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Monday 28th November 2016

The Best Christmas Turkey

 For the best Christmas turkey, choose a free-range bird - and be sure to follow the specified cooking times.

Ingredients:

Roast Christmas Turkey with sage and thyme butter
1 x 5kg free- range turkey
1 x bunch of sage
1 x bunch of thyme
½ x bunch of rosemary
250g soft butter
3 x lemons
½ head of garlic

Method:

First, make sure the turkey is cleaned and remove the giblets, then set aside while you make your butter..

For the sage and thyme butter, chop 1 bunch of sage and ½ bunch of thyme, and mix with 250g of soft butter, and your sea salt and black pepper.

Now, loosen the skin on the breast and top of the legs by carefully pushing your fingers between it and the turkey breast, taking care not to tear the skin. Put butter in a piping bag and push the nozzle under the skin, squeezing out the mixture and smoothing over the breasts and the top of the legs .

Season your bird all over and inside the cavity, then cut 3 lemons in half, and place inside. Add the rest of thyme , rosemary and garlic to the cavity, then rub the bird all over with olive oil.

Preheat oven to 200oc / gas 7 and roast your turkey for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 180oc / gas 4, Cover the bird with foil, and roast for around 2 ½ hours (30 mins per kilo, so this depends on weight) until the juices run clear when you pierce the thigh.

Remove from the tray and rest, before serving up with all your favourite Christmas trimmings - and don't forget to wash it all down with a good glug of bubbly!

Merry Christmas!