FOOD + DRINK
Christmas Turkey with Pork , Pecan & Sage Stuffing
Recipe by : Macknade www . macknade . com
Ingredients :
• 1 free-range Kentish turkey
Brine :
• 2 litres cold tap water
• 75g sea salt
• 2 good lemons , quartered
• A big handful each of parsley , thyme and rosemary
• 5 bay leaves
• 6 smashed garlic cloves
• 10 black peppercorns
For the roast :
• 30g butter
• 200ml white wine
• Salt and pepper
Stuffing :
• 40g coarse breadcrumbs
• 450g sausage meat
• 2 tbsp chopped sage
• 100g roasted pecans
• 1 tbsp chopped thyme
• Salt and pepper
Method :
Brining your bird : 1 . Add all ingredients ( except the bird ) to a deep saucepan and bring to the boil , ensuring all salt has dissolved .
2 . Cool on the side until room temperature and then pop in the fridge for at least an hour to ensure the water is cold – do not skip this because if you put your bird into even slightly warm water it can be a health hazard !
3 . Once cold , plunge your bird breast side down in the water and submerge as much as possible .
4 . Refrigerate for 12 - 24 hours but no longer than the latter .
Stuffing your bird : 1 . Mix all of your stuffing ingredients together and , when your bird has been removed from the brining water and patted dry , add the stuffing to the cavity of the bird and place on a baking tray . Rub the bird all over with butter and season very lightly .
Roasting your bird : 1 . Place in an oven that has been preheated to 220 ° C – lower this to 180 ° C when you ’ re ready to add your bird .
2 . Roast for 30 minutes before adding the wine to the bottom of the pan .
3 . Roast for another 20 minutes before basting and turning . 4 . Do the same 20 minutes later .
5 . Throughout the cooking process , keep checking your bird , basting if necessary .
6 . As a general rule of thumb allow 40 minutes cooking time per kg for a turkey that ' s between 4.5kg and 6kg .
7 . As it has been brined , the timing is often about 20 - 30 minutes shorter , so keep checking on your bird . When you insert a knife near a bone joint and the juices run clear your bird is ready .
8 . Check the temperature of the bird using a thermometer . Once the temperature inside the cavity reaches 165 ° C it should be done .
120