Turkey roll with Christmas crumble topping and sage and onion stuffing Christmas is such a great family time and no matter how big or small your gathering is, this is the perfect way to serve turkey. When I was a kid, we used to have a well-known turkey roll on Christmas day and this is my updated, super-tasty version of that supermarket classic. I concede there is quite a lot of work to do here, but so much of it can be done days in advance, so there isn’t much Christmas-day pressure. If you buy yourself an instant-read thermometer, I promise you will have a lovely, moist and succulent turkey breast. It could be the best £10.00 you’ll ever spend. Why not ask for one for your Christmas stocking?
Serves 6–8 1 boneless, skinless turkey, 2–2.2kg, butterflied – any butcher will do this for you, and make sure to ask for the bones 20 streaky smoked bacon rashers 150ml Homemade Brown Sauce (see page 22) Rye Bread Sauce (see page 242), to serve roasted carrots and parsnips, to serve
For the gravy 2kg turkey bones, chopped – you can get these from your butcher 2 turkey wings, chopped 31/2 litres Brown Chicken Stock (see page 240) 150g button mushrooms, wiped, trimmed and sliced 4 banana shallots, sliced 2 celery sticks, chopped 10 sprigs of thyme 50g butter, melted 50g plain white flour salt and pepper, to taste
For the Christmas crumble topping 100g sourdough bread, torn into pieces and toasted 100g shelled pistachio nuts, peeled 100g Pork Scratchings (see page 102) 50g dried cranberries 2 tablespoons thyme leaves 1 orange
For the sage and onion stuffing 250g butter, cubed 400g onion, finely chopped 800g sausage meat 160g fresh fine breadcrumbs 100g vacuum-packed cooked chestnuts, finely chopped 100g dried cranberries 5 tablespoons chopped sage leaves 1 tablespoon juniper berries, finely chopped 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper 2 teaspoons salt Up to 2 days in advance, begin the gravy. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Place the turkey bones and turkey wings in the tray and roast them for 30–40 minutes until they are dark brown, but not burnt. Transfer the bones and turkey wings to a large saucepan over a high heat. Add the brown chicken stock, mushrooms, shallots and celery and bring to the boil, using a large metal spoon to skim the surface, as necessary. Turn the heat down to very low and leave the stock to simmer, uncovered, for 4 hours, or until it is reduced by one-third. Turn the heat off, add the thyme leaves and leave to infuse, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Pass the stock through a fine sieve into a bowl, then leave to cool completely. Cover and place in the fridge for 12 hours so the fat can set on the top and be removed easily. (continued on page 195)
Proper Meat
193