Turkey with fresh herb stuffing

Serves: 8

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• 1  4.5kg-5.5kg turkey
• 200 gram(s) butter
• 1 large square of butter muslin
• FOR THE STUFFING
• 200 gram(s) butter
• 350 gram(s) finely chopped onions
• 450 gram(s) fresh white breadcrumbs
• 75 gram(s) chopped fresh herbs - parsley, celery leaves, thyme, chives, chervil
• finely grated zest of an unwaxed lemon
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. To make the stuffing, sweat the onion in butter and mix with the remaining ingredients. Cool completely before stuffing the bird under the skin of the breast. Work your hand carefully between the skin and breast meat to open a pocket for the stuffing. Truss, securing the flap of neck skin beneath the bird.
2. Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F) gas mark 4. Weigh the stuffed turkey to calculate the cooking time, allowing 35 minutes per kilo plus 15 minutes. Melt the butter and dip a large square of muslin in it. Drape the butter-soaked muslin over the bird and roast for 3-3½ hours, taking the muslin off for the last 10 minutes of cooking time.
3. Test for done-ness. A meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the leg, near the body, will register 70°C (150°F) for medium done and a safe 80°C (175°F) for well done. Rest the turkey for at least 20 minutes before carving.
4. COOK'S TIP The only way to tell how bread will behave in a stuffing or bread sauce is to try it. Whether the crumb of a loaf makes a nice light stuffing or sauce, or turns slippery and soggy, is a gamble - except to say that the better the bread, the greater the likelihood it will behave well. Sliced white is not a good bet. As for herbs, they must be fresh or, at a pinch, frozen, and not too overpowering. Rosemary and sage, in particular, are better left out. Recipe by Shona Crawford Poole

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