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Christmas Turkey

Name: Christmas Turkey
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 4 h 30 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 2 cups apple cider; ⅓ cup Chelsea Honey Maple or Chelsea Maple Flavoured Syrup; 2 Tbsp fresh thyme + 1 tsp extra; 2 Tbsp fresh marjoram + 1 tsp extra; 1 lemon (zest only); ¾ cup butter; 3.5kg turkey; 2 cups chopped onion; 1 cup chopped celery; 1 cup coarsely chopped carrot; 2 cups chicken stock; 3 Tbsp flour; 1 small bay leaf; Salt and pepper

Preparation

45 mins

Bake

4 hours 30 mins

Difficulty

Easy

Servings

This turkey has a wonderful syrup glaze to add extra flavour and keep it moist.

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Ingredients
Method

Ingredients

2 cups apple cider
⅓ cup Chelsea Honey Maple or Chelsea Maple Flavoured Syrup
2 Tbsp fresh thyme + 1 tsp extra
2 Tbsp fresh marjoram + 1 tsp extra
1 lemon (zest only)
¾ cup butter
3.5kg turkey
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup coarsely chopped carrot
2 cups chicken stock
3 Tbsp flour
1 small bay leaf
Salt and pepper

Chelsea Products in Recipe

Maple Flavoured Syrup

Chelsea Maple Flavoured...

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Honey Maple Flavoured Syrup

Chelsea Honey Maple...

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Method

Preheat oven to 190°C. : Syrup

2
Boil apple cider and syrup in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 20 minutes). Remove from heat and mix in 1/2 of the thyme and marjoram and all of the lemon zest. Add the butter and whisk until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste then cover and refrigerate until cold.

Turkey : Wash and dry turkey. Place oven rack in the lowest third of oven. Place turkey in a large roasting pan. Slide hand under skin of the breast to loosen breast skin. Rub 1/2 cup of the syrup mixture under the skin of the breast. You can stuff the turkey at this point (optional). Rub 1/4 cup of the syrup mixture over the outside of the turkey. With kitchen string tie legs of turkey together loosely. Arrange the chopped onion, chopped celery and chopped carrot around the turkey in the roasting pan. Sprinkle the remaining thyme and marjoram over the vegetables and pour the chicken stock into the pan.

Roast turkey at 190°C for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 170°C, and cover turkey with foil. Continue to roast until very tender, basting occasionally with pan juices. About 3 to 4 hours unstuffed, 4 to 5 hours stuffed. Pierce the leg joint with a fork, if the juices run clear or faintly pink then the turkey is done.

Transfer turkey to a platter and cover with foil. Reserve pan mixture for gravy.

Gravy : Strain pan juices into a measuring cup. Spoon fat from juices. Add enough chicken stock to make 3 cups. Transfer liquid to a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Mix 3 Tbsp of the reserved syrup mixture with the flour in a small bowl to from a paste. Whisk paste into broth mixture. Add the chopped fresh thyme and bay leaf. Boil until reduced and thickened slightly, whisking occasionally. Season with salt and ground pepper to taste.