Mary Berry's recipe for traditional roast turkey - Christmas cooking tips/advice from the Bake-off star (2024)

FOR me, Christmas is a time for celebration, for family, for laughter and good food.

I remember the times when I used to prepare everything at home – the turkey, vegetables, stuffing and pudding – and take it to Granny’s on Christmas Eve, ready to be cooked the next day.

Although, these days, most of my Christmases are at home and the young come back to us with their children, so the preparation and organisation doesn’t seem to be getting much less.

So I’ve gathered together my festive recipes and a few snippets of wisdom gained over the years to make your Christmas cooking easier and less stressful.

I wish you very happy cooking, a merry Christmas, and a happy New Year.

Traditional Roast Turkey (serves 12-15)

Ingredients:

• 1 x 6.3kg oven-
  ready turkey
• 100g butter, softened
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced (optional)
• 3 small sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
• Sage and onion
  stuffing (right)
• 1 onion, cut into wedges

Preheat the oven to 220ºC/200ºC fan/gas mark 7.

Do not put a meat stuffing into the cavity of a bird, as this is not safe. Put in only flavouring vegetables and herbs.

Use a meat thermometer when cooking turkey – it helps to judge when the turkey is done.

Cook it to 75-80ºC rather than the 90ºC suggested on the thermometer gauge.

When working out when to put the turkey in the oven, allow at least 30 minutes’ resting time.

Method:

1. Loosen the skin over the breast of the turkey by slipping your fingers between the flesh and skin at the neck end, leaving the skin attached at the cavity end. Spread softened butter over the top of the breast under the skin, holding the skin up. Slip the lemon slices and thyme sprigs in under the skin. The latter is a nice addition, but if time is short forget this variation.
2. Stuff the neck end of the turkey up to the breast with the stuffing. Secure the loose skin with fine skewers, or just tuck the skin underneath. Fill the body cavity with any lemon trimmings, herbs and large pieces of onion. Tie the legs
   with string to give a neat shape. Lightly butter the skin of the bird.
3. Calculate the cooking time (no need to include the stuffing weight). Arrange two sheets of foil across a large roasting tin – they must be large enough to go generously up and over the turkey breast. Place the turkey on top and, if using a meat thermometer, insert it into the thickest part of the thigh. (When cooked it will register 75-80ºC.) Fold the sheets of foil loosely over the turkey, leaving a large air gap between the turkey and the foil.
4. Cook the turkey in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 160ºC/140ºC fan/gas mark 3, and continue to roast for 31/2 hours, basting from time to time.
5. Increase the oven heat to 220ºC fan/200ºC/gas mark 7 again. Take the turkey out of the oven, turn back the foil and drain off any surplus juices from the tin into a jug. Leave the fat to rise to the top in a cold place. When the liquid is cold, take off the fat with a spoon and save the juices for the gravy. Baste the bird, and return it to the hot oven for about 30 minutes for the skin to brown and become crisp.
6. Take the turkey out of the oven and check if cooked.
If not using a thermometer, pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a sharp knife. If the juices are clear, then the turkey is done; if they are still tinged with pink, then roast for a little longer. If the juices are clear cover the bird again with the foil, and leave to stand for 30 minutes before carving.

Preparing before:

Go up to the end of step 3 up to 12 hours before. Cover and chill until ready to cook.

The stuffing can of course be made up to a month in advance and frozen.

Topics

• EVG
• Recipes
• Tesco Xmas