You can shape this versatile stuffing into small balls and cook around the bird or make this fabulous-looking cake.
2 tbsp olive oil
25g/1oz butter
3 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
2 sticks celery, finely chopped
100g/4oz white breadcrumbs
500g/1lb 2oz good-quality sausagemeat
50g/2oz roughly chopped walnuts, plus extra to garnish
grated zest 1 small orange
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves, or 1 tsp dried
1 egg, beaten
8 rashers rindless streaky bacon
a handful of chopped parsley, to serve
Takes about 1 hour • Serves 8–10
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6/fan oven 180°C. Heat the oil and butter and lightly fry the shallots and celery for 5 minutes. Tip into a bowl, add the breadcrumbs, sausagemeat, walnuts, orange zest and sage. Season, and mix together with the egg.
2 Lay the bacon up the sides of a 18–20cm/7–8in springform cake tin so only the ends lie on the base and the excess hangs over the edge. Carefully fill with the stuffing, level the top. Fold the bacon over the stuffing, twisting loosely into the centre. Scatter over and lightly press in the remaining walnuts.
3 Put the tin on a baking sheet. Bake for 40–45 minutes until golden. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, turn out, scatter with parsley.
• Per serving 350 kcals, protein 15g, carbohydrate 14g, fat 27g, saturated fat 9g, fibre 1g, added sugar none, salt 2g