Christmas Turkey with cranberry gravy and candied walnut, pancetta and sourdough stuffing

INGREDIENTS:

• 7kg Turkey

• 1 loaf sourdough bread

• 70g Hazelnuts

• 70g walnuts

• 4tbsp maple syrup

• 140g dry cranberries

• 260g pancetta

• 2 apples

• 6 garlic cloves

• 4 Tbsp chopped rosemary

• 360g sourdough crumbs

• 1 onion

• 1Tbsp ground cinnamon

• 250g butter + 50g

• 2 Tbsp plain flour

• 1 turkey neck

• 500ml chicken stock

• 500ml cranberry juice

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 160° and take butter out of the fridge so that it can reach room temp. 

2. Finely chop the garlic, reserving half for later. Chop up the garlic and mix with 250g of butter. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

3. Rinse the turkey under cold water, pad dry and remove the neck out of the cavity.

4. Finely dice the onion and the pancetta. In a large frying pan on high heat, drizzle olive oil, and pour in the onion, pancetta and garlic, sautéing for 5mins. Meanwhile, peel and grate the apples, add them to the pan and cook for another 5 min. Add the cinnamon and dry cranberries, mix well. Add half of the juice and the stock, bring to the boil and cook for 10 min.

5. Cut the crust off the bread and discard, then cut into small cubes and place it into a mixing bowl. Add the wet mixture from the pan and mix well, let cool and set aside .

6. In a baking tray lined with baking paper, place the walnuts and hazelnuts, drizzle the maple syrup, season with S&P and a drizzle of olive oil. Place in the oven for 12 min or until golden brown and sticky. Remove from oven and let cool. Once cool, roughly chop and add to the stuffing mix.

7. Carefully lift the skin from the breast so you can stuff the breast with the garlic and rosemary butter, making sure that its all evenly spread on the breast. Following this, stuff the turkey with the stuffing mixture. Make sure to season the bird with salt and pepper and then place in the preheated oven, cooking for 2 ½ hrs and brushing with turkey juices every ½ hr.

8. Whilst your turkey is cooking, start making the gravy. Drizzle olive oil in a hot saucepan alongside your turkey's neck and sear until golden brown. Add the stock and cranberry juice, reduce to ¾, remove from the saucepan drain and keep for the end. When the turkey comes out of the oven, place 50g of butter in a saucepan. On medium high heat, melt the butter and add the flour, mixing well until it forms a paste. Slowly add the reserved cranberry juice reduction and the turkey juices from the tray, whisk well and bring to the boil, turn down and serve warm!