Phil's perfect Christmas turkey

Whether you’re hosting, or helping, there’s no doubt that the Christmas lunch is one of the most pressurised meals of the year. To ensure we get the turkey just right, Phil Vickery is here with his ultimate guide.

Ingredients

5 kg (just under 12lb) Bronze turkey, with giblets and the wishbone removed. 2 large carrots, peeled2 large onion, peeled6 sticks of celeryLeek2 bay leaves2 chicken stock cubes (optionally Gluten-Free stock cubes)½ bottle dry white wine2 pints cold watersalt and freshly ground black pepper 55g melted butter2 tbsp roughly cornflour4-6 tbsp cold water

Method

Before we start I want to draw your attention to a few really important points. These are my thoughts and should not be confused with a traditional turkey recipe. My method will ensure a juicy well cooked turkey in just a couple of hours depending on the size. If you need information for traditional cooking, then I would steer you towards the British Turkey website

Preheat the oven to Gas 6 / 400 °F / 200 °C / 180 °C Fan.

First job is to remove the giblets from the bird, and if you are using a frozen bird then make sure that it is fully defrosted.

Season the bird well inside and out well with salt and pepper and pack the stuffing into the body cavity.(some suggested recipes at the bottom of this page)

Tie the legs and the Parsons nose together with a piece of string and secure well, so the stuffing is held inside the bird.

Chop all the vegetables into large chunks and place in the bottom of a large baking tray place the turkey on top, the tray should be large enough so the bird has at least 2 inch (5cm) gap all around.

Pour in the white wine, cold water and chicken stock cube, and place the whole tray on to the stove.

Bring to the boil and cover tightly with two layers of foil and pop into a preheated oven.

THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT: Simmer for 5 minutes, covered to get the steam and heat going!

Cook the bird for about 2 hours, approximately. (See table below for your turkey size)

To check if the bird is cooked, remove from the oven carefully as there will be a lot of stock, wine and turkey juices.

Remove the foil and insert a knife where the thigh attaches itself to the body of the bird, the juices should run clear. If not, then cover again with foil and cook for a further 20 minutes.

When the bird is cooked, remove from the oven, turn the oven up to Gas 8 / 450 °F / 230°C / 210 °C Fan.

Tip off the juices for the gravy, then brush the bird well with melted butter or oil and return to the oven to brown beautifully (See table below for your turkey size).

Once browned, remove from oven and wrap in a double layer of foil then 2 clean tea towels, this should keep warm for up to 1 hour.

To serve

Re-boil the stock and juices, you may need to add a little more water in a saucepan and skim well.

Mix the cornflour and water together and thicken the bubbling stock, don’t go mad.

Carve the bird the flesh will be soft and juicy, and serve the gravy and stuffing separately.

Perfect timings

At this time of year, I always get lots of questions from people worrying about their turkey, so, here are a few of my top tips to help you relax and have a stress-free Christmas.

What size turkey do I need?

Allow 500g / 1lb of meat on the bone for each person, this will give you enough for a meal with some left over. 6-8 people: 4kg (8lbs 13oz) turkey 10 people: 5kg (11lbs) turkey
12 people: 6kg (13lbs 4oz) turkey Make sure you have a roasting tray big enough for your bird and that it will fit in your oven.

How long to defrost a frozen turkey?

At a cool room temperature (no more than 17.5°C), it will take about 2 hours for every 450g / 16oz.