Perfect roast turkey
- Janine Ratcliffe
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Serves 8 - 10
Easy
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 3 hrs
plus overnight salting and resting
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Perfect roast turkey recipe
Ingredients
Nutrition
-
5kg whole turkey
any giblets removed (save for stock)
-
200g unsalted butter
softened
-
2 tsp chopped thyme leaves
-
3 onions
thickly sliced
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal545
- fat31g
- saturates15g
- carbs3g
- sugars2g
- fibre1g
- protein62g
- salt1.9g
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Method
-
step 1
The night before cooking, remove the turkey from the fridge. Starting from the neck end, use your hand to gently prise the skin away from the meat, working your way down the breasts so you create a large pocket. Season the butter, then push three-quarters into the pocket and spread so it evenly covers the breasts. Spread the remaining butter over the outside of the legs and breasts.
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step 2
Mix 1 tbsp of fine sea salt with the thyme and a good grind of black pepper, then sprinkle evenly all over the turkey, both inside and out. Put back in the fridge, uncovered, and leave overnight – leaving uncovered will help dry out the turkey’s skin and ensure it crisps up during roasting.
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step 3
Remove the turkey from the fridge at least an hour before cooking. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. To calculate the cooking time, allow 30 mins per kilo plus 30 mins extra – so a 5kg turkey will take 3 hrs in total.
-
step 4
Spread the onions on the bottom of a roasting tin, put a rack over them, followed by the turkey. Pour 300ml of boiling water into the base of the tin and cover the whole thing with a double layer of foil, making sure that it’s well sealed around the edges. Cook for 30 mins, then reduce the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
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step 5
After 1 hr 30 mins, remove the foil and cook uncovered for the remaining time. To test whether the turkey is cooked, insert a skewer where the thigh joins the breast – the juice should run clear. If it is pink, cook it for another 15 mins and test again. Alternatively, insert a digital thermometer into the thickest point – it’s cooked when it reads 70C. Remove from the oven, move the bird and onions onto a serving platter, and cover with foil to rest for 1 hr. Strain the juices from the tin into a large jug – they can be used to make a gravy.
RESTING THE TURKEY
Resting means the muscle fibres contracted by cooking will have a chance to relax and the juices can re-distribute throughout, resulting in juicier meat. Put the turkey onto a large carving or serving plate deep enough to collect the resting juices, and cover with foil and a clean tea towel to rest for at least 1 hr. This will also give you oven space for finishing off any sides. The turkey will still be warm when you serve – just make sure your gravy is piping hot when pouring.
HOW TO CARVE
Start by removing the legs: cut through the skin between the leg and breast, then bend the whole leg back until you feel the joint pop. Slice through the joint, removing the leg from the turkey, then cut through between the thigh and drumstick. Repeat with the other leg. Next, remove the whole breasts, one at a time. Find the breastbone and cut down one side of it, prising the meat away from the bone until you remove the whole breast. Repeat with the other breast then slice across horizontally, on a board. This will produce lovely even slices and remove the most meat from the carcass.
WHAT SIZE DO I NEED?
The weights here include plenty for left-over turkey sandwiches.
4-6 people = 3-4kg
6-10 people = 4-5kg
10-12 people = 6-7kg
12-14 people = 8-9kg
Authors
Janine RatcliffeFood director
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