Roast Turkey

ServeS 6, pluS leftoverS

9oz (2 sticks/250g) butter, at room temperature

3 onions (1 finely chopped, 2 peeled and quartered)

4¼oz (125g) fresh bread crumbs

handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

9lb (4kg) whole turkey

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1 First, make the stuffing. Melt half of the butter in a medium frying pan over low heat, add the chopped onion, and cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Remove from the heat, and stir in the bread crumbs and parsley. Season well with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

2 Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the turkey in a roasting pan, and season inside and out. Smear with the remaining butter. Stuff the quartered onions inside the cavity, and the stuffing into the neck end. Roast for about 20 minutes until the skin begins to turn golden, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C).

3 Loosely cover the turkey with foil, and roast for 20 minutes per pound. Baste every hour with the juices from the pan, and check to see if the turkey is cooked about 20 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Pierce a meaty part of the bird with a skewer. If the juices run clear, it is done; if not, cook for a little longer.

Remove the foil for the last 10–15 minutes.

4 Remove the turkey from the pan, and transfer to a warmed platter. Cover loosely with foil, and let rest in a warm place for 15 minutes. Serve slices of turkey with gravy, roasted potatoes, and cranberry sauce.

Roast Turkey