Roast turkey with fig, hazelnut & orange stuffing served with carrots & gravy

Roast turkey is perfect on so many occasions – Christmas in July, Thanksgiving or as the centrepiece of your Christmas festivities!

Meat at Billy’s regular, Alana Lowes shares her classic take on roast turkey with all the trimmings…

Recipe and images courtesy of Alana Lowes.

Serves: 8-10  |  Prep Time: 1 hour  |  Cook Time: 3-3.5 hours + Resting time

INGREDIENTS

STUFFING
2 tbsp olive oil
3 golden shallot onions, diced
2 garlic cloves
¼ cup hazelnuts
4 slices rye bread, toasted and torn
10 dried figs, roughly chopped
1 tbsp thyme leaves (8-10 sprigs)
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp sumac
Zest of 1 orange
50g butter, melted

ROAST TURKEY & GRAVY
4½ kg free range whole turkey fresh or thawed frozen
2 tbsp olive oil
3 carrots, roughly chopped
3 golden shallot onions, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, smashed
100g butter, melted
1 tsp sumac
Juice of 1 orange
10 sprigs thyme, tied together
3 tbsp plain flour
500ml vegetable stock

GLAZED CARROTS
1kg baby carrots
3 tbsp olive oil
50g quince or fig paste
50g butter, melted
½ tsp cracked black pepper
½ tsp sea salt
¼ cup hazelnuts

For a detailed turkey size guide and cooking instructions, click here.

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Free range whole turkeys are available from July 1 for Christmas in July, in the lead up to Thanksgiving and for Christmas.

At other times, contact either store to place an order – Ashgrove (07) 3366 2912 (option 1) or Rosalie (07) 3366 2912 (option 2).

METHOD
To make the stuffing, heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the golden onion shallots and garlic and cook until softened. Set aside to cool. 

Add the cooled onion mixture and the remaining stuffing ingredients, except for the butter, into a food processor and process to a course crumb. Stir in the butter.  

Preheat the oven to 180℃.

To prepare the turkey, fill the cavity of the turkey with the stuffing mixture. Tie the legs together and using tooth picks, pin the wings into the side of the turkey breast.  

Place the olive oil, carrots, onions and garlic cloves into the bottom of a roasting pan, creating a layer for the turkey to sit on. Place the turkey on top of vegetables.  

Mix together the melted butter, orange juice, sumac and sea salt and using the thyme as a brush, baste the turkey with the butter mixture, reserving some of the mixture to baste again during cooking. 

Place the turkey into the oven and roast, basting every 30 mins, cook for 3-3½ hours, or until the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a skewer. The best way to tell if your turkey is cooked is by using a digital cooking thermometer. The recommended internal temperature for cooked poultry is 75°C. Always double-check by sticking the probe in several different spots within the thigh or breast, to find the lowest reading. If returning to the oven, allow 10-15 minutes, then test again until the correct temperature is reached.

Meanwhile prepare the glazed carrots. For the glazed carrots, toss the whole baby carrots in the oil, butter, quince paste, salt and pepper and place in a roasting pan. Roast for 45min-1 hr or until they are softened and burnished on the edges.

Once the turkey is cooked, brush it with a little of the pan juices to give it a good shiny golden glaze, cover with foil and set aside to rest. 

To make the gravy, strain the pan juices into a heatproof jug, leaving the vegetables and some residual juice and oil in the pan. Place over a low heat, add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1-2 mins, taking care not to burn. Gradually add in the pan juices and stock and cook, scraping the pan with a flat-edged spoon to dislodge any bits that have cooked onto the base. Cook for 5-6 mins or until the gravy boils and thickens. Taste and season with salt and pepper and extra fresh thyme. Strain into a heatproof jug. 

Place the roast turkey on a serving platter with the gravy and serve with the glazed carrots topped with chopped hazelnuts.

If you make this recipe, please let us know! Post a pic on Facebook or Instagram and tag us #meatatbillys.