Roast Breast Of Turkey Recipe
with pigs in blankets, sage & onion stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce
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Ingredients
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Turkey
Pigs in Blankets
Sage & Onion Stuffing
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Gravy (from roast juices)
Method
Turkey
- 1
Prepare oven and turkey
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) fan/200°C (400°F) conventional. Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels. Place on a rack in a roasting tin large enough to catch juices.
- 2
Make herb butter
In a bowl, combine the softened butter, chopped sage, minced garlic, lemon zest, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Mix until homogenous.
- 3
Season and roast
Loosen the skin over the breast with your fingers and smear about two-thirds of the herb butter directly onto the meat under the skin. Rub the remaining butter over the skin, then drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle remaining salt. Pour 250 ml of stock into the base of the tin. Roast the breast uncovered in the preheated oven for 35 minutes per kg plus 20 minutes (approx. total 2 hr 5 min for 3 kg), basting with pan juices and adding more stock as needed to keep the tin from burning. Use a thermometer: done at 65–67°C (149–153°F) internal temperature; it will rise to 70°C while resting.
- 4
Pigs in Blankets
- 5
Assemble
Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F) if not already hot. Cut each bacon slice in half crosswise. Wrap each chipolata with a half slice of bacon, securing with a toothpick if needed. Place on a baking tray seam-side down. Sprinkle lightly with black pepper and, if using, dust with a little brown sugar for a sticky glaze.
- 6
Cook
Bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes or until bacon is crisp and sausages are cooked through, turning once halfway. If roasting with the turkey, add to the oven for the final 20–25 minutes of the turkey's cooking time on a separate tray so they crisp without steaming.
Sage & Onion Stuffing
- 7
Prepare bread and aromatics
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). In a frying pan over medium heat, melt 75 g butter. Add the finely chopped onions and sauté gently until soft and translucent, about 8–10 minutes. Stir in chopped sage, parsley and dried thyme for 1 minute to release aromas.
- 8
Combine and bind
Place the cubed bread in a large mixing bowl. Pour the softened butter and onion mixture over the bread. Add the beaten egg, warm chicken stock (start with 150 ml and add more if needed), sea salt and black pepper. Mix gently until the bread is evenly moistened but not soggy. If stuffing is too dry add the remaining 50 ml stock; if too wet, bake a little longer uncovered.
- 9
Cook stuffing
Spoon the stuffing into a greased ovenproof dish or form into balls and place on a tray. Cover with foil and bake at 180°C for 25 minutes, then remove foil and bake a further 10–15 minutes until the top is golden and slightly crisp. If placing inside the turkey cavity (optional), ensure the stuffing reaches 75°C internal temperature; adjust cooking time accordingly.
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
- 10
Cook cranberries
Combine cranberries, caster sugar, orange juice, water, orange zest and ground cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce to a simmer. Stir occasionally as cranberries burst and the mixture thickens, about 10–12 minutes. Taste and add a little more sugar if you prefer a sweeter sauce.
- 11
Cool and store
Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature; it will thicken further as it cools. Transfer to a serving bowl or jar and chill until needed (can be made 2–3 days ahead).
Gravy (from roast juices)
- 12
Make a slurry
After removing the turkey, pour the pan juices through a sieve into a measuring jug and let fat rise to the top. Skim off most of the fat, reserving about 1–2 tbsp in the roasting tin. Measure 300 ml of strained juices; top up with extra stock if you have less.
- 13
Thicken
Place the roasting tin (with reserved fat and fond) on the hob over medium heat. Sprinkle 2 tbsp flour into the fat and cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes to form a roux. Gradually whisk in the strained pan juices and 100 ml extra stock until smooth. Simmer for 3–5 minutes until the gravy thickens. If using cornflour, mix cornflour with 60 ml cold water to a slurry and whisk into the hot juices until thickened.
- 14
Season and finish
Taste and season with salt and pepper. For a glossy finish, swirl in 1 tsp cold butter off the heat. Keep warm until serving.