- 250g butter, at room temperature (I use salted, but you can use unsalted if you prefer)
- 2 packs of streaky bacon
- 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 large stalks of thyme, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons fresh tarragon, finely chopped
- Salt and black pepper (if preferred)
- 1x5kg turkey
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1 orange, quartered
- 1 lemon, quartered
- Trivet
- An extra large roll of aluminium foil
- 1l chicken or turkey stock
- In a bowl, mix the ingredients above and set aside.
- I’m assuming at this stage your turkey is thoroughly defrosted and your oven is pre-heated. Or, in my case, I prepare the turkey like I will describe night before and leave it in a cool place so it’s ready for the oven on Christmas day.
- Stuff the empty cavity of the turkey with the onion, orange and lemon and tie the legs together with bakers twine. It does not matter if the fruit seems to be trying to burst out of the cavity. It looks great when served.
- Using one hand, lift the piece of skin at the cavity end of the turkey and slide your hand under the skin, feeling your way along to lift the sinew and skin away from the turkey breast meat. You are doing this to form a cavity between the skin and breast meat in which to stuff the herbed butter. BE CAREFUL not to pierce the skin.
- Divide the herbed butter into two equal portions and push the butter under the skin of the turkey onto the breast as evenly as possible on both sides. Now criss cross the bacon flat onto the turkey breast in a kind of braid pattern.
- Place your turkey, breast side up on the trivet in your oven tray. If you do not have a trivet ( a large wire rack that fits into your oven tray), roll up some large balls of aluminium foil (about 6 balls) and squash them down on one side and place at the bottom of the oven tray. Place your turkey on top of this. Now fill the bottom of the oven tray with the stock and cover the turkey with aluminium foil so that it tucks under the edges of the oven tray. You are creating a great environment to almost steam your turkey, sealing in the moisture. The turkey will drip it’s wonderful juices and herbed butter into the stock making for a fantastic gravy later.
- Cook the turkey according to the package instructions on suggested temperature and cooking length. If you notice the stock running low (it shouldn’t) at any time during the cooking stage, top it up with a little warm water.
- I have cooked according to the package instructions but I have also, baked the turkey on 220 degrees for 20 minutes or so before turning the oven down to 180 degrees to cook the rest of the time. I do not baste with the turkey with the juices because I don’t think it needs this but if you’re a baster, I’m sure it won’t do any harm!
- To be honest, I only check the turkey once for liquid in the bottom of the pan and only once the turkey has done it’s allotted time (as stated on the package), then I take it out a pierce the thickest part of the leg. If the juices run almost clear, I know the turkey is practically done and that’s when I put it back in the oven for 30 minutes without the foil on for the bacon browning stage. I check again once it’s had the bacon browing to double check it’s done.
- Once the turkey is done, allow it to rest for about 30 minutes in a warm place. THIS IS UUUUUUUUBER IMPORTANT! Allowing meat to rest means rather than carving it immediately and letting the gorgeous juices run out onto your board, you are allowing the juices to sink back into the meat. I ALWAYS rest my turkey on the breast (which tends to be the driest part) so when those lovely juices go back into the meat.
- To serve my turkey, I place a few sprigs of leftover herbs in between the fruit in the cavity.DO NOT toss out the stock that is left over in the pan after roasting your turkey. Set them aside until you are ready to make your gravy then make it up in your usual method.
Please try this method. The turkey really comes out sooooooooo great you will never try another turkey recipe ever again.
Bright blessings,
Leo