Jamie Oliver's Roast Turkey Recipe

3 medium red onions, peeled 
2 carrots, peeled 
9–10 lb. turkey, preferably free-range or organic, at room temperature 
1 large orange 
olive oil 
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 
1 bulb of garlic, broken into cloves 
2 tablespoons plain flour 
2 pints chicken or vegetable stock, preferably organic

for the flavored butter
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
zest of 1 orange
a mixed bunch of fresh sage and rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
a pinch of ground cinnamon
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 whole nutmeg, for grating 

for the stuffing
4 tablespoons butter 
a sprig of fresh sage, leaves picked 
6 strips of pancetta or thinly sliced bacon 
1 medium red onion, peeled 
2 sticks of celery, trimmed and chopped 
a big handful of breadcrumbs 
a handful of dried apricots 
10 ozs quality ground pork 
zest of 1 lemon 
a pinch of grated nutmeg 
1 large free-range or organic egg 
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Preheat the oven to maximum. To make the stuffing, heat a saucepan until medium hot and drop in the butter, sage leaves and pancetta or bacon. Peel and chop 2 garlic cloves from the bulb, and the onion. Add the garlic, celery and onion to the saucepan and fry everything gently until soft and golden brown. Take the pan off the heat, add the breadcrumbs and, while the mix is cooling down, roughly chop and stir in the apricots. When the stuffing has cooled down, add the pork, lemon zest, nutmeg, egg and lots of salt and pepper, and mix everything together well.

Chop the onions in half and slice the carrots thickly. To make the flavored butter, put the butter in a bowl and beat in the orange zest, chopped herbs, cinnamon, a good pinch of salt and pepper and a few scrapings of nutmeg. 

Give your turkey a good wipe, inside and out, with paper towels, and place it on a board, with the neck end towards you. Find the edge of the skin that’s covering the turkey’s breasts and gently peel it back. Work your fingers and then your hand under the skin, freeing it from the meat. If you’re careful you should be able to pull all the skin away from the meat, keeping it attached at the sides. Go slowly and try not to make any holes! Lift the loose skin at the neck end and spoon the stuffing between the skin and the breast, tucking the flap of skin underneath to stop anything leaking out. At the other end, starting at the side of the cavity just above the leg, use a spoon to work your way between the skin and the meat. Poke in some of the butter, and use a spatula to spread it out evenly. Roll any remaining butter up in greaseproof paper into a log and refrigerate for another day. Pop the orange in the microwave for 30 seconds to warm it up and stuff it into the cavity. Weigh the stuffed turkey and calculate the cooking time (about 20 minutes per pound).  

Place the bird on a large roasting pan, rub it all over with olive oil and season well. Surround with the chopped carrots, onions and garlic cloves, cover with aluminum foil and place in the preheated oven. Turn the heat down right away to 350ºF, and roast for the calculated time, or until the juices run clear from the thigh if you pierce it with a knife or a skewer. Remove the aluminum foil for the last 45 minutes to brown the bird. Carefully lift the turkey out of the tray and rest on a board that’s covered loosely with foil for 20 minutes while you finish off the veg and gravy. Skim the surface fat from the roasting pan and add the flour and stock. Place the tray on the stovetop and bring to the boil on a high heat. When the gravy starts to thicken, strain it into a bowl. Carve your turkey, serve with the gravy and dig in!
 

Recipe © Jamie Oliver, Photography © David Loftus