Gary's Rhodes Recipe
Gary's recipe for a Christmas Roast Turkey With Pistachio & Golden Sultana Stuffing. A classic Christmas Day dinner with the added taste and flair of his unique stuffing recipe.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
- 6.5kg (14lb) fresh oven-ready turkey
- 50g (2oz) softened butter
- Salt and peppe
For the stuffing:
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 1 large knob of butter
- 2 chicken breasts, chopped
- 450g (1lb) pork sausage meat
- 150g (5oz) unsweetened chestnut puree
- 2 eggs
- Finely grated zest of 2 oranges
- 75g (3oz) shelled pistachios, chopped
- 75g (3oz) golden sultanas, chopped
- 50g (2oz) white breadcrumbs
- Salt and pepper
For the gravy:
- 15g (1/2 oz) plain flour
- Juice of 2 oranges
- 600ml (1 pint) chicken stock
- 1 large knob of butter
- Salt and pepper
Procedure
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6.
- For the stuffing, cook the onion in the butter without colouring until softened, then leave to cool. Blitz together in a food processor the chicken, sausage meat, chestnut puree and eggs until well combined. Spoon into a large bowl and stir in the cooked onion, orange zest, pistachios, sultanas and breadcrumbs. Season with salt and pepper.
- Fill the neck of the turkey with the stuffing, securing the skin beneath with one to two cocktail sticks, and refrigerate. Any remaining stuffing can be baked in an ovenproof dish during the final hour of roasting the bird.
- Sit the turkey in a roasting tray, brush the bird with the butter and season with salt and pepper. Roast the turkey for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/350°F/gas 4 and roast for a further 3 ½ hours, basting every 30 minutes, covering with foil once golden brown to prevent over-colouring. To check the turkey is cooked, pierce the thigh with a skewer. Once the juices run clear the bird is ready to remove from the tray and keep warm.
- Pour away the fat from the roasting tray, add the flour and cook for a minute or two before pouring in the orange juice and chicken stock. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, add the knob of butter, season and strain.
- The turkey is ready to carve and serve with a spoonful of stuffing and a trickle of gravy. Crispy rashers of bacon and chipolata sausages add a classic garnish.
The size of the turkey listed is 6.5kg (14lb), offering a generous six to eight portions. To roast, it will take about 4 hours, but if you’re roasting potatoes and vegetables with it, cook for a further 30 to 40 minutes. The stuffing can be made up to 48 hours in advance.
www.garyrhodes.com
Extracted from GARY RHODES 365 by Gary Rhodes.
Published by Michael Joseph.
Text © Gary Rhodes 2008