Roast turkey with traditional stuffing and cranberry sauce recipe

Details

• Cuisine: English
• Recipe Type: Main
• Difficulty: Medium
• Preparation Time: 40 mins
• Cooking Time: 200 mins
• Serves: 10

Step-by-step

1. To make the traditional breadcrumb stuffing, heat the butter in a large frying pan over low heat. Add the onions, celery and bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the onion is soft. Transfer to a large bowl, add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine. Season well with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool completely.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Remove the neck and giblets of the turkey and trim any pockets of fat. Remove the wishbone. Spoon a quarter of the stuffing into the neck cavity, cover with the skin and tuck the skin under the wings. Spoon the remaining stuffing into the body cavity, then truss the turkey.
3. Place the thyme sprigs in a large roasting pan and put the turkey on top. Brush all over with melted butter and cover the legs loosely with greased foil. Pour the stock around the turkey and roast for 1 hour. Reduce the heat to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Baste the turkey, remove the foil and roast for a further 2 hours, basting every 30 minutes and covering loosely with greased foil if it is browning too much, or until the juices run clear when pierced through the thickest part. Remove from the pan, cover loosely with foil and set aside in a warm place for 15 minutes to rest.
4. Meanwhile, to make the cranberry sauce, place the cranberries in a bowl, cover with hot water and set aside for 30 minutes. Drain the cranberries, put in a saucepan with the remaining ingredients and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
5. While the turkey is resting, use a metal spoon to remove the excess fat from the pan juices. Season, if necessary.
6. Carve the turkey and serve with the stuffing, pan juices and cranberry sauce.