Sage & lemon braised turkey

Name: Sage & lemon braised turkey
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 2 h 40 min
Total time: 3 h 20 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 4 medium Essential Onions, trimmed (skin-on); 1 pack Essential Celery, trimmed; 500 g Essential Carrots, trimmed and scrubbed; 3 bulb/s garlic, halved widthways; 1 Essential Medium Whole Turkey With Giblets (4-6kg); 3 unwaxed lemons, plus extra to serve (optional); 20 g packs sage; 375 ml dry white wine; 6 tbsp Vegetable oil; 150 g plain flour; 1 L fresh chicken stock (or from a stock cube)

Christmas can be a juggling act but the centrepiece needn't be. Take one turkey, add lashings of (no-fuss) gravy and you have the foundation of a wonderful festive celebration.

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HealthyHigh protein

Serves6
CourseMain meal
Prepare40 mins
Cook2 hrs 40 mins
Total time3 hrs 20 mins
Plusresting

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Ingredients

4 medium Essential Onions, trimmed (skin-on)
1 pack Essential Celery, trimmed
500g Essential Carrots, trimmed and scrubbed
3 bulb/s garlic, halved widthways
1 Essential Medium Whole Turkey With Giblets (4-6kg)
3 unwaxed lemons, plus extra to serve (optional)
2 x 20g packs sage
375ml dry white wine
6 tbsp Vegetable oil
150g plain flour
1 L fresh chicken stock (or from a stock cube)

Method

Preheat the oven to 160ºC, gas mark 3. Roughly chop all the veg and scatter over the base of a large, wide roasting tin (at least 2-3cm deep) with the halved garlic bulbs. Remove the giblets (neck, liver and heart) from the turkey cavity. Trim the liver and heart of sinew; add to the roasting tin with the neck.
Trim any excess skin from the neck end of the bird. Season inside and out with salt, then sit on top of the veg. Pare the zest from the lemons, cut them in half and put the zest and halves in the turkey cavity with 30g sage. Truss (tie) the legs, if liked.
Pour the wine into the base of the tin, rub the bird all over with 3 tbsp oil, then cover everything tightly with a single layer of foil. Calculate the cooking time according to pack instructions and roast until cooked through with no pink meat and the juices run clear. Or if you have a meat thermometer, insert it into the thickest part of the leg – it should read 75°C.
Turn the oven up to 220ºC, gas mark 7. Pick the reserved sage leaves; mix in a small bowl with the remaining 3 tbsp oil. Remove the turkey from the oven, pour over the sage mixture and roast for a final 10 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Carefully transfer the turkey to a clean flat baking tray to rest.
Meanwhile, make the gravy. Put the tin (with the giblets and veg in) on the hob over a high heat. Sprinkle in the flour; cook, whisking constantly, for 3-4 minutes, until just starting to catch. Pour in the stock and bubble briskly, scraping the base of the pan until thickened slightly (8-10 minutes). Remove and discard the giblets, then strain through a sieve into a large pan (you may need to do this in batches), pressing to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the veg or chill or freeze for soups and stews. Add any resting juices from the turkey. Simmer briskly for 5-10 minutes, or until thickened to your liking; season.
Char some halved lemons for a few minutes in a hot frying pan to decorate, if liked. To carve, remove the legs and wings, dividing the former into drumsticks and thighs, then cut off each whole breast. Slice as desired. Serve on a large platter and pour over some of the gravy, with the rest served in jugs.