Traditional Roast Turkey with Pork, Sage and Onion Stuffing

Delia’s foolproof foil-wrapped roast turkey with a savoury pork, sage and onion stuffing that delivers a moist bird and crisp golden skin every Christmas.

Ingredients

1 oven-ready turkey, about 5.4kg (12 lb)
75g (3 oz) softened butter

Salt and freshly milled black pepper

8 rashers streaky bacon
For the stuffing: 450g (1 lb) good-quality pork sausagemeat
1 large onion, finely chopped
110g (4 oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage (or 1 tablespoon dried)
1 large egg, beaten
50g (2 oz) butter, for frying the onion

Directions

Make the stuffing: gently fry the chopped onion in 50g butter until soft and golden, about 8 minutes, then cool. Mix the cooled onion with the sausagemeat, breadcrumbs, sage and beaten egg, and season well.
Remove the turkey giblets, wipe the bird inside and out with kitchen paper, and pre-heat the oven to 220C (gas mark 7).
Loosen the skin at the neck end and pack the stuffing in between the flesh and skin, pressing it into a rounded shape. Tuck the neck flap under and secure with a skewer. Put any extra stuffing in a buttered dish to bake separately.
Lay two large overlapping sheets of foil in a roasting tin, one widthways and one lengthways, and sit the turkey on its back in the centre. Smear all over with the softened butter and season generously.
Lay the bacon rashers over the breast, then wrap the foil loosely over the bird to make a tent, sealing the edges but leaving room for air to circulate.
Roast at 220C for 40 minutes, then reduce to 170C (gas mark 3) and continue for about 3 hours.
Open the foil and remove the bacon for the final 30-45 minutes so the breast browns. The turkey is done when the juices from the thickest part of the thigh run clear.
Rest the turkey, loosely covered, for at least 30 minutes before carving so the juices settle.

Notes

Adapted from Delia Smith’s classic Christmas method; the slow stage after the initial blast of heat is the key to a moist bird.