.
Garnish with extra thyme sprigs and fried clementine wedges,
if you like. Serve with gravy.

Maple and clementine

turkey with sherry gravy

If you want to stuff the bird under the skin, remember

to weigh it after stuffing to calculate the cooking time.

SERVES 8 with leftovers

PREPARATION TIME 45min,

plus resting

COOKING TIME about 3¼hr

O5.4kg free-range turkey

O4 clementines, plus extra

to garnish, optional

O125g butter, softened

O8 thyme sprigs, plus extra,

optional, to garnish

O2 fat garlic cloves, crushed

O3tbsp maple syrup

O2 large onions, skin on,

thickly sliced

FOR THE GRAVY

O25g plain flour

O150ml dry sherry