Turkey with sausage, pancetta and apricot stuffing

Turkey with sausage, pancetta, and apricot stuffing

 Ingredients:

• 5kg free-range turkey (take out of the fridge at least 45 minutes before cooking)
• 200g butter
• Good pinch of saffron threads (optional)
• Bay leaves and rosemary for the cavity (optional)

For the stuffing

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 100g pancetta, chopped
• Knob of butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 25g fresh breadcrumbs
• 200g sausagemeat
• 100g pork mince
• 100g soft dried apricots, finely chopped
• Small bunch of fresh parsley and 6 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped

Instruction: 

1. First make the stuffing. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, then fry the pancetta until starting to crisp. Remove to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Lower the heat, add the butter to the pan, then the onion, and cook for 10 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the onion and garlic to the pancetta, then mix in the breadcrumbs. Set aside to cool completely. Stir through the sausage meat, mince, apricots, and herbs. Season well.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Using your fingers, prise the skin away from the neck end of the turkey, being careful not to tear the skin. Fill the pocket with the stuffing, pull the skin back over the stuffing, and secure the skin underneath. Season the bird inside and out. Weigh and calculate the cooking time (20 minutes per kg, plus an extra 30 minutes).
3. Melt the butter and saffron (if using) in a large pan, add a 50cm square piece of muslin and, with tongs, turn to soak in the butter. Remove and lay over the turkey, then place in a large roasting tin. Stuff the body cavity with the bay leaves and rosemary (if using).
4. Roast for 30 minutes, then turn the oven down to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4 and roast for the rest of the calculated cooking time (see above), basting occasionally with the juices from the tin. Remove the muslin for the final 30 minutes of cooking to crisp the skin (keep an eye on the stuffing and cover with foil if it starts to brown too quickly). The turkey is cooked when you pierce the thickest part of the thigh and the juices run clear. Rest the turkey, loosely covered with foil, for 30 minutes before serving on a warm platter with the stuffed apples.