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British Christmas turkey


Recipe by: Nikolaj Juel
Serves: 4

Procedure

  1. Turn on the Forno and let it get very hot. Put an ovenproof dish in the oven and pour 2 tbsp of olive oil in. Add a handful of sage leaves and 6 slices of pancetta.
  1. Peel an onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Chop finely and add to the dish with the sage and pancetta. Cut off the top and bottom of the celery stalks. Chop them finely and add them to the dish. Let everything fry until the onions are soft and golden. Take the dish out of the oven. Add the breadcrumbs, and while everything is cooling down, roughly chop the apricots and add them to the dish.

  2. Once your stuffing has cooled, add the minced pork, grated lemon zest, nutmeg, egg, and season well with salt and pepper. Mix everything well and set aside.

  3. Take the last 6 slices of pancetta and cut them in half. Cut a clove of garlic into thin slices and remove the needles from a sprig of rosemary. Take a piece of pancetta. Place a slice of garlic and a few rosemary needles at one end, and roll up the pancetta into a small “cigar”. Repeat the process until you have 12 small rolls.

  4. Make 6 incisions in each thigh. Press a pancetta roll into each cut. This will give the turkey plenty of flavour and keep it juicy.

  5. Peel the remaining onions and slice them into quarters. Peel the carrots and chop them coarsely.

  6. Dry the turkey well with a paper towel, inside and out. Turn the turkey so the neck faces you. Gently press your fingers under the skin and slowly move them down over the breast so the skin comes off the meat. Be careful not to break the skin.

  7. Lift the skin from the neck and put the stuffing under the skin. Massage the skin so the stuffing is evenly distributed under the skin. Put the orange inside the turkey.

  8. Weigh the turkey and calculate the cooking time – about 20 minutes per 500 g.

  9. Place the turkey in a large ovenproof dish. Rub olive oil on the skin and season well with salt and pepper. Place the onion, carrots and remaining garlic around the turkey. Cover the turkey with foil and roast in the Forno. Keep the Forno on medium heat for the time you’ve calculated, or until the juices from the thighs are clear when you prick them with a skewer or pointed knife. Remove the foil for the last 45 minutes to give the turkey colour.

  10. Carefully place the turkey on a chopping board and cover loosely with foil. Let the turkey rest for at least an hour, preferably two.

  11. At the end of the resting time, remove the fat from the surface of the roasting tray. Add the flour and stock and return the dish to a hot oven. When the gravy starts to thicken, strain it and pour it into a gravy boat.

  12. Carve the turkey and serve with baked potatoes, coleslaw and plenty of gravy.

Rosemary potatoes

Place the potatoes in a bowl with the rosemary, garlic and olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper and mix well.

Put the potatoes in an ovenproof dish and place in a hot Forno for 35-45 minutes until they’re golden and delicious.

Braised kale

Blanch the kale in salted water for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and leave to drain.

Put the kale in a bowl and add the lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Kale salad

Remove the stems from the kale leaves. Finely chop the kale and set aside.

Put the crème fraiche, olive oil and garlic in a bowl. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice and stir well.

Add the kale to the bowl and mix well. Top with pomegranate seeds.

 

Ingredients

  • A free-range turkey, 4-4.5 kg
  • A sprig of sage
  • 12 slices of pancetta or bacon
  • One whole garlic, finely chopped
  • 4 red onions
  • 2 stalks of celery
  • A large handful of breadcrumbs
  • A handful of dried apricots
  • 300 g of minced pork
  • 1 lemon
  • A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 egg
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 orange
  • Olive oil
  • 2 tbsp of flour
  • 1 litre of chicken or vegetable stock

 Rosemary potatoes

  • 1 kg of potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters.
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary
  • 8 whole garlic cloves in their skins.
  • 2 tbsp of olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Braised kale

  • 4 stalks of kale
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 2 tbsp of olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Kale salad

  • A bunch of kale
  • 1 tbsp of pomegranate seeds
  • 75 ml of crème fraiche
  • 3 tbsp of olive oil
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Half a clove garlic, finely chopped and crushed with a pinch of salt.
  • Salt and pepper