Recipe of the Month: Whole Roast Turkey with Classic Gravy

Renowned for their superior taste, our turkeys are bred and grown on Red Tractor Assured farms in beautiful East Anglia. Seasoned with shallot, garlic cloves, lemon and fresh thyme sprigs, rubbed with garlic butter, foil baked and basted for optimum flavour, this roast will be the centrepiece of your Christmas feast.

Ingredients

(Serves 8-10 people)

• 14-16lb Honeysuckle White Turkey – x1
• Shallot – x1
• Thyme – x2 sprigs
• Lemon – Half
• Garlic Herb Butter – 2 ounce
• Garlic – x4 cloves
• Salt
• Pepper 
  
  

How to make it

1. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Using kitchen shears, remove and discard outer packaging from turkey; place turkey on prepared sheet. Remove and discard giblets and neck from inside the cavity. Do not rinse turkey. Do not remove the oven-safe leg clamp (it’s needed to keep the legs together). Pat turkey very dry, including inside the cavity, with paper towels. (This ensures that the turkey skin will get nice and crispy when roasted.) Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
   
   
2. Adjust racks to middle and bottom positions; preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry all produce. Halve and peel shallot. Peel 4 garlic cloves. Halve lemon, if you have not already done so. Once turkey has stood for 1 hour at room temperature, season all over, including inside the cavity, with plenty of salt and pepper. Place shallot, garlic cloves, 1 lemon half, and 2 thyme sprigs inside turkey cavity. Rub garlic herb butter all over outer side of turkey skin.
   
   
3. Place seasoned turkey, breast side up, in a large roasting pan; tuck wing tips underneath the body. Roast on middle rack until cooked through, about 2 hours and 15 minutes total (follow our Game Plan to stay on track while the turkey roasts!). Turkey is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 180 degrees in the thigh and 165 degrees in the breast. (Check for doneness after 1 hour 45 minutes by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. If not yet cooked through, loosely tent turkey with aluminum foil and return to oven 15-30 minutes more.) Remove from oven. (Resist the urge to in peek on your bird—opening the oven will cause the temperature to drop, thus slowing down the cooking process. Instead, turn on the oven light and check on it through the glass!)
   
   
4. Let turkey rest in roasting pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board to rest 15 minutes more. Carefully pour pan drippings into a fat separator or a large measuring cup. Set aside to cool.
   
   
5. Carve turkey and serve with gravy and sides. Enjoy!
   
   

Recipe courtesy of Hellofresh www.hellofresh.co.uk