SERVES 8-10
1 oven-ready turkey,
about 5kg, with giblets,
at room temperature
250g unsalted butter,
softened
2 tsp truffle paste
(or 1-2 grated fresh
black truffles)
sea salt and black pepper
1 lemon, halved
1 orange, halved
1 large onion, peeled and
halved
1 head of garlic, halved
horizontally
2 bay leaves
small handful of thyme
sprigs
MUSHROOM STUFFING
3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra
to drizzle
500g chestnut
mushrooms, trimmed
and chopped
2 large onions, peeled
and finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely
chopped
4 smoked bacon rashers,
derinded and chopped
204 WEEKEND ROASTS
Christmas roast
turkey infused with truffles
Few things are more festive than a traditional roast turkey.
To ensure a moist, succulent bird, we stuff lots of butter
between the skin and breast meat, flavourin g the butter
with fresh black t ruffles or truffle paste for a treat.Preheat the oven to 22o°ClGas 7. Pat the t he turkey dry inside and out
with kitchen paper. Mash the butter in a bowl and beat in the truffle
paste (or truffles) with some seasoning. Spoon into a piping bag fitted
with a 1cm plain nozzle. Working from the neck end, use your f ingers to
carefully loosen the skin covering the breasts and thighs, t hen pipe the
truffle butter underneath. Massage the skin to spread t he butter evenly.Season the cavity w it h salt and pepper, then stUT 'it h the lemon,
orange, onion, garlic and herbs. Spread any remaining butter over the
breast and season well. Put the turkey into a lightly o iled roasting tin
and roast for 15 minutes, then lower the oven setting to 18 0°ClGas 4.
Roast for a further 13 /4-2% hours, basting every half-hour w ith the pan
juices. (Timing will vary according to the size and shape of the bird, so
check for doneness after 1% hours.)While the turkey is roasting, make the stuffing. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in
a wide frying pan and fry the mushrooms over a high heat until golden
brown and most of the moisture released has cooked off, then tip into
a bowl. Heat the remaining oil in the pan and fry the onions, celery and
bacon for 6-8 minutes to soften and colou r. Add to the mushrooms
with the breadcrumbs, stock and herbs. Finally, stir in the beaten eggs.Either shape the stuffing into golf-ball-sized balls w ith floured hands
and place on an oiled roasting tray, or loosely pack into a goog loaf
tin. Drizzle lightly with oil before baking, allowing 20-30 minutes for
stuffing balls, or 35-45 minutes for a loaf tin.