Ingredients
- Oranges 4
- Spinneysfood Fine Sea Salt 150g
- Spinneysfood Acacia Honey 115g
- Spinneysfood Fresh Sage 3 Handfuls
- Garlic 6 cloves
- Spinneysfood Bay Leaves 3
- Spinneysfood Whole Black Peppercorns 2 tbsp
- Turkey 5kg, fresh
- Chicken stock 1L
- Brown onion 1, large
- Spinneysfood Herb Stuffing 120g
- Spinneysfood Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 tbsp
- Spinneysfood Bottled Drinking Water 250ml, boiling
- Spinneysfood Organic Free-Range Large Egg 1
- Spinneysfood Whole Cloves 30g
- Spinneysfood Fresh Rosemary A handful
- Redcurrants 125g, fresh
Given the cook-at-home nature of Spinneys and natural variations in ingredients, nutritional information is approximated."
Honey and sage brined roast turkey
British 30 Mins Prep · 150 Mins Cook
- Zest and juice 2 oranges.
- In a food processor, combine the salt, honey, orange zest, a handful of sage leaves, garlic cloves, bay leaves and black peppercorns. Blend until well combined, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Pat the turkey dry with paper towels and rub the brine all over, making sure to get into every crevice. Place the turkey on a wire rack over a tray in the refrigerator, uncovered, and leave it to brine for a maximum of 24 hours.
- When ready to roast, remove the turkey from the fridge, rinse and pat the skin dry again. Allow to come to room temperature for 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4.
- To make the stuffing, finely chop the onion and a hanful of sage. To make the stuffing combine the onion, sage, herb stuffing, olive oil, water and egg in a bowl. Place the stuffing in the neck and body cavity of the bird.
- Truss the turkey by tying the legs together with kitchen twine. Using toothpicks, secure the wings to the breast. Place the bird in a large roasting pan along with the orange juice and chicken stock, then cover with a sheet of aluminium foil.
- Roast for 2 hours, then remove the foil and continue roasting for a further 30 minutes to brown the skin. A thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read between 72°C–74°C.
- Once cooked, remove the turkey from the oven and allow it to rest in the pan for 15 minutes before carving.
- When ready to serve, dot the oranges with the cloves for an aromatic table piece and arrange a hanful each of sage and rosemary on a platter. Place the turkey in the centre and arrange the redcurrants along the edge.