Ingredients
1 onion quartered
fresh bay leaves
4.5 - 6 kilo /10-12 lb turkey, giblets removed
1 quantity of stuffing :Herbed French Chestnut Stuffing
or Apple and Prune Stuffing
85 g butter softened
1 whole nutmeg
10 rashers streaky bacon
glass red wine
Method
Preheat the oven to 170° C Gas 5
1) Put the onion and a large sprig of bay in the cavity, between the legs
2) pack half the stuffing into the neck end , pushing in toward the breast
3) secure the neck skin with skewers and tie the turkey legs together
4) weight the turkey and calculate cooking time at 20 minutes per kilo, plus 90 minutes
5) put a large sheet of extra wide foil in a large roasting tin, then put the turkey on top, rub the turkey with the butter and grate over half the nutmeg and season well
6) cover the breast with the bacon, pour over the wine , then loosely bring up the foil and seal well to make a parcel
7) roast in the oven, then 90 minutes before the end of cooking open the foil, discard the bacon, and drain excess fat
8) return the turkey to the oven to brown, basting often with the juices
9) 30 minutes before the end of cooking , put the stuffing of your choice, in small ball shapes, around the turkey
To test if the turkey is cooked, push a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh, the juices should run clear
Allow the turkey to rest covered for 30 minutes before carving.
