Roast turkey with prune and macadamia nut stuffing

Name: Roast turkey with prune and macadamia nut stuffing
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 10-12, with leftovers
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: extra virgin olive oil; 1 small brown onion, finely chopped; 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 50g English spinach, trimmed; 3 cups fresh sourdough breadcrumbs; 2 tablespoons chopped thyme; 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley; 150g dried prunes, finely chopped; 150g of macadamia nuts, roughly chopped; 250g unsalted butter, finely diced and softened; 2 eggs; sea salt and freshly ground white pepper; 7.6kg whole turkey (medium to large); 

Neil Perry

December 1, 2015

Time:2 hours +Serves:10-12, with leftovers

This is a delicious way to keep the turkey breast moist; I always stuff under the skin rather than in the cavity, I think it adds more flavour as well. You can use any dried fruit-nut combination you like; the breadcrumbs and butter hold it together, so don't leave either of those out. You can add any herbs or spices you like. I think that a combination of coriander seed, fennel seed and a little cumin roasted and ground is a nice rub for the outside of the skin as well.

Ingredients

extra virgin olive oil
1 small brown onion, finely chopped
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
50g English spinach, trimmed
3 cups fresh sourdough breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped thyme
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
150g dried prunes, finely chopped
150g of macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
250g unsalted butter, finely diced and softened
2 eggs
sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
7.6kg whole turkey (medium to large)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C.
2. To make the stuffing, heat a little olive oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook over a low heat for about five minutes or until the onion is soft. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Blanch the spinach in boiling salted water until just wilted, then drain and rinse under cold water. Squeeze the excess water from the spinach. Chop coarsely. Combine the onion mixture with the spinach, breadcrumbs, herbs, prunes, macadamia nuts and butter in a medium bowl. Add the eggs, season with salt and pepper and mix very well.
3. Gently put your fingers between the skin and breast of the bird working your way down to the thighs. Don't rush, you don't want to tear the skin.
4. Press the stuffing under the skin of the turkey on the breasts and legs, until it is firmly packed in. Rub the skin with plenty of oil and season the turkey inside and out.
5. Place the turkey in a large baking tray and roast for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 150C and cook for four to five hours or until cooked. (The best way to ensure the turkey is cooked through is with a meat thermometer. If the bird is larger, add 20 to 30 minutes for every 500 grams over 7.6 kilograms. When cooked, the internal temperature of the breast should be 74C and the legs 80C.)
6. Reduce the oven temperature to 50C, cover the turkey with foil and allow it to rest in the oven for about 20 minutes.
7. To serve, remove the drumsticks, thighs and wings at the second joint. Slice the breasts into one to two-centimetre thick slices, being careful not to rip the skin. Place on a platter and drizzle with some juices from the baking tray, aged balsamic vinegar, a good extra-virgin olive oil, another little sprinkle of sea salt and a grind of fresh pepper.