Ingredients
FOR THE STUFFING
125g butter, Dairy Manor
3 onions, small, finely chopped
125g bacon lardons, Dulano
20 sage leaves, fresh, roughly chopped
1 packet breadcrumbs, Connell Bakery
125g walnuts, Alesto, roughly chopped
1 pinch freshly cracked Kania salt and pepper, to taste
FOR THE TURKEY
1 fresh Irish whole turkey, Bally Manor (about 6kg)
4 onions, peeled and sliced into thick rings
1 glug extra virgin olive oil, Primadonna
1 pinch freshly cracked Kania salt and pepper, to taste
800ml Woodgate dry cider
80g Deluxe Iberian ham, or Serrano ham
FOR THE BRUSSELS SPROUT AND APPLE MASH
12 potatoes, medium, peeled and halved
24 Brussels sprouts, trimmed and washed
350ml whole milk, Morning Fresh
80g butter, Dairy Manor
1 pinch freshly cracked Kania salt and pepper, to taste
2 eating apples, medium, peeled and finely diced at the last minute
Overview
This is a simple and elegant version of the classic Christmas lunch for people who don’t necessarily want a big mountain of food. It’s very much a dish I would serve in The Tannery at Christmas time. There’s a couple of things you can get ready ahead of time so you don’t end up stressed out. In terms of cooking time, I’m allowing 35 minutes per kilo for a room temperature bird. This will give a lovely moist result. When it comes to stuffing, I love taking good products and using them to enhance dishes and it’s even better when there’s very little effort involved.
From Paul Flynn's Family Food Cookbook for Lidl
Method
- To make the stuffing, melt the butter in a wide pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and sweat slowly in the butter for 5 minutes or so until the onions are soft and transparent – do not allow them to brown. Then add in the bacon lardons and cook for another few minutes. Finally add the chopped sage, breadcrumbs, walnuts and season with salt and pepper. Set aside. (If you are not cooking the bird straight away do not stuff it until the stuffing has completely cooled).
- Pre-heat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3
- Remove the neck from inside the turkey and trim off any excess fat from the opening. Place the turkey neck on the roasting tray for flavour. At this point you can stuff your turkey (if using stuffing) but make sure not to pack the stuffing too tightly.
- Spread the onion slices evenly on the base of the roasting tray – these will act as a trivet. Place the turkey on top of the onions and the neck, splash over with olive oil and season generously, massaging the oil into the skin of the turkey. Pour one can of cider around the bird – this will flavour it during cooking and ensure you have a lovely moist turkey.
- Cover tightly with tinfoil and place in the oven for 21/2 hours for the first part of the cooking. When the 21/2 hours have elapsed, remove the turkey from the oven, turn the oven temperature up to 185°C/360°F/Gas Mark 4, throw away the foil and pour the second can of cider over the bird, before returning to the oven for another hour.
- Meanwhile, make the sprout mash. Put the potatoes on to boil. To prepare the sprouts, simply bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook the sprouts till they are soft but not mushy, 4 – 5 minutes should do it. Then drain and plunge them into iced water for a minute. When they are cold, dry them, slice them in half and set aside.
- When the potatoes are cooked, drain and mash, adding milk and butter as you go to form a nice soft, creamy mash. Taste and season well. If you think it needs a little more milk or butter do add it in. Keep the potatoes in their pot and transfer to a low oven or cover tightly to keep warm. You will finish the mash when the turkey is ready.
- Make sure to baste the turkey a few times during the last cooking phase as this will give a lovely sheen to the bird. When cooked, transfer the turkey to another tray and allow to rest, then strain off the cooking juices into a jug. Leave to sit for 10 minutes to let the fat rise to the surface then scoop if off and pour the jus into a small pan and reduce by one-third. This is your gravy.
- To finish the mash, simply put the pot of mashed potato back over a low heat to warm through and add in the Brussels sprouts and chopped apple, mix well and allow to heat through.
- Carve the turkey and arrange a layer of mash in the centre of warmed plates. Scoop out some stuffing and place it beside the mash, before arranging the turkey on top. Drizzle over the gravy, drape over with Iberian or Serrano ham and serve.
- Tip: A tablespoon of mustard mixed through the mash would taste great. If you are using a frozen turkey make sure to allow plenty of time for it to defrost properly. This will take at least a day out of the fridge.