Special Occasions Recipes - Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

  
 

Special Occasions Recipes - Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

Ingredients

Serves 12-16 

  • 6-8 kg/12-16 lb oven-ready turkey with giblets

  • 12-16 button onions

  • 12-16 cloves

  • 125 g/4 oz unsalted butter, softened and diced

  • 150 ml/1/4 pint water

  • 300 ml/1/2 pint white wine or cider

  • 1 bay leaf

  • salt and pepper

  • herb sprigs, to garnish

Pomegranate sauce:

  • 1 pomegranate

  • 50 g/2 oz walnuts, chopped

  • finely grated rind and juice of 1 orange

  • finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

  • 4 egg yolks

Method:

  1. Set aside the turkey giblets. Season the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper. Stud each onion with a clove and use these and half the butter to fill the cavity. Spread the remaining butter over the skin of the bird.

  2. Chop the giblets and place in a large roasting pan with the water, wine or cider, and bay leaf. Place the turkey in the pan and cover loosely with foil.

  3. Cook in a preheated oven, 190°C (375°F), Gas Mark 5, for 15 minutes per 500 g/1 lb or until the juices run clear; remove the foil for the last 30 minutes. Transfer to a warmed serving dish and keep warm. Strain the juices and reserve.

  4. To make the pomegranate sauce, cut the pomegranate in half crossways and extract the juice with a lemon squeezer. Add the walnuts, orange and lemon rind and juice, and reserved turkey juices to make up to 600 ml/1 pint. Pour into a saucepan and simmer gently.

  5. Lightly whisk the egg yolks in a bowl; gradually add 5 to 6 tablespoons of the pomegranate sauce. Remove the pan from the heat, add the egg yolk mixture and whisk well; do not reheat.

  6. To serve, garnish the turkey with herb sprigs. Serve a clove-studded onion with each portion and hand the sauce separately.