• 100 Days til Santa
  • Christmas Cooking

    • Traditional Turkey with a Twist

    Oct 31, 2019
    If you are looking for a way to re-ignite your love affair with what some might call a "well-worn" tradition of Christmas turkey, then this Traditional Turkey with a Twist might just do the trick. The delightful "twist" is that it features two (yes, you read that right, two!) different stuffings. There's a delightful apple-rice stuffing for the usual spot that stuffing goes, and then there's an indulgent ricotta-herb stuffing that goes under the skin. Oh wow! My tastebuds are watering just thinking about all those amazing flavours. Who ever said that turkey was off the Christmas menu obviously hasn't tried this. Give it a try and see for yourself. Prep: 1:05 Hr & Mins Cook: 3:40 Hr & Mins Serves: 8

    INGREDIENTS

    • 1 x 3-4kg fresh whole turkey, at room temperature
    • 20g butter
    • Cranberry sauce, to serve

    APPLE-RICE STUFFING

    • 1 tablespoon oil
    • 1 onion, chopped
    • 175g bacon, chopped
    • 1 1/2 cups white rice, cooked
    • 2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
    • 1/3 cup slivered almonds
    • 2 tablespoons sage, chopped
    • 1 egg

    RICOTTA-HERB STUFFING

    • 1 cup fresh ricotta
    • 1/2 cup grated parmesan
    • 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
    • 1 bunch chives, snipped
    • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
    • 1 teaspoon oil

    METHOD

    Step 1 Make Apple-rice stuffing: Heat oil in a frying pan on medium. Cook onion for 3 mins until soft. Add bacon and cook for another 3 mins, until bacon is brown. Transfer to a bowl. Add rice, apples, almonds, sage and egg. Mix well. Season to taste. Step 2 Make Ricotta-herb stuffing: Place ricotta, parmesan, parsley, chives, garlic and oil in a bowl. Season to taste and mix well. Step 3 Preheat oven to 180°C or 160°C fan. Rinse out the turkey and pat dry with kitchen paper. Spoon the Apple-rice stuffing into the cavity. Spoon Ricotta-herb stuffing under the skin of the breast, through the neck end. Smooth skin with hands to re-shape. Bring neck skin over cavity and secure with a small metal skewer. Weigh stuffed turkey and calculate the cooking time. Step 4 Fold each wing back and underneath to secure. To truss, place turkey on its back and run string around wings and underneath to cross over back. Bring string up to tie legs together, keeping legs close to the body. Rub butter all over turkey and season well. Step 5 Place turkey on a rack in a large baking pan. Cover with greased foil. Roast for calculated cooking time, basting every 20 mins. Remove foil for the last 30 mins of cooking, to brown. To test if cooked, insert a skewer or fork into the thickest part of the thigh: the turkey is cooked if the juices run clear. Remove from oven and rest for 15 mins before slicing. Serve with cranberry sauce and traditional gravy (see related recipe). Source link: www.taste.com.au
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