turkey, oven ready, Salt, black pepper and a little flour
2 tbsp
softened butter
8 slices
streaky bacon
Stuffing
450g
bread, broken into pieces
6 tbsp
fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp
fresh thyme, chopped
1
medium onion, cut into quarters
Salt and black pepper
100-150g
butter, softened
To Make the Stuffing
Place the bread, parsley, thyme and onion in a food processor.
Process until you have fine breadcrumbs and the onion is finely chopped.
Remove to a bowl, season and mix in the butter.
To Stuff the Turkey
Loosen the skin at the neck end with your hands.
Pack the stuffing in, pushing it up between the flesh and the skin, but not too tightly, because it will expand during cooking.
Tuck the neck flap under the bird’s back and secure with a cocktails stick.
Any remaining stuffing can be cooked in a covered baking dish with the turkey.
Weigh the turkey, and calculate the cooking time.
Allow 15-20 minutes per pound (allow 10-15 minutes per pound for turkeys weighing over 16 lbs).
Place the turkey, breast side up, in an oiled roasting tin.
To Cook the Turkey
Set the oven at Gas Mark 7, 220°C (450°F).
Season the turkey with salt and pepper and dust with a little flour.Rub all over with the butter, then lay the bacon slices on the breast, overlapping each other.
Cover the bacon with a piece of buttered greaseproof paper. This will keep the bacon in place.
Wrap the turkey loosely in foil and roast in the preset oven.
After the first ¾ hour reduce the heat to Gas Mark 3, 170°C (325°F).
Baste a couple of times during roasting.
For the last ½ hour remove the tin foil.
To check if the turkey is cooked pierce the thickest part of the leg – the juices should run clear.
When the turkey is cooked remove from the oven, transfer to a large plate, reserve the cooking juices in the tin to make the gravy.
Cover the turkey loosely with foil and allow to rest for ½ an hour in a warm place while you finish the ham and roast potatoes.
Simple Tasty Recipes
Cider Baked Ham with a Cherry Glaze
Total Time
3 h 30 min
8 people
Servings
Main ingredients
2.5kg
boneless ham, smoked or unsmoked
1 litre
cider
2
bay leaves
Glaze
100g
cherry jam (or plum jam)
25g
brown sugar
1 tbsp
honey
1 tbsp
port
Juice
½ lemon
2 tbsp
Dijon mustard
1 tsp
cinnamon
½ tsp
nutmeg
To serve:
Roast potatoes, carrots and parsnips.
To cook the ham
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6, 200oC (400oF).
Place the ham in a roasting tin, skin side up and pour the cider around it.
Add the bay leaves. Cover tightly with a double layer of tin foil.
Bake for 3 hours.
After this time lift the ham onto a carving board and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
To make the glaze
Place all the glaze ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Set aside while you prepare the ham.
When the ham is cool enough to handle, cut off any stings and, with a sharp knife, carefully remove the skin.
Score the fat in a criss-cross pattern.
This helps the glaze to stick to the ham and also looks good when finished cooking.
Transfer the ham to a roasting tin lined with tin foil. Spoon half of the glaze mixture over the ham. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until the glaze is golden brown. After the first ten minutes spoon over the rest of the glaze. Set aside to rest for about 10 minutes before carving.
To serve: Transfer the ham to a large serving platter, carve and serve with the roast potato, vegetables and some mustard on the side.
