Ingredients
Large bunches thyme and rosemary
1 lemon, quartered
4kg turkey, trimmed
75g unsalted butter
Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season
Stuffing
75g pancetta or bacon, sliced
2 eschalots, finely chopped
450g chorizo, skin removed
2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
2 Tbsp breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp dry sherry
Gravy
600ml chicken stock
300ml sweet sherry
2 tsp cornflour
Method
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Preheat oven to 200 degrees C fan-forced (220 degrees C conventional). Put herbs and lemon in turkey cavity.
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To make stuffing, cook pancetta in a frying pan until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and cook eschalots until softened. When cool enough to handle, mix all stuffing ingredients together. Form into balls and put in an ovenproof dish. Cover with buttered baking paper. Bake, while turkey rests, for 45 minutes.
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Rub butter over turkey skin and season well. Put in a baking dish, cover loosely with foil and roast for 30 minutes. Reduce oven to 160 degrees C fan-forced (180 degrees C conventional), remove foil, and roast for 1½ hours. Internal temperature with a meat thermometer should be 72 degrees C.
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Remove turkey from oven and allow to rest at least 45 minutes.
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To make gravy, bring stock and sherry, plus any pan juices, to boil in a saucepan. Mix cornflour with a little cold water and add to gravy, boiling to thicken. Reheat to serve.
To carve turkey
Remove the legs, slicing into the drumsticks and thighs. Ease the breasts off with a sharp knife, starting at the breastbone, and slice.
Cook's tip
Buy the best turkey you can afford, invest in a digital meat thermometer, and leave to rest for the juiciest meat.
