Ingredients
1 Turkey, about 6.3 kg oven-ready
175g butter, softened
225g rashers of streaky bacon, very fatty
1 pinch salt and fresh ground black pepper

For the pork, sage and onion stuffing
900g pork sausage meat, good-quality or finely minced pure pork
2 tsp dried sage
1 large onion, grated or very finely chopped
4 tbsp white breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten (optional)
1 pinch salt and fresh ground black pepper

For the gravy
2 tbsp plain flour
900ml turkey giblet stock, giblet stock

Method
1. Before you start, please bear in mind that it is important to take the turkey out of the fridge last thing on Christmas Eve to allow it to come to room temperature so that it heats up immediately when you put it in the oven. The same applies to the stuffing (you can make this on Christmas Eve, ahead of time), and you also need to remove the 6 oz (175 g) of butter to soften ready for the morning.

2. To make the stuffing, combine the breadcrumbs with the onion and sage in a large mixing bowl, then stir in a little boiling water and mix thoroughly. Next work the sausage meat or minced pork and egg, if using, into this mixture and season with salt and pepper. Leave the stuffing covered in a cool place - but not in the fridge, as it shouldn't be too cold when you come to stuff the turkey.

3. Preheat the oven to gas mark 7, 425°F (220°C). Begin, on the morning of cooking, by stuffing the turkey. Loosen the skin with your hands and pack the stuffing into the neck end, pushing it up between the flesh and the skin towards the breast (though not too tightly because it will expand during the cooking). Press it in gently to make a nice rounded end, then tuck the neck flap under the bird's back and secure with a small skewer. Don't expect to get all the stuffing in this end - put the rest into the body cavity.

4. Now arrange two large sheets of foil across your baking tin - one of them widthways, the other lengthways (no need to butter them). Lay the turkey on its back in the centre, and then rub it generously all over with the butter, making sure the thighbones are particularly well covered. Next season the bird all over with salt and pepper, and lay the bacon over the breast with the rashers overlapping each other.

5. The idea now is to wrap the turkey in the foil. The parcel must be firmly sealed but roomy enough inside to provide an air space around most of the upper part of the turkey. Bring one piece of foil up and fold both ends over to make a pleat along the length of the breastbone - but well above the breast. Then bring the other piece up at both ends, and crimp and fold to make a neat parcel.

6. Place the roasting tin on a low shelf in the oven and cook at the initial high temperature for 40 minutes. After that, lower the heat to gas mark 3, 325°F (170°C) and cook for a further 3 hours for a 12 lb bird (around 5.5 kg), or 3.5 hours for a 14 lb bird (around 6.3 kg). Then tear the foil away from the top and sides of the bird and remove the bacon slices to allow the skin to brown and crisp. The bacon rashers can be placed on a heat-proof plate and put back in the oven to finish cooking till all the fat has melted and there are just very crisp bits left. (I like to serve these crunchy bits with the turkey as well as bacon rolls.) Turn the heat up to gas mark 6, 400°F (200°C) and cook the turkey for a further 30 minutes. The turkey will need frequent basting during this time, so the whole operation will probably take nearer 40-45 minutes.

7. To test if the bird is cooked pierce the thickest part of the leg with a thin skewer: the juices running out of it should be golden and clear. And the same applies to any part of the bird tested - there should be no trace of pinkness in the juices. You can also give the leg a little tug, to make sure there is some give in it.

8. Then remove it from the roasting tin (using a carving fork and fish slice) and transfer it to a warm carving dish. If you can engage someone's help while lifting it, it's a good idea to tip the turkey to let the excess juice run out. Leave the turkey in a warmish place for 30-60 minutes to 'relax' before carving: provided it's not in a draught it will stay hot for that length of time, and it will give you a chance to turn the heat up in the oven to crisp the roast potatoes.

9. Meanwhile, to make the gravy, tip all the fat and juices out of the foil into the roasting tin. Spoon off all the fat from the juice in a corner of the tin, then work the flour into the remaining juices over a low heat. Now, using a balloon whisk, whisk in the Turkey Giblet Stock bit by bit, until you have a smooth gravy. Let it bubble and reduce a bit to concentrate the flavour, and taste and season with salt and pepper. (And when you have carved the turkey, pour any escaped juices into the gravy.)


Cranberry Sauce SERVES 6-8
225 g (8 oz) packet fresh cranberries l50 ml (¼ pint) water; light Barbados sugar or honey to taste; grated rind of 1 orange; juice of 1 orange
Wash and pick over cranberries, removing any damaged ones. Put cranberries into a pan with the water and heat gently until tender — about 10 minutes. Add orange rind and sugar or honey to taste, and simmer for a further 5-10 minutes: the mixture will thicken. The sauce will thicken even more as it cools; to serve, reheat with the orange juice.


Roast Potatoes SERVES 6
1 kilo (2¼ 1b) potatoes; oil.
Set oven to 220 C (425 F), gas mark 7. Peel the potatoes and cut into even-sized chunky pieces. Put these into a saucepan with water to cover, bring to the boil, then boil for 7 minutes. Meanwhile, put about 6mm (¼ inch) oil into a roasting tin and place high up in the oven to heat up. Drain the potatoes thoroughly. Take the tin of oil out of the oven and place over the heat. Carefully put the potatoes into the oil, turning them over with a spoon so they’re coated with hot oil. Put back into the oven and mast the potatoes for 45-60 minutes, until golden, turning them over with a spoon once or twice during the cooking time. Drain them on kitchen paper; serve immediately.

Brussel Sprouts with Chestnuts SERVES 6
250 g (l lb) dried chestnuts; 700 g (1½ 1b) Brussel sprouts; a little butter or vegetable margarine, optional;
salt and pepper.

Cover chestnuts with cold water and soak overnight; then simmer gently for 2-3 hours (or cook in a pressure cooker) until very tender. Drain. Wash and trim the sprouts, then cut into halves or quarters (this keeps them crisp and prevents sogginess). Bring 1 cm (½ inch) water to the boil in a pan and add sprouts and chestnuts (just to heat these through). Cook for 3-4 minutes only, until sprouts are just tender. Drain, add a little butter or vegetable margarine if liked and seasoning.
Menu


Traditional Christmas Pudding SERVES 8
If you don’t eat egg, you can leave this out and add about 4 tablespoons extra milk (or Soya milk).

225 g (8 oz) currants
125 g (4 oz) sultanas
125 g (4 oz) raisins
125 g (4 oz) candied peel or chopped dried apricots
25 g (l oz) flaked almonds
125 g (4 oz) plain whole-wheat flour;
½ teaspoon each grated nutmeg and ground ginger
1½ teaspoons mixed spice
225 g (8 oz) Barbados sugar
125 g (4 oz) soft whole-wheat breadcrumbs
225 g (8 oz) vegetable suet, grated, from health shops
Rind and juice of 1 lemon
2 free-range eggs, optional.
1-tablespoon molasses or black treacle
About 4 tablespoons milk/ Soya milk or milk/ Soya milk and rum.

Grease a 1.2 litre (2 pint) pudding basin.
Put all ingredients into a large bowl and mix together (don’t forget to wish!).
Add enough milk or milk and rum to make a soft mixture, which will fall heavily from the spoon when shaken. Spoon into bowl, cover with greased greaseproof paper and foil or a pudding cloth; tie down. Steam for 4 hours. Store in a dry place; steam for another 3 hours before serving.