An easy and delicious meal the whole family will enjoy.
SERVINGS:
12
READY IN:
2.5hrs (+ preparation)
GOOD FOR:
Delicious Christmas or special occasion feast
INGREDIENTS
- 4-4.5kg whole turkey
- 300g tub of stuffing
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
- Salt & freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1-litre chicken or veggie stock
METHOD
STEP 1
Preheat the oven to 170°C/180°C. Place a rack in the lowest position of the oven.
STEP 2
Remove turkey neck and giblets. Rinse turkey and pat dry with paper towels.
STEP 3
Weigh the stuffed turkey and calculate the cooking time (approx 35 minutes per 1kg).
STEP 4
Place turkey, breast-side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Loosely fill turkey cavity with stuffing. Rub skin with butter, then season with salt and pepper.
STEP 5
Pour 2 cups of chicken stock into the roasting pan. Loosely tent turkey with aluminium foil.
STEP 6
Roast turkey for 1 1/2 hours, basting with pan juices every 30 minutes. When drippings evaporate, add remaining stock to the pan, 1 cup at a time.
STEP 7
Remove foil and continue roasting until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of the thigh reads 75°C, about 45 minutes to 1 hour more.
STEP 8
Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter. Let it rest for 1 hour before carving.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Whole Turkey Size & Cooking Guide
BEFORE YOU START
- Make sure you know what weight your turkey is. This will help to determine the cooking time required.
- Choose a roasting dish that’s large enough to hold the turkey with enough room around it to fit some vegetables.
- Remove your turkey from the fridge 30 minutes before placing it in the oven to remove some of the chill. During a Summer Christmas, you need to be extremely careful with raw poultry.
- Cover your turkey loosely with foil while cooking & remove it for the last hour to allow the skin to brown.
COOKING GUIDE
Cooking Time Examples
4kg x 35 mins = 140 minutes / 2.3 hours
6kg x 35 mins = 210 minutes / 3.5 hours
8kg x 35 mins = 280 minutes / 4.6 hours
Or until the internal temperature reads 75°C | 165°F
We recommend using a digital thermometer to avoid over or under-cooking.
If you don’t have a digital thermometer, cook until the juices run clear from the thigh if you pierce it with a knife or a skewer.
Resting Time
It is essential to rest your turkey for at least an hour before carving (the temperature will continue to rise). Put the bird in a warm place, tented with foil. It won’t get cold – but it will become juicier, and easier to carve.
SIZE GUIDE
Whole Free Range Turkey
A whole, free-range turkey will feed plenty of people and will both look and taste amazing at your Christmas or Thanksgiving feast.
4kg – Serves 8-10
5kg – Serves 10-12
6kg – Serves 12-15
7kg – Serves 15-20
8kg – Serves 20-25
These are approximations only and are based on no other protein being served.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Recipe & image credit: All Recipes
Turkey size & cooking guide credit: Meat At Billy’s
