Inside Jamie’s Christmas: Prepping the turkey 

For me, prepping the turkey a day in advance and taking the time to get it to the stage where it’s ready to cook is a joy. I take real pleasure in giving this illustrious bird the focus it deserves, plus saving myself a bit of stress on the big day.

SERVES 12 WITH LOTS OF LEFTOVERS

30 MINUTES

1 x 7kg higher-welfare turkey (I use a Paul Kelly bird)

1 clementine

1 fresh red chilli

1 bunch of fresh rosemary (30g)

1 bunch of fresh sage (30g)

12 fresh bay leaves

250g meat or veggie stuffing (see Jamie Oliver’s Christmas Cookbook for more ideas)

250g unsalted butter

1 whole nutmeg, for grating

12 rashers of higher-welfare smoked streaky bacon

GRAVY TRIVET

turkey giblets (optional)

2 onions

2 carrots

2 sticks of celery

½ a bulb of garlic

❄ Check the main turkey cavity for the bag of giblets, and if they’re in there, remove and tip them into your roasting tray, discarding the bag. The added flavour they’ll give your gravy will be incredible – trust me. Peel the onions, wash the carrots and roughly chop with the celery, then add to the tray with the unpeeled garlic cloves. Halve the clementine and chilli and place in the turkey cavity with most of the herbs – not filling it too full allows hot air to circulate, cooking the bird from the inside out and from the outside in.

❄ Place the stuffing in the neck cavity, then pull the skin back over it and tuck it under the bird. You’ll get a good contrast between the soft, juicy stuffing here inside the turkey, and the crispier stuff you can bake in a dish, as well.

❄ Scrunch and warm the butter in your hands so it’s soft enough to spread all over the bird, getting into all the nooks and crannies. The butter layer serves two purposes: natural basting, plus keeping the seasoning away from the meat until it hits the oven, so the bird stays nice and juicy. The butter will melt off as it cooks, adding to the flavour of the gravy, and you’ll also be able to skim off that tasty fat and save it in a jar in the fridge for delicious cooking another day.

❄ Generously sprinkle the turkey on all sides with sea salt and black pepper, pick over the remaining herb leaves and pat them on to the butter, then finely grate over a nice coating of nutmeg. Cover the turkey snugly with tinfoil and place it on top of the trivet in the tray. You can now either leave it for 1 hour until the bird comes up to room temperature, ready to cook, or pop it into the fridge or another cold place until you need it. Have a clear down, and your prep is done.

NUTRITION PER SERVING

734 kcal; 38g fat (16.2g saturated); 91.9g protein; 6.8g carbs; 3.5g sugars; 1.3g salt; 1.5g fibre