The Taste Magazine - December 2014

utter basted roast turkey serves eight
Ingredients:
1 whole turkey around 5 kg
1 whole garlic bulb
1 onion
1 carrot
2 sticks celery
2 sprigs thyme
1 lemon
50 g butter
2tbsp cornflour
150ml white wine
250ml chicken stock
Method:
1. take the turkey out of the
fridge 2 hours before you’re
ready to cook it
2. pre-heat the oven to
230c/210c (fan assisted ovens)/
gas mark 8. Cut the bulb of garlic
and the lemon in half
horizontally then place inside
the cavity of the turkey, along
with the sprigs of thyme.
3. massage the softened butter
onto the skin of the turkey and
season generously with salt &
pepper
4. quarter the onion and roughly
chop the celery & carrots and
place in the bottom of a large
roasting tray. Sit the turkey on
top of the vegetables and cover
the whole thing tightly with foil.
Roast in the oven for 30 minutes
5. after half an hour, reduce
the temperature of the oven to
180c/160c (fan assisted ovens)/
gas mark 4. Discard the tin foil
and cook for a further 1 hour and
30 minutes. After this time, check
the turkey is thoroughly cooked
by piercing between the leg &
breast with the point of a knife,
the juices should run clear.
6. remove the turkey from the
oven and cover with tin foil.
Leave to rest for 45 minutes
before carving.
7. to make the gravy, remove the
turkey from the roasting tray and
place the tray over a medium
heat on the hob.
8. add the cornflour to the
turkey juices and cook for a
couple of minutes stirring
constantly. Gradually add the
wine and chicken stock and stir
until the mixture is smooth.
Simmer for 10 minutes then
sieve the gravy into a gravy boat
and serve alongside the turkey
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