Give your turkey a Mediterranean flavour this Christmas by covering it with fragrant herbs and crispy prosciutto.
50g/2oz softened butter mixed with 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
good handful of basil leaves, torn
3 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp chopped oregano
4.5–5kg oven-ready turkey, thawed if frozen, giblets removed
1 quantity of your favourite stuffing
1 lemon, quartered
8 slices prosciutto
roasted lemon wedges, halved garlic bulbs and fresh herbs, to garnish
FOR THE GRAVY
1 rounded tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 rounded tbsp redcurrant jelly
450ml/16fl oz turkey or chicken stock
150ml/¼ pint marsala
Takes 15 minutes, plus 3–3½ hours cooking • Serves 8–10
1 Preheat oven to 190°C/Gas 5/fan oven 170°C. Mix garlic butter with herbs. Stuff neck end of turkey with stuffing, securing the flap with a skewer. Put lemon inside the turkey cavity. Spread butter over the bird. Weigh it and calculate cooking time. Tie legs together. Put turkey in roasting tin. Cover with loose tent of foil and roast, basting every hour.
2 Remove foil 1 hour before end of cooking time, lay prosciutto over 20 minutes before end. Test, transfer to platter and cover with foil. Rest for 20–30 minutes.
3 For gravy, spoon off excess fat from pan juices. Put roasting tin on hob, reheat. Whisk in flour, cook 2–3 minutes. Stir in mustard, redcurrant jelly, stock and marsala, bring to boil, simmer 15 minutes. Add garnish.
• Per serving for 8 779 kcals, protein 85.9g, carbohydrate 23.9g, fat 36.5g, saturated fat 12.9g, fibre 1.6g, sugar 6.4g, salt 2.08g