Roast turkey crown with pancetta, date and sage stuffed legs recipe

By Matthew Drennan

Serves 8, with some leftovers
Takes 40 minutes to make, about 3 hours in the oven for the turkey, plus 30 minutes’ resting and 25 minutes in the oven for the extra stuffing
Rate 1 star Rate 2 stars Rate 3 stars Rate 4 stars Rate 5 stars
Rating

A roast with a twist, that the whole family will enjoy. Stress-free and easy to carve.

1.Prepare the chipolatas and stuffing as for the main recipe – don’t stuff the neck yet. Remove any feathers from the turkey with tweezers. Cut off the wings and set aside. Remove the wishbone (see Christmas Cook's Guide in the Know How section).
2. Remove the legs and remove the bone from each leg – if your butcher hasn’t already done this (see Christmas Cook's Guide in the Know How section). Remove the carcass under the breast bone where you’ve removed the legs. You are now left with the crown. Put the wings and carcass in the fridge to use later for the gravy.
3.Lay both legs out, skin-side down.Divide the stuffing into 3, shaping 2 into a sausage. Put the sausage-shaped stuffing in the centre of each leg. Fold the meat over to encase it.
4. Butter 2 large sheets of strong foil. Put a leg in the centre of each sheet and roll up, securing each end like a cracker. Chill. Put the rest of the stuffing into a lightly greased baking dish, cover and set aside.
5. Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan170°C/ gas 5. Follow step 5 of the 'classic roast turkey with pancetta, date and sage stuffing' recipe to cook the crown. One hour before the turkey is cooked, put the legs in another roasting tray and roast for 1 hour 20 minutes, turning halfway, until cooked.
6. Follow steps 6 & 7 of the aforementioned turkey recipe.
7. Remove the foil from the legs and place on a carving board. Cut into thick slices and serve with the carved turkey crown.