Roast turkey with almond stuffing, spiced cherries and gravy
This gorgeous bird will take pride of place at your Christmas table this year. A delicious roasted almond stuffing, spiced cherries, and a smooth, savoury gravy complete this amazing turkey.
- 4 hrs 15 mins cooking
- Serves 8
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Ingredients
Roast turkey with almond stuffing, spiced cherries and gravy
- 5 kilogram (11-pound) turkey
- 60 gram (2 ounces) butter, melted
- 1 litre (4 cups) salt-reduced chicken stock
- 1/3 cup (50g) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 80 gram (2½ ounces) butter
Almond stuffing
- 2 brown onions (300g), chopped finely
- 2 clove garlic, crushed
- 3 cup (200g) stale breadcrumbs
- 350 gram (11 ounces) minced (ground) turkey
- 1/4 cup (100g) flaked almonds, toasted
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
- 1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice
Spiced cherries
- 700 gram (1½-pound) jar morello cherries
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoon brandy
Method
Roast turkey with almond stuffing, spiced cherries and gravy
- 1Make roast almond stuffing.
- 2Preheat oven to 180°C /350°F.
- 3Discard neck from turkey. Rinse turkey under running cold water. Pat dry inside and out with paper towel. Fill cavities with stuffing. Tie legs together with kitchen string; tuck wings under turkey. Place turkey on an oiled rack in a large flameproof baking dish. Brush turkey all over with half the butter; sprinkle with salt. Pour 2 cups of the stock into the dish.
- 4Cover dish tightly with two layers of greased foil. Roast the turkey for 2 hours.
- 5Meanwhile, make spiced cherries.
- 6Remove foil, brush with remaining butter. Return turkey to oven; roast, uncovered, a further 1½ hours or until browned and cooked through. (Add water to the pan during cooking time to prevent juices burning, if necessary.) Remove turkey from pan; cover with foil. Rest in a warm place for 15 minutes before carving.
- 7Meanwhile, pour juices from dish into a jug; stand for a few minutes or until fat has risen to surface. Skim off fat and return 2 tablespoons fat to the baking dish. Discard remaining fat. Top up pan juices with chicken stock to make 3 cups. Place baking pan on stove top over medium heat, add flour; cook, stirring, until browned. Gradually add pan juices; cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. Season to taste. Strain gravy into a heatproof jug. Serve turkey with gravy and spiced cherries.
Roast almond stuffing
- 8Heat butter in a small frying pan over low heat.
- 9Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Transfer to a large bowl, add remaining ingredients; season, mix well.
Spiced cherries
- 10Drain juice from cherries into a small saucepan. Add vinegar, sugar, cinnamon, bay leaf and peppercorns to pan.
- 11Bring to the boil; reduce heat, simmer for 15 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.
- 12Coarsely chop half the cherries; combine in a bowl with remaining cherries. Strain the liquid over the cherries; stir in brandy.