Maple butter glazed turkey with pancetta parcels

Name: Maple butter glazed turkey with pancetta parcels
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 4 h 30 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 2 tsp salt; 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 2 tsp garlic granules

This majestic turkey recipe is perfect for Christmas dinner, and will delight the whole family. The maple butter glaze is wonderfully luxurious, and the pancetta encasing the parcels is ready to cook and air dried for even more flavour.

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Serves8
CourseMain meal
Prepare30 mins
Cook4 hrs
Total time4 hrs 30 mins

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Ingredients

FOR THE TURKEY RUB

2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp garlic granules

FOR THE TURKEY

6kg Waitrose Christmas Free Range Whole Turkey With Giblets
2 sticks celery, washed
2 carrots, washed and halved lengthways
2 leeks, halved lengthways and washed
1 head garlic, cloves bashed and loosened in their skins
4 bay leaves

FOR THE PANCETTA STUFFING PARCELS

1 medium onion, roughly chopped
3 clove/s garlic, peeled and quartered
1 large stick celery, washed and roughly chopped
200g white breadcrumbs
454g pack essential British Pork Sausagemeat
25g parsley, roughly chopped
Fresh nutmeg, a few gratings
4 95g packs Cooks' Ingredients Italian Sliced Pancetta
20g sage, leaves only
1 tbsp olive oil

FOR THE MAPLE BUTTER GLAZE

75g butter
100g maple syrup
100ml chicken stock
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Method

In a small bowl, mix the turkey rub ingredients together. Remove the giblets from inside the turkey. Lift the skin of the turkey away from the breast and top of the legs, being careful not to split it. Smother the flesh with the rub, concentrating on the breast. Tuck the skin back and place uncovered in the fridge overnight or for at least 12 hours (being sure it cannot come into contact with or drip on anything else in the fridge).
Next remove the bird from the fridge and bring up to room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing parcels. Blitz the onion, garlic and celery in the bowl of a food processor until very fine. Add the breadcrumbs, sausagemeat, parsley and nutmeg. Pulse until the mixture comes together. Divide into 28 and roll into balls with damp hands. Wrap a stuffing ball with a slice of pancetta, then turn it and add a sage leaf. Finally wrap the other side with another slice of pancetta to make up a present shape. Repeat with all the stuffing and pancetta. Lay the parcels on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Brush with olive oil, cover and set aside in the fridge until needed.
Preheat the oven to 140ºC, gas mark 1. Layer the celery, carrot, leek, garlic and bay leaves in a large roasting tray. Place the turkey on the bed of the vegetables, breast-side down. Cook for 2 hours.
While the turkey cooks, make the maple butter glaze by putting all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and boiling for 8-10 minutes, whisking occasionally, until glossy, thickened and reduced by half.
After 2 hours, remove the turkey from the oven and turn the heat down to 120ºC, gas mark 1/2. Flip the turkey breast-side up. Brush a layer of the glaze over the top of the bird, then roast for a further 2 hours, remembering to brush periodically with more glaze, until thoroughly cooked, the juices run clear and there is no pink meat. Remove the turkey and place on a platter to rest for 30 minutes. Brush over the remaining maple butter glaze.
Meanwhile, turn the oven up to 200ºC, gas mark 6. Cook the stuffing parcels in the now empty oven for 30-35 minutes until golden, piping hot and thoroughly cooked through. Finally, pour all the juices from the bottom of the turkey tin into a medium saucepan and boil for 10 minutes until reduced by half to make gravy (adding extra water or stock if needed). Season. Serve the rested, glazed turkey with the stuffing parcels and hot gravy.