Ginger Turkey - an easy and tasty way to prepare your roast for Christmas

I appeared on @bbcwm this afternoon, discussing historical food with @dannykellywords. I explained how #mediæval and #Tudor cooks used to balance sweet and savoury flavours. My expertise in historic cooking came in very useful one Christmas when I was presented with an enormous organic Turkey at 1am on Christmas Day and 'ordered' to cook it for dinner. I hadn't planned to cook that year so I had to improvise with what I had in my cupboards. 

Ginger Turkey 

• Clean and dry the Turkey.
  
• Chop crystalised ginger and candied orange peel, mix with seasoning and rub through the cavity. 
  
• Chop an orange into quarters and place inside the cavity to add moisture and flavour. 
  
• Mix butter with herbs and a little ground mixed spice, and push under the skin around the Turkey breast. 
  
• Coat the Turkey liberally with ginger jam or ginger marmalade. Stud with a few cloves for extra taste and decoration. 
  
• Add seasoning. 
  
• Add a splash of white wine to the bottom of the roasting pan then put in the roasting rack and a few peeled onions rubbed in butter. 
  
• Carefully place your very sticky Turkey into the pan, breast down. 
  
• Cover in a loose tent of foil, shiny side in. This keeps in the moisture. 
  
• Roast sloooooowly. 
  
• Remove the foil in the last half hour to brown the bird. 
  

Serve with a spiced sweet potato soufflé and fat-free roasted potatoes. 

Happy (very early) Christmas!


Matthew