Classic roast turkey with pancetta, date and sage stuffing recipe

A delicious rather unique roast for all the family. Stress-free and easy to carve, allowing you plenty of time to prepare it calmly in advance.

Ingredients

1. 8 good-quality chipolata sausages
2. 16 slices smoked pancetta
3. 12 fresh bay leaves
4. 4.5kg good-quality oven-ready turkey, with giblets
5. 2 oranges
6. Big bunch of fresh sage
7. Small bunch of fresh parsley stalks (see below)
8. 50g butter, at room temperature

For the stuffing

1. 3 x 70g packs cubed pancetta
2. or 210g smoked streaky bacon, chopped
3. 2 medium onions, finely chopped
4. Liver from the turkey giblets, chopped (optional)
5. 12 good-quality pork sausages, skins removed
6. 200g ready-to-eat dates, chopped
7. 3 tbsp chopped fresh sage
8. 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (save the stalks for the turkey)
9. 35g fresh white breadcrumbs
10. 3/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Method

1. 1. Twist and cut each chipolata in the middle to give 2 smaller chipolatas. Wrap each chipolata in a slice of pancetta. Thread 2 onto 8 skewers along with a bay leaf. Chill. Remove the giblets from the turkey – finely chop the liver and set it aside for the stuffing, if using, and cover and chill the rest of the giblets for the gravy.
2. 2. Make the stuffing. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the pancetta and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes, until golden. Add the onions and fry for 6-8 minutes, until soft and lightly golden. Add the turkey liver, if using, to the pan and cook for another minute. Tip into a bowl and leave to go completely cold. Break in the sausagemeat, then add the dates, herbs breadcrumbs and nutmeg. Season and mix well.
3. 3. Preheat the oven to 190°C/ fan170°C/gas 5. Remove any bits of feathers from the turkey with tweezers. Spoon some stuffing into the neck cavity, rounding it to give a nice shape, then pull the skin flap back over the stuffing to enclose it. Secure with a fine skewer. Put the rest of the stuffing into a greased baking dish, cover and set aside.
4. 4. Spike the oranges all over with a skewer. Season the turkey’s body cavity and push in the oranges, bunch of sage, remaining bay leaves and parsley stalks. Truss the turkey with string (see Christmas Cook's Guide in the Know How section).
5. 5. Weigh the bird and calculate the cooking time, allowing 20 minutes per kg plus 90 minutes, so a 4.5kg turkey will need 3 hours in the oven.See p181 for more info on cooking times. Pour 300ml water into a large roasting tin and place a rack in or over the tin. Rest the turkey on the rack, spread the butter under the skin and over the legs and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Cover the tin with foil. Roast for the calculated cooking time, uncovering the turkey for the last 30 minutes to brown the skin. Push a skewer into the thickest part of the leg. If the juices run clear, it’s cooked. If there are any traces of pink, cook for 15 minutes or until the juices are clear.
6. 6. Remove the turkey from the oven. Increase the oven temperature to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Lift the turkey onto a carving board. Cover with the foil for 30 minutes to rest. Strain the cooking juices into a jug and leave to settle. Skim off the excess fat. Put the chipolatas on a tray and roast for 30 minutes. Bake the dish of leftover stuffing, uncovered, for 25 minutes (while crisping up the potatoes and parsnips until golden).
7. 7. Meanwhile, use the cooking juices and giblets to make the gravy. Carve the turkey (see Christmas Cook's Guide in the Know How section) and serve with the vegetables, gravy, chipolatas and sauces.

Nutritional info

Per serving (based on 8): 774kcals, 49.2g fat (19g saturated), 61.9g protein, 22.3g carbs, 11.2g sugar, 5g salt

Chef's tip

Can be frozen.