Roast Turkey with Pigs in Blankets, Sage & Onion Stuffing & Gravy Recipe

Ingredients

4-5kg organic turkey with giblets
1 onion
1 carrot
1 celery stick
1 bouquet garni
25g butter
2 tbsp cornflour
184g unsmoked streaky bacon
340g chipolata sausages
454g pork stuffing with sage & onion
200g jar of cranberry sauce

Prep: 30 mins | Cook: 3 hr 45 mins + resting

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Method

1. Around 2 hrs before you want to roast the turkey, take it out of the fridge and let it stand somewhere safe so it can come to room temperature. Take the giblets out of the turkey and rinse them.

2. Fill your kettle and boil it. Peel and slice the onion. Scrub and slice 1 carrot. Trim and chop the celery stick. Pour 1 tbsp olive oil into a pan. Warm over a medium-high heat. Add the giblets. Season with salt and pepper. Fry for 3-4 mins till browned.

3. Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pan. Drop in the bouquet garni. Pour in 1½ ltrs hot water from the kettle. Bring to the boil, then cover with a lid, reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 1 hr. Strain the stock into a jug. You should have at least 1 ltr stock. Top up with water, if necessary. Set aside.

4. Preheat your oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Weigh your turkey to check its exact weight (see our tip, right). Pop the turkey into a snug roasting tin. Rub salt and pepper into the skin. Pour 500ml hot water from the kettle around (but not over) the turkey. Roast on the middle shelf for 1 hr (this is the same, whether your bird is nearer 4kg or 5kg).

5. After 1 hr, take the turkey out of the oven and carefully turn it over so it’s breast-side up (protect your hands from the heat and have some sturdy spatulas to help turn it). Use a sharp knife to slice through the skin between the legs and breast to allow the juices to drain out and to help the thighs cook. Insert the meat thermometer into a thigh. Top up the liquid in the tin with 250ml water. Return to the oven. Roast for another 1 hr if you have a 5kg turkey. For a 4kg turkey, roast for 45 mins.

6. Meanwhile, melt 25g butter in a pan. Stir in 2 tbsp cornflour. Cook, stirring, for 2 mins. Slowly pour in the strained giblet stock and stir to incorporate. Bring the pan to a gentle simmer. Cook for 15- 20 mins, till the gravy has thickened slightly. Set aside, lid on.

7. When the meat thermometer in the turkey hits 60-65°C, transfer the turkey to a board, wrap loosely in foil and rest for 1 hr. Pour the roasting juices into a jug. Let them sit for 15-30 mins so the fat rises to the surface. Skim off any fat. Pour the juices into the gravy.

8. While the turkey rests, turn your oven up to 190°C/Fan 170°C/Gas 5. Take the bacon rashers out of the pack. Slice them into 10 pieces. Run the back of your knife along each rasher slice to stretch them. Pop a chipolata in each stretched rasher and roll up to make pigs in blankets.

9. Line a baking tray with foil. Place the pack of sage and onion stuffing on it, removing the packaging following the box’s instructions. Bake for 15 mins. Take the tray out of the oven. Add the pigs in blankets and roast for 25 mins till they’re golden brown and cooked through, while the stuffing is browned and cooked all the way through.

10. Reheat the gravy. Carve the turkey. Serve the turkey with the gravy, pigs in blankets, stuffing and cranberry sauce.

11. Check Your Turkey’s Weight
Your turkey should weigh between 4kg and 5kg. For a 4kg turkey, the total cooking time is 1 hr 45 mins. A 5kg turkey will take 2 hrs. If it’s nearer 6kg, it will take 2 hrs 25 mins. For all weights, let the turkey rest for 1 hr afterwards, so it can keep cooking and reach the right temperature.