Step-By-Step Roast Turkey

Step-By-Step Roast Turkey

Prepared by Lenard's Culinary Coach Elle Harrison
Serves: 10-12

Ingredients

 
1 medium (4.5 – 5.5kg) Lenard's free range turkey
1 orange
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 brown onions
1 cinnamon quill
2 tbsp olive oil
8 thyme sprigs
40g butter, melted
750ml chicken stock

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C. Wash the turkey under cold running water and pat dry with paper towel. Set aside.
Peel and quarter the brown onions and place in a medium bowl. Quarter the orange and add to the onions, along with the garlic cloves and cinnamon quill. Add the olive oil and use your hands to gently coat all the ingredients. Gently fill the body cavity with the ingredients, then truss the turkey.
NOTE: By filling the Turkey cavity with aromatics such as citrus, spices and onions instead of stuffing, this reduces the cooking time and infuses the Turkey and pan juices with extra flavour. For a more contemporary presentation, you can bake a stuffing of your choice in a loaf tin separately and serve sliced on a platter for your guests alongside your roast Turkey.
In deep roasting dish, place the thyme sprigs on the bottom and put the trussed turkey on top. Brush all over with melted butter and pour the stock around the turkey.

Roast for 30 minutes. Baste the turkey with the pan juices and reduce the heat to 180C and continue to roast for 50 minutes per kg, making sure to baste the turkey every 30 minutes. If the legs are browning more than the rest of the bird, cover them loosely with greased foil.
Once cooking time is up, check the turkey by piercing through the thickest part to see if the juices run clear. Alternatively, you can use a kitchen thermometer to check the core temperature is 74C. Cover the roasting dish loosely with foil and set aside in a warm place to rest for at least 15 minutes.
Skim the fat and retain the pan juices for the perfect gravy.
Carve the turkey and serve on a platter alongside stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce.

 

Turkey Tips & Tricks: How to Create a Memorable Christmas Feast

Cooking a roast turkey can be quite a daunting task, especially if it is your first attempt at mastering the traditional Christmas centrepiece. But with some advice and a few simple tips from the Lenard's Culinary Coach Elle Harrison, you can avoid a not-so-merry meltdown and create a memorable Christmas feast.

Preparation is key
The first important step is to buy a turkey that is fresh and not frozen– we've all heard stories of roasting a turkey all day, only for it to be raw in the centre because it hasn't thawed out! Also check to see that you have a suitable size tray to hold the turkey in the oven.

Expert Tip: Many store-bought turkeys have already been trussed for you, which means the legs have been drawn together with string in a neat, tight shape ready for roasting. The main benefit of trussing is to keep the bird's shape during cooking, which encourages an even roast and enables an easy carve at the dinner table.

Choose the right size
Roasting a turkey can be time consuming, so choose a size suited to your number of guests to avoid any unnecessary time spent in the kitchen. Specialty stores such as Lenard's Chicken offer free range and barn-raised turkeys in simplified small, medium and large sizes that serve anywhere between 8 – 17 people.

Expert Tip: Depending on what size you choose, it is important to keep in mind that the larger the turkey, the easier the breast can dry out. This is also because turkey breast is low in fat. I find turkeys no more than 5.5kg are best as they take less time to cook and therefore retain more moisture.

Keep the moisture
Another tip to combat a dry roasted turkey, is to add some stock into the bottom of the roasting dish and begin cooking it breast-side down. This will add flavour and encourage the turkey's natural juices to collect in the breast.

Expert Tip: After roasting for an hour, carefully turn the turkey right side up and complete the roasting process. Ensure flavour and moisture is continuously infusing your roast turkey by brushing all over with melted butter and basting with the pan juices every 30 minutes.

Set to rest
Should your turkey be browning too much in some areas such as the legs, cover these loosely with greased foil. This will slow down the browning process to ensure the skin is browned evenly all over.

Expert Tip: Once the juices of the turkey run clear, or you have achieved a core temperature of 74°C with the use of a kitchen thermometer, cover the entire turkey loosely with foil and set aside in a warm place to rest. It is so important that your turkey has rested before being carved and served as it allows the juices to redistribute and gives you valuable time to prepare a delicious gravy or cranberry sauce.

Carefully carve to ensure no waste
When carving a large bird such as a turkey, the same principles apply to carving a smaller bird like chicken. Always look for the sockets, so you can easily cut through them rather than cutting through bone. Remove and halve the leg portions first, followed by slicing off the breast. Then carve thin slices parallel to the centre bone and finish by removing the wing portions. This way, all your guests will get to experience your tantalising turkey feast and there will be no meat wasted!

Lenard's Culinary Coach Elle Harrison is an innovative and experienced cook, whose love and passion for food has only grown stronger since being awarded runner up on My Kitchen Rules in 2013 with her younger brother Jake. She and Jake now have an ever evolving food stall at Brisbane's Eat Street Markets, currently focussing on American and Italian cuisine. Between juggling her business and new life as a mum, Elle has come to appreciate the importance of convenience in meal preparation. Elle looks forward to helping you master mealtimes, by sharing her entertaining tips and love of food.

Want more turkey advice? Follow Elle's step-by-step roast turkey recipe here or visit Lenards.com.au.