Apple & pear turkey crown

Name: Apple & pear turkey crown
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 kg turkey crown; 1 tbsp fine sea salt; 1 apple, quartered; 1 pear, quartered; 1 onion, peeled and quartered; ½ unwaxed lemon; 2 bay leaves; 20 g pack thyme; 1 L chicken stock; 60 g apple & pear chutney; 40 ml olive oil; 4 tbsp unsalted butter; 4 tbsp plain flour; 1 tbsp Marsala wine (optional)

Crowns cook faster and more evenly than a whole bird, and are easier to serve up, too. The magic ingredient here is the chutney, which you rub all over the turkey – it adds tangy flavour and a golden colour while also helping to keep the meat tender.

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Serves4
CourseMain meal
Prepare20 mins
Cook1 hr 30 mins
Total time1 hr 50 mins
Plusovernight salting + resting

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2kg turkey crown
1 tbsp fine sea salt
1 apple, quartered
1 pear, quartered
1 onion, peeled and quartered
½ unwaxed lemon
2 bay leaves
¼ x 20g pack thyme
1 L chicken stock
60g apple & pear chutney
40ml olive oil
4 tbsp unsalted butter
4 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp Marsala wine (optional)

Put the turkey crown on a wire rack in a large roasting tin and season it all over with the salt. Loosely cover and leave in the fridge overnight.
When ready to cook, remove the turkey from the fridge and bring it to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Meanwhile, calculate the cooking time – it should be 30 minutes per kilo, covered, plus 20-30 minutes uncovered. Preheat the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 6. Put the apple, pear, onion, lemon, bay leaves, thyme and 500ml stock in the roasting tin. Whisk the chutney with the oil to combine, then gently lift the skin of the crown, being careful not to rip it, and rub the chutney mixture over the flesh of the whole crown under the skin, including a little inside the carcass. Put the turkey in the tin, cover with foil (making sure it’s tightly wrapped) and roast for the calculated time, until cooked through, no pink meat remains and the juices run clear. Remove from the oven and lift onto a warm platter or board to rest for 30-45 minutes, loosely covered with foil. Meanwhile, strain the stock and turkey juices through a sieve into a jug and add the remaining 500ml stock.
While the turkey is resting, heat the butter in a medium saucepan until melted, then whisk in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes. Slowly add ½ of the stock, whisking constantly until it thickens, then add the remaining stock and Marsala, if using. Simmer and reduce until as thick as you want it, then season. Carve the rested turkey and serve with the gravy alongside.