Roast turkey & gravy
■ Serves 8-10 ■ Prep 30 mins plus 12 hrs brining and resting ■ Cook 2 hrs 5 mins
5-6kg oven-ready turkey with the neck, chopped, and giblets include
2 tbsp sea salt
150g butter
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
large handful of parsley and thyme, leaves picked and chopped, stalks reserved, plus extra to serve (optional)
2 lemons, both halved, 1 juiced
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
rosemary sprigs and bay leaves
FOR THE GRAVY
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp yeast extract
large glass of red wine (about 200ml)
500ml chicken or turkey stock
1 Up to 48 hrs and at least 12 hrs before cooking, loosen the turkey breast skin so you can get your hands under it. Season all over, including under the skin, with the sea salt. Put breast-side up in a large flameproof roasting tin. Leave uncovered in the fridge.
2 Remove from the fridge at least 1 hr before cooking. Heat the oven to 240C/220C fan/ gas 9. Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat, then add the garlic, chopped herbs and lemon juice. Sizzle for 1 min, then set aside to cool a little. Remove the turkey from the tin and scatter in the onion, carrots, turkey neck and giblets. Put a roasting rack over the tray and sit the turkey on top. Stuff the squeezed and unsqueezed lemons into the turkey cavity with the herb stalks, rosemary sprigs and bay. Lift the skin and spoon 4 tbsp garlicky herb butter underneath, then massage to spread out. Brush most of the remaining butter over the bird, reserving about 2 tbsp. Tie the wings and legs together.
3 Put the turkey in the oven and reduce the heat to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Roast for 1 hr, remove and brush with more herb butter. Turn the tin and roast for a further 30 mins. Brush with the butter and roast for another 30 mins. Check the temperature; it’s cooked perfectly when the thickest part of the breast reads about 65C and the thickest part of the thigh is 75C. If not, return to the oven for 15 mins, or until it is the correct temperature. Cool for 10 mins on the rack, then transfer to a board upside down. Rest for at least 20 mins; it will stay hot for at least 40 mins.
4 Meanwhile, make the gravy. Put the tin over a medium heat and scatter over the flour; stir to a paste. Add the soy sauce and yeast extract, stir, then pour in the wine and mix to a thick paste. Pour in the stock and any other turkey juices. Simmer for about 5 mins, stirring to make a rich gravy. Strain into a jug or pan to reheat when needed.
5 Put the turkey on a platter, dressed with the extra herbs, then serve with the gravy.
PER SERVING (10) 623 kcals, fat 31g, saturates 13g, carbs 6g, sugars 2g, fibre 1g, protein 78g, salt 1.4g
Steak & mushroom pudding
This is real comfort food. If you want to get ahead, make the filling a day or two before.
■ Serves 4 ■ Prep 30 mins plus chilling ■ Cook 4 hrs 20 mins FREEZABLE
sunflower oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced
3 large, flat mushrooms, sliced
400g braising steak, cut into 2cm pieces
1 tbsp plain flour, seasoned
1 tsp tomato purée
300ml brown ale
4 thyme sprigs, 4 leaves picked
FOR THE SUET PASTRY
250g self-raising flour
125 shredded beef suet
1 tsp thyme leaves, chopped
1 For the pastry, put the flour, suet, thyme, ½ tsp salt and a good grind of pepper in a bowl. Add 150ml cold water and mix to a dough. Wrap and chill for 30 mins.
2 Heat a drizzle of sunflower oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion until golden. Scoop out with a slotted spoon, then fry the mushrooms until golden. Remove from the pan.
3 Toss the steak in the seasoned flour and fry in batches until browned (you might need a drop more oil). Add back the onion and mushrooms. Add the tomato puree, ale and thyme and stir thoroughly together. Bring to a simmer then cook for 2 hrs, covered. Cool.
4 Butter a 1.2 litre pudding basin. Roll two-thirds of the suet pastry to about 1cm thick and use to line the basin. Trim but leave a little pastry hanging over the rim. Re-roll what’s left and cut out a lid about 1cm wider than the top of the basin. Fill with the steak mix. Put the lid on top and crimp to seal.
5 Make a double layer of buttered baking parchment and foil, fold a pleat in the middle and put on top of the pudding, foil-side up. Fold down around the edges and tie with string under the rim of the basin. Trim any excess paper and foil, then put in a steamer or sit on an upturned saucer in a large pan and pour boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the bowl. Steam for 2 hrs (keep an eye on the water level). To serve, unwrap the pudding then turn out onto a serving plate.
PER SERVING 717 kcals, fat 38g, saturates 20g, carbs 59g, fibre 5g, protein 29g, salt 1.4g
