Moist turkey crown with chestnut truffle stuffing

Ingredients

• 1½ kg turkey crown
• 50g butter, softened
• 1 shallot, softened
• 200g wild mushrooms, finely chopped
• 50ml Madeira
• 100g chestnuts, finely chopped
• bunch thyme sprigs
• 3 tbsp truffle oil

For the brine

• 3l cold water
• 140g salt
• 5 tbsp clear honey or brown sugar
• 6 thyme sprigs

  For the gravy

• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp flour
• 100ml Madeira
• 400ml chicken stock 

Method

1. To make the brine, heat 200ml of the water, salt, honey or sugar and a couple of thyme sprigs in a small pan. When the salt has dissolved, stir together with the remaining water. Place the turkey in a bowl and pour over the brine. Cover and chill for 4-8 hrs. 
2. For the stuffing, heat a knob of the butter in a frying pan. When melted, add the shallot and fry for a couple of mins until softened. Add the mushrooms and fry for 5 mins until they start to turn golden. Pour over the Madeira, add the chestnuts and the leaves from 1 thyme sprig. Cook for 10 mins more until all the liquid has evaporated. Drizzle with the truffle oil and leave to cool, then mix together with the remaining butter.
3. Remove the turkey from the brine and discard the liquid. Use kitchen paper to gently pat the meat until it’s dry all over, then use your fingers or a spoon to gently ease under the skin of the bird, making a pocket between its flesh and skin. Smear the truffle butter all over the flesh, following the contours of the breast. Brush a little more butter over the skin, then place in a roasting tin. Can chill at this stage up to 1 day ahead.
4. Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Roast for 1 hr (about 40 mins per kg). Halfway through cooking, baste with the juices and loosely cover with foil if the skin is browning. Check that the turkey is done by piercing the thickest part with a skewer – the juices should run clear. Remove from the tin and leave to rest, covered loosely with foil, for 10 mins.
5. While the turkey is resting, make the gravy. Pour away any excess fat from the roasting tin, then place the tin over a medium heat on the hob. Tip in the shallot, then cook for a couple of mins, stirring often. When the shallot has softened, sprinkle over the flour and mix through. Slowly pour in the Madeira, scraping up any caramelised cooking juices. If the gravy starts to turn lumpy, quickly whisk out any lumps. Bring to the boil and simmer until reduced by half, then pour in the chicken stock. Simmer for 5-10 mins until lightly thickened. Strain before serving, if you like.   

Roast turkey with chestnut stuffing

 

Ingredients

For the stuffing

• 150ml Madeira or white wine
• 20g pack dried porcini mushrooms
• 2 onions, halved and sliced
• 25g butter, plus extra
• 15g pack thyme, use the leaves and reserve the stalks
• 2 x 454g packs Cumberland sausages, skins removed
• 200g pack whole cooked chestnuts (I used Merchant Gourmet)
• zest 1 lemon (halve and reserve the rest to use for the turkey)
• 15g pack flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 85g fresh breadcrumbs
• 10 rashers streaky bacon

  For the turkey

• 1 onion, quartered
• 4½ -5.6kg/10-12lb bronze turkey, giblets removed (to use in stock)
• 85g soft butter
• 1 whole nutmeg
• 10 rashers streaky bacon
• 125ml glass Madeira or white wine
• watercress sprigs, to garnish

  Method

• First make the stuffing. Pour the Madeira or wine into a bowl, then crumble in the mushrooms. Fry the onions in the butter for 10 mins, until golden. Cool, then mix with the thyme leaves, the mushrooms and their soaking liquid, and all remaining ingredients, apart from 8 of the chestnuts and the bacon. Season well.
• Set aside half of the stuffing. Line a greased 500g loaf tin with bacon. Pack the rest of the stuffing into the tin, then bring the rashers round over the top and secure in place with cocktail sticks. Use the reserved chestnuts to fill the spaces where the bacon meets. Chill until ready to cook. This will keep in the fridge uncooked for 2 days or can be frozen for up to a month.
• Prepare the turkey. The night before, put the onion quarters, reserved lemon halves and thyme sprigs in the cavity between the legs. Pack the reserved stuffing into the neck end. Secure the neck skin with skewers and tie the legs together. Weigh the turkey. Calculate the cooking time at 40 mins per kilo, plus 20 mins
• Put a large sheet of extra-wide foil in a large roasting tin and put the turkey on top. Smear the breast with the butter, then grate over half of the nutmeg and season well. Cover with bacon, then pour over the glass of Madeira or wine. Seal the foil well to make a parcel. Chill overnight.
• On the day, take the turkey out of the fridge 1 hr before roasting. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Put the turkey in the oven; then, 90 mins before the end of cooking, remove foil and bacon, and drain off the juices from the tin to use in the gravy. To test whether the turkey is cooked, push a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh – the juices should run clear. If they are pinkish, cook for 15 mins more, then test again.
•    Transfer the turkey to a platter, cover with foil, then a couple of tea towels, and allow to rest for at least 30 mins before carving. Meanwhile, cook the stuffing loaf for 30 mins and reheat the bacon. Garnish with watercress and serve the stuffing loaf separately.