Turkey Recipe

1. Take turkey out of its liquid (and wiping it dry with kitchen-towel) for 50mins before it goes into the oven.

2. Mix the butter (125g) with the lemon (1 lemon zested & halved) and season well (for a 6kg turkey). Gently push your fingers under the turkey's skin, starting from the neck end of the bird, easing the skin away from the flesh over both the breast and tops of the drumsticks - you'll have to slide your whole hand in to reach this far. Spread the lemon butter under the skin, pushing it as far in as you can, then smooth the skin back into place. Put the onion halves and bay leaves in the turkey cavity.

3. In a small mixing bowl, combine the butter, parsley, shallots and garlic (for a 7.5kg turkey)

a. 120g butter, softenedb. 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley leavesc. 2 tbsp minced shallotsd. 2 tbsp minced garlic cloves

4. Rub the butter mixture all over the turkey 5. Arrange the sliced onion in the bottom of a large roasting tin to act as a

trivet for the bird and pour in the wine (2 glasses white wine). a. 2 large onions, peeled, 1 halved and 1 thickly sliced

6. Sit the turkey on top and cover both the bird and tin completely with foil to make a tent.

7. Preheat the oven to 220C. Cook the turkey for 30 mins, then turn the oven down to 180C & continue cooking, turning the oven back up to 220C for the final 15 mins.

a. For a 4kg turkey 2.5 hours 8. Cook the turkey for 40 minutes per kilo, basting once or twice.9. Take out the turkey and turn up the oven to 200C fan. Remove the foil &

return to the oven for a further 30 mins or until skin 10. The glaze (for 7.5kg turkey):

a. 45g butterb. 120ml maple syrupc. 185ml Cranberry juiced. 2 tbsp Apple cider vinegare. 185 Apple ciderf. 50g Brown sugarg. 1tsp salth. 1tsp freshly ground black pepper

11. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to boil & reduce heat to medium-low. Allow to simmer for about 8-10 mins, until it thickens slightly. Add Piri Pri to taste & simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat & allow to cool slightly

12. 15 mins before Turkey is due to be finished baste over some of the glaze. Repeat this process every 5 mins until Turkey is cooked.

13. To make the gravy, pour away any excess fat from the roasting tin but keep the onion slices - a fat separator will help with this. Set the tin over a medium heat, then sprinkle over the flour. Stir through and cook for 2

minutes, turning the onion over in the mixture to extract the flavour. Slowly stir in the wine, stock and juices and add a pinch of each spice and a squeeze of orange juice. Bring to a boil, scraping bits from the bottom, then simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes. Season and sieve into a jug. Serve with the turkey (for a 6kg turkey).

a. 600ml chicken stockb. 1 tbsp flourc. 200ml white/red wine d. Pinch each of ground cinnamon, ground cumin & sweet paprika