The Gay UK Issue 1 | Page 80

THEGAYUK WINTER 13 /14 Issue 1 RECIPE PREPARATION CHRISTMAS MORNING ! For The Gravy 1. Warm 500 ml of turkey stock, while the stock is warming strain the fat from the roasting tin leaving only the juices. 2. Pour the stock over, grate in small amounts of chilled roux and whisk with the juices over a gentle heat until it turns a smooth delicious golden brown. For The Roast Turkey: Preheat your non-fan assisted oven to 220ºC or Gas Mark 7, then calculate your cooking time as below weighing the bird (including the stuffing). The general rule of thumb is 15 min per lb (450g) + 30 mins over: Serve in a warmed gravy boat (10lb) = 2 hours alongside the turkey with all the (12lb) = 2½ hours trimmings.∎ (17lb) = 3 hours (20lb) = 3½ hours (25lb) = 4½ hours 1. Smear your turkey liberally with pure country butter, salt, black pepper and place 6-8 strips of streaky bacon on top. Cover with foil and roast the turkey in the oven for the first 30 mins at 220ºC or gas mark 7. 2. After 30 mins, baste your turkey once more, cover in foil again, lower the temperature to 180ºC or gas mark 4 for the guided times above and continue to baste your turkey at 30 minute intervals throughout cooking. 3. Remove the foil, baste your turkey once more, and increase the temperature again to 220ºC for the final 30 minutes. 4. The turkey is cooked when the thickest part of the turkey's leg is pierced with a skewer and the juices run clear. If the juices are still pink, place the turkey back in the oven and keep checking at 15 minute intervals until the juices have run clear. 5. Place the turkey on a serving plate allowing to rest for 40mins to 1 hour before carving. ! ! Note: The timings above are approximate guidelines. Ovens vary so just use the above scale as an approximate guide and the skewer test to ensure the turkey is cooked thoroughly. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 80