Roast Turkey

With Christmas around the Corner I thought it best to upload the recipe from how I Roast a Turkey and also how I Honey-roast my Ham at Christmas. Whenever people go on to me about Christmas dinner they always say how stressful it is and also how dry the Turkey was etc.

Christmas Dinner is all about planning, it is about making a plan and sticking to it…also when you prepare the Turkey the way I do it, it is never dry. I always remove from the Oven and wrap in tin foil for an hour or more. In this time all the juices will settle and you can go about baking your Ham and also preparing the rest of the dinner so really it is not stressful at all.

Easier said than done I know

First up, Roast Turkey


How big should it be? Take a rough estimate of 500g per person, as you will always want more for leftovers. Best sandwich in the world is Roast Turkey with Basil Stuffing so don’t worry about having too much

For my basil stuffing see here:


Ingredients 

5KG Turkey
100g Butter
Large handful of Basil leaves
8 strips of back bacon
Aluminum Foil
Basil Stuffing

Cooking utensils
Oven Dish

Preparation
- Prepare basil stuffing – with stuffing always make more than you think you need as you will always use it

- Chop Basil finely and mix completely with your Butter
- Clean out the insides of the Turkey and dry completely
- Stuff the Turkey with your stuffing

Preheat oven to 220 degrees
Cooking time is 35mins a KG


Cooking

 
- Baste your Turkey completely in the basil butter
- Place Turkey on its breast for the first 20 minutes (can also start on its side if the oven has the room)

- After 20 minutes, place Turkey on its back. Place your strips of Bacon along the Breast and cook for another 20 minutes
- After 20 minutes turn oven down to 180 degrees

- Keep an eye on the Turkey -  basting and draining the fat as you go (keep fat for gravy later) after Bacon cooks you can either protect the breast with foil or leave free
- Keep turning the Turkey and repositioning it (any time you open the oven make sure to close it immediately)

- When Turkey is cooked take out of oven and wrap completely in Tin Foil (lets all the juices settle)

- After 60 mins  - carve and serve
- Serve with your choice of vegetables, mashed potato, roast potatoes & gravy and of course your honey roasted Ham

ENJOY!!!