Roasting a turkey is really quite simple. Below is a traditional recipe to roast a turkey that will be a winner with your family and friends.
Nowadays, many people buy ready dressed frozen turkeys and use boxes of ready-made stuffing where only water needs to be added but the traditional way of stuffing and cooking a turkey cannot be beat for taste or moisture.
Ingredients:
- 1 fresh turkey without giblets, about 14 lbs
- 6 oz softened butter
- 8 oz fat, streaky bacon
- salt and freshly ground pepper (you can add other herbs and spices of your choice)
For the stuffing:
- 2 lbs pork sausage meat
- 2 ts dried sage
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 4 ts breadcrumbs
- half cup boiling water
- salt and freshly ground pepper (you can add other herbs and spices of your choice)
Directions:
- To make the stuffing place the onion, sage and breadcrumbs together in a large bowl. Add the boiling water and mix to a paste. Finally put in the sausage meat (preferably good quality), season with a generous amount of salt and pepper and mix by hand. Keep to one side.
- Cooking a fresh turkey is a whole day event and really adds to the festive atmosphere. The secret of a perfectly cooked turkey can be attributed to two key things; ensuring the bird has sufficient moisture and the length of cooking time.
- To provide moisture we stuff the bird. There are many variations of stuffing available but a favourite is pork sausage meat, sage and onion. Butter and bacon on the breast of the turkey provide additional moisture.
- The stuffing should be placed in the neck end between the flesh and the skin, then tuck the neck flap under the bird's back and secure it with a small skewer. More stuffing can be put in the body cavity if wanted.
- Then cover the turkey liberally with butter and lay the streaky bacon rashers over the breast of the bird. Finally seasoning it with freshly milled pepper and salt before wrapping it loosely in foil to allow the hot air to escape and keep the turkey moist.
- The turkey should be cooked at a high heat first (pre-heated oven at 220C ,425F ,Gas 7) to seal the juices for 30 or so minutes and then the heat can be reduced to 325F,160C,Gas 3 and the bird cooked for 3½ hours basting from time to time.
- After this raise the oven temperature again to 425F, remove the foil, take off the bacon, pour off the juices for the gravy and roast the turkey to allow the breast to brown.
- The turkey is cooked if the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a small skewer. They should not be pink.
- Finally, let the rest turkey rest in foil for 30 minutes to an hour before serving. During this time the gravy (using the fat and juices from the cooking tin) and the trimmings can be finished off.
Serve with crispy roast potatoes (prepared in goose fat is delicious), roast parsnips coated in grated parmesan, brussel sprouts with crispy bacon and toasted almonds, cranberry sauce and white wine gravy (made with the cooking juices).
Other vegetable accompaniments can also be served.
The copyright of the article Traditional Roast Turkey Recipe in Seasonal Cooking is owned by Ankie Renique. Permission to republish Traditional Roast Turkey Recipe in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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