- Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas 5.
- Stuff the neck of the turkey with your chosen stuffing and secure with cocktail sticks.
- Calculate the cooking time of the turkey by allowing 20 minutes per 1kg, plus 70 minutes.
- Mix together the butter, lemon zest and juice. Spread the butter over the turkey. Arrange the bacon in a criss-cross pattern across the turkey breast – this will help the turkey to remain moist.
- Place the turkey in the roasting tin & cover with the foil, leaving a large gap between the turkey & the foil to enable the air to circulate.
- Roast in the oven, basting occasionally. 30 minutes before the end of cooking time, fold back the foil & return to the oven to brown.
- To test if the turkey is cooked, pierce the thickest part of a thigh with a skewer – the juices should run clear, not pink or red.
- Remove turkey to warmed serving plate, cover with foil & leave to stand in warm place.
- Resting allows the juices to settle and redistribute around the meat, making the bird more succulent and easier to carve. You can leave your turkey to rest for up to an hour, which frees up the oven and give you lots of time to cook the trimmings.
Tips
- Always make sure your turkey is at room temperature before you cook it, otherwise cooking times given may not be accurate.
- Remove wishbone before roasting to make the turkey easier to carve when cooked. Sit the turkey on a cutting board. Pull skin back towards breast to expose wishbone. Using a sharp knife cut wishbone free & remove it.