Christmas turkey recipes for your festive feast

How long it takes to roast a turkey depends on the weight of the bird, if it’s been stuffed, temperature and various other factors. As a general rule of thumb, a turkey that weighs between 3-5 kilograms, stuffed,can take from 2 to 3.5 hours to cook.

A moist turkey requires a combination of techniques to keep the meat juicy and flavourful. Salting the turkey ahead of time (otherwise known as dry brine) can help the meat retain its juiciness as well as season the flesh; blasting the turkey at high heat to brown the skin and then reducing the temperature until it’s done can also give you that crisp golden skin while gently cooking the inside; wrapping the breast in foil to allow it to cook slowly while the rest of the bird is roasted uncovered also helps prevent the meat from drying out.

Leftover turkey grease from roasting your bird is liquid gold! Pour it into a glass jar so that you can reuse it as a way of adding flavour to other dishes. You might like to use it to make gravy, roast or pan-fry potatoes, carrots, Brussels sprouts or green beans; or simply freeze it for later. Turkey fat adds instantaneous depth to any dish.