Fruity Roast Turkey with Cider Gravy and Spiced Cranberry Stuffing
by Jamie Oliver
Why You’ll Like It
- Very easy Roast Turkey recipe with a fruit and spicy note
- The gravy made out of drippings and infused with dry cider.
- Spiced cranberry, bacon, and walnut stuffing for the stuffing.
Tips for the Perfect Roast Turkey
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Choose the Right Turkey: Opt for a higher-welfare turkey to ensure the best flavour and quality.
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Don’t Overstuff: Fill the turkey’s cavity with just half of the stuffing to ensure even cooking.
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Baking Time: As a rule of thumb, roast your turkey at 325°F (165°C) for about 15 minutes per pound if it’s unstuffed. For stuffed turkeys, add an extra 30–45 minutes to the total time.
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Temperature Check: To be sure it’s fully cooked, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey breast and thigh. The internal temperature should reach 165°F (74°C).
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Basting: Baste the turkey regularly to keep it moist and flavorful.
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Resting: Allow the turkey to rest for at least 1 hour after cooking to let the juices redistribute. Bigger turkeys need 2 hours.
What You Need
- Meat –
- Turkey – Use a 4kg higher-welfare turkey to serve from 8-10 people.
- Bacon – you’ll need 6 rashers higher-welfare bacon, sliced into small strips.
- Pork Sausage Meat – The recipe calls for 300g of higher-welfare pork sausage meat, but I followed my instincts and tried pork shoulder mince instead. With its balanced mix of lean meat and fat, it turned out perfect for the stuffing.
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Butter –
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use 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter to cook the aromatics used for the stuffing.
- 100 g butter, softened to rub the bird.
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Herbs & Aromatics –
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Use 3 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
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2 sticks celery, trimmed and finely chopped
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1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
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- Fruit & spices –
- 1 large handful dried cranberries
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 handful chopped walnuts
- Liquids –
- 800 ml dry cider
- 1 free-range egg
- 300 ml fresh organic chicken stock
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Other
- 2 big handfuls breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon cornflour
Variations
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Substitute dried cranberries with dried cherries or apricots.
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Use apple cider instead of dry cider for a sweeter stuffing. Want it bolder – use a black stout such as Guinness.
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Replace bacon and pork sausage meat with a vegetarian sausage option to make the stuffing vegetarian.
Saving The Roast Turkey For Later
This is the part that I look forward to – eating the leftover turkey. Leftover turkey can be such a treat, especially in a cozy sandwich with all the trimmings. Store any cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and then it’s up to you whether to serve with the leftover stuffing, roasted veggies, or with all the veggies and potatoes mashed up in a sandwich. If you want to go the extra mile add a drizzle of the remaining gravy to the sandwich for even more flavour.
For a heartier and healthy meal chop up the turkey and use it in a warm, comforting creamy chicken noodle soup or a creamy turkey pot pie. Just remember to reheat thoroughly if you’re serving it warm again!
For longer storage, I recommend freezing the turkey in portions, and it will last for up to 3 months. Again, it’s important to reheat thoroughly before serving.
Serving Roast Turkey With Cider Gravy and Cranberry Stuffing
Serve the turkey warm with the spiced cranberry stuffing and proper homemade gravy. Pair it with classic sides like:
- roast potatoes and parsnips,
- Brussels sprouts, green bean casserole and
- cranberry sauce.
Health Info
Fruity Roast Turkey Recipe With Homemade Gravy
Description
Ingredients
For the stuffing
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 6 bacon rashers sliced into small strips
- 3 shallots peeled and finely chopped
- 2 sticks celery trimmed and finely chopped
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary leaves picked and chopped
- ½ cup dried cranberries (large handful)
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- sea salt
- ground black pepper freshly ground
- 30 g chopped walnuts (or a handful)
- 1½ tbsp orange zest (or zest of one orange)
- 300 g pork sausage meat (high quality)
- 400 ml dry cider
- 1 egg (free range)
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs (or 2 big handfuls)
For the Turkey Roast
- 4 kg turkey about 4kg
- 100 g butter softened to rub the bird
For the Gravy
- 400 ml dry cider
- 300 ml fresh organic chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon cornflour
Instructions
Prepare the Stuffing
- Melt the unsalted butter in a saucepan and add the bacon, shallots, celery, and rosemary. Cook gently with the lid on for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft but not colored.
- Add the cranberries and half the cider, and turn up the heat a little. When the liquid has reduced to a third of its volume, set it aside to cool.
- Mix in the nutmeg, allspice, some salt and pepper, the walnuts, orange zest, sausage meat, and egg, then fold in the breadcrumbs.
- Cook half of the stuffing or leave to make sausage rolls on Boxing Day. The other half will be used to stuff the turkey.
Prepare the Turkey
- Preheat the oven to 240°C/475°F/gas 9. Pat the turkey’s skin dry with kitchen paper, then stuff the neck end with half the stuffing.
- Rub the bird with the softened butter and season well. Place in a roasting tin, cover with foil, and pop it in the preheated oven.
- After 15 minutes, turn down the heat to 150°C/300°F/gas 2. Baste, then roast for another 2 to 2¾ hours.
- Remove the foil 1 hour before the end of cooking time. To check the bird is cooked, stick a fork into the thickest part of the thigh – the juices should run clear.
Rest the Turkey
- Remove the turkey from the oven, lift it out of the tin, cover with foil, then leave to rest for at least 1 hour, preferably 2 hours for bigger birds.
Make the Gravy
- Increase the oven temperature to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Skim off the fat in the tin and use it to roast your potatoes.
- Add the rest of the cider to the meat juices in the tin, along with the meat off the turkey wings and enough stock to cover the bottom of the tin.
- Stir in the cornflour, dissolved in a little water, and simmer on the hob until thickened. Sieve into a jug and serve with your turkey, stuffing, and some roast potatoes.