Buttered turkey with porcini and sourdough stuffing

Method

1. To make the stuffing, soak the dried mushrooms in about 200ml freshly boiled water for 15-20 minutes until soft. Drain (reserving the liquid for the gravy), then roughly chop and set aside. Melt the butter in a small pan and gently cook the onion for 5 minutes, without allowing it to colour. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more, then set aside to cool. Stir the mushrooms and the remaining stuffing ingredients into the onion and garlic mixture, then season well. Fry a small amount of the stuffing until cooked to test the seasoning, then adjust as needed.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Using your fingers, gently loosen the skin over the meat at the neck end of the turkey, being careful to keep the skin intact. Fill the pocket with the stuffing, tucking any excess skin underneath and securing it with a cocktail stick or skewer. Season inside the main cavity, then stuff with the orange and herbs, if using. Rub the softened butter all over the outside of the bird.
3. Season the outside, then place in a roasting tin and roast for 2-2½ hours. The turkey is cooked when you pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a knife and the juices run clear, or when a digital thermometer reads 70°C.
4. Remove the turkey from the oven and leave in the tin, loosely covered with foil, for 10 minutes. Remove the bird, tipping carefully so the juices run out of the cavity into the tin, then transfer to a large carving board (ensuring it has rims to catch the juices). Leave the roasting tin as it is, with all the liquid and burnt bits, ready to make the gravy. Rest the turkey, covered very loosely with foil, until ready to carve – you can leave it for up to 2 hours.