A mid winter excuse to stuff yourself silly

Soon enough we'll be at the middle of the year and what better way to enjoy the early evenings than with a mid-winter Christmas. And, of course, Christmas is not complete without a turkey. Here's a recipe, courtesy of Crozier's, to roast the perfect turkey.

ROAST TURKEY

Turkey

Salt

Olive oil

1 cup red wine

1 cup chicken stock or water

A few sprigs of fresh rosemary

Baking paper and foil

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Remove the bag of giblets and the neck from inside the turkey. Set these aside for use in making the stuffing (orange macadamia nut stuffing or sausage meat stuffing) and stock for the gravy.

Wash the turkey and pat dry with a paper towel.

Season inside and out with salt.

If cooking with the stuffing inside the bird, lightly pack the stuffing into the main cavity and the neck end. Secure the openings with skewers or sew closed with cotton string (not plastic - it melts).

Place the turkey breast-up on a rack in a roasting pan, and brush it with oil.

Pour the red wine with the chicken stock into the roasting pan with the rosemary. This will provide a flavourful steam during roasting to keep the turkey moist. Top up with stock or water as needed during cooking. Place a square of baking paper over the breast and then cover the bird with a layer of foil. The foil will trap moisture while the baking paper will prevent the foil from sticking to the bird.

Roast the turkey for about half of the estimated cooking time. Remove the foil and baking paper. Spoon or brush cooking juices over the bird and continue cooking for another one-and-a-half-to-two hours, basting regularly until the turkey is golden brown and cooked through.

When the turkey is ready, remove it from the oven. Carefully transfer it to a warm dish and loosely cover it with foil to keep it warm. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes while the gravy is prepared.