The centrepiece of a traditional Christmas lunch is a juicy golden turkey. Go for the best quality turkey you can as it will pay dividends in meat yield and taste.
Ingredients
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 220C fan.
Step 2
Take your turkey out of the fridge about an hour before you want to put it in the oven so it comes up to room temperature before roasting. Once at room temperature, pat it dry. Then mix the softened butter with the garlic, a good pinch of sea salt flakes and some freshly ground pepper. Rub the turkey all over with the butter, making sure to get into all the crevices.
Step 3
Stuff the turkey cavity with the peeled onion and rosemary, then season the turkey liberally on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the turkey into a non-stick roasting tray breast side down – this helps keep the breast moist and prevents the turkey from drying out.
Step 4
Put the turkey in the oven for 30 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180C fan for 1 hour 45 minutes.
Step 5
During the cooking time, check on your turkey every 30 minutes or so and each time baste it with the juices from the bottom of the pan. After 1 hour and 45 minutes at 180C, carefully turn the bird over, so the breast skin can get golden and crispy. Pop it back into the oven for a final 30 minutes.
Step 6
Check that your turkey is cooked by piercing the fattest part of the thigh with a sharp knife. If the juices run clear and the meat is tender and pulls apart easily, then it’s ready. Alternatively, you can use a meat thermometer, again piercing the thigh. It should read 68C.
Step 7
Leave the turkey to rest for an hour, covered with foil and then a tea towel. Transfer to a carving dish to bring to the table when you are ready to serve.
Tom's Tips
Basting the turkey regularly helps keep the meat moist. Don’t skip the resting stage as this helps the meat to relax, and the juices to reabsorb back into the fibres producing a more tender, juicy flavour. Rest for at least an hour.
