It has been a difficult time for Irish poultry farmers, but thanks to their collective action and resourcefulness, we can still look forward to a beautiful roast turkey this Christmas.
If you know me, you’ll know I value every single one of our Irish food producers, but during the festive season, I really appreciate the farmers taking care to bring us Christmas ham, goose, duck and turkey. If we are talking about respecting tradition, these are the producers who help us keep our Christmas traditions alive each year.
In our home, we look forward to Christmas as a time to gather with family and celebrate another year gone by with plenty of great food. A Christmas table just isn’t complete without an Irish turkey, and this recipe is a favourite among all the Maguire friends and family. It is a really straightforward way to roast a turkey, but the bacon lattice makes it an attractive centrepiece (and we all love a bit of bacon, let’s be honest).
The turkey is important, but if you ask me, the gravy is one of the most crucial components of any Christmas dinner. Making a good stock with the giblets from the turkey (you’ll find them inside the cavity of the bird) is the first step to making delicious gravy. Simply place the giblets in a large pot with cold water and some roughly chopped onion, celery and carrot. Add a bay leaf, sprigs of thyme and some whole peppercorns and gently simmer for 1-2 hours.
This stock can be made in advance and frozen, or if you don’t have giblets, you can make it with chicken wings. I like to make my gravy with a dash of Madeira, which adds richness, but you could also use red wine.
Happy cooking and happy Christmas,
Neven
Serves 10-12
Ingredients
4.5-5.4kg oven-ready turkey (preferably free-range), at room temperature
Stuffing (optional, see p12 for Danni Barry’s stuffing recipe)
100g butter, softened
15-18 rindless streaky bacon rashers
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Small bunch of fresh herbs (parsley, sage and bay leaves), to garnish
For the gravy:
1 heaped tbsp plain flour
3 tbsp Madeira
600ml turkey stock (in addition to the juices from roasting the turkey)
1 tbsp redcurrant jelly
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C.
2. Turn the turkey breast side up and pack the neck cavity loosely with stuffing (optional), then tie the top of the drumsticks together with string.
3. Smear the turkey with most of the butter, reserving 2 tbsp, and season generously with salt and pepper, then place the bacon over the breasts to cover them completely.
4. Weigh the turkey to calculate the required cooking time, allowing 20 minutes per 450g plus 20 minutes extra.
5. Lay a large sheet of foil lengthways over a large roasting tin, leaving enough at each end to wrap over the turkey, then use the reserved butter to lightly butter the foil.
6. Repeat with another sheet of foil, but this time lay it across the width of the tin. Place the stuffed turkey in the centre of the foil, breast side up, then wrap loosely to enclose but still allow air to circulate while roasting.
7. Place the turkey in the oven and roast according to your calculated cooking time, carefully unwrapping and basting the turkey every 40 minutes.
8. For the final hour, fold back and remove the foil, keeping the ends of the drumsticks still covered to prevent them from burning. Baste well and return to the oven.
9. The turkey should be a rich, dark brown colour. To make sure it’s cooked, use a meat thermometer or insert a fine skewer into the thickest part of the thigh - the juices should run clear, but if they are still pink, return the turkey to the oven and check again every 15 minutes until you are happy that the turkey is cooked right through.
10. Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving platter. Cover with foil and leave to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes (up to 30 minutes is fine).
11. While the turkey is resting, make the gravy: pour the turkey juices from the roasting tin into a jug, then spoon off 2 tablespoons of the fat (which will be floating on the top) and put this back into the unwashed tin. Spoon off any remaining fat from the cooking juices and discard.
12. Place the roasting tin directly on the hob over a gentle heat and stir the flour into the reserved fat. Cook for a minute or two, stirring, until golden.
13. Pour in the Madeira, stirring to combine, then gradually add the stock, stirring until smooth after each addition. Bring the gravy to a boil and let it bubble for about 10 minutes, until reduced and thickened, stirring occasionally.
14. Whisk in the redcurrant jelly until dissolved, then add the skimmed juices from the roasted bird back into the gravy and season to taste. Strain into a warmed gravy boat to serve alongside the roasted turkey.
15. Once nicely rested, carve the turkey into slices and arrange on warmed plates with all the trimmings.
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