Roast turkey with stuffing and gravy recipe

1. Remove the turkey from the fridge 1 hr before cooking to come to room temperature. Pat the skin dry with kitchen paper, put the halved shallot and 1 bay leaf inside the main cavity, then tie the legs together with wet kitchen string. Set aside.
2. To make the stuffing, melt half the butter in a frying pan over a low heat. Fry the chopped shallots for 10 mins or until soft; tip into a bowl and leave to cool. Add the breadcrumbs, cranberries, chopped sage, chestnuts, sausagemeat, half the orange zest and a generous grating of nutmeg (about ¼ of the nutmeg); season and mix well.
3. Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Mix together the remaining butter, orange zest and another grating of nutmeg (about ⅛ of the nutmeg), then use your fingers to gently ease the skin away from the turkey breast, being careful not to tear it. Carefully spread the softened butter under the skin and over the breast to thinly cover.
4. Use about 300g stuffing mix to stuff the neck cavity, then turn over the turkey so it’s breast-side down. Pull the skin down over the stuffing to encase it and secure with cocktail sticks. Weigh the stuffed turkey to calculate the cooking time based on 20 mins per kg, plus 105 mins (ours was 5.3kg, so a cooking time of about 3½ hrs).
5. Arrange the celery in the base of a flameproof roasting tin with a bay leaf on top. Place the turkey on top, breast-side-up, then loosely cover with lightly buttered foil. Roast for the calculated time, basting with the juices after 1 hr and then every 45 mins. Remove the foil for the final 45 mins to allow the skin to crisp up, checking it doesn’t darken too much.
6. Meanwhile, shape the remaining stuffing into 12 balls. Wrap each in a slice of pancetta, tuck in a sage leaf, then cover and chill until ready to cook.
7. Check the turkey is cooked through by inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest parts of the leg and breast, avoiding the bone; it should read at least 75°C. Or, insert a metal skewer in the same way and check the juices run clear. If they’re pink or the temperature is below 75°C, roast for another 15 mins before retesting. Once cooked, put on a board and cover loosely with foil and tea towels to rest for at least 30 mins, or up to 1 hr. Meanwhile, bake the stuffing balls for 25-30 mins until cooked.
8. To make the gravy, transfer the celery from the tin to a saucepan. Tip the juices from the tin into a jug, leave to settle, then skim off the excess fat. You need about 400ml juices: if you have less, add stock to make up the difference. Tip into the pan.
9. Put the roasting tin on the hob over a medium- high heat; once hot, add the sherry or wine, scraping the tin with a wooden spoon to deglaze. Carefully pour into the pan; stir in the redcurrant jelly, 800ml stock and a bay leaf. Bring to the boil, then bubble rapidly for 10 mins or until starting to reduce. Season to taste, adding more redcurrant jelly and a squeeze of lemon juice, if you like.
10. Strain the gravy through a sieve, then return to the pan. Whisk in the cornflour until thickened - if it’s still too thin, repeat with another 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp water. Keep warm over a low heat, not letting it boil, until needed. Serve with the carved turkey and stuffing balls.

Freezing and defrosting guidelines

In order to enjoy optimum flavour and quality, frozen items are best used within 3 months of their freezing date. For more tips on freezing and defrosting food, read our article Love Your Freezer.

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