NIGELLA TURKEY GRAVY RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Peel the onions, wash the carrots, then roughly chop with the celery and bacon. Put the veg, bay leaves, sage, rosemary and star anise into a sturdy high-sided roasting tray, then scatter the chopped bacon on top. Break the chicken wings open, bash with a rolling pin to help release extra flavour as they cook, then add to the tray. Drizzle with oil, season with sea salt and black pepper, toss, then cook for 1 hour, or until tender.

  Remove the tray from the oven and transfer to a low heat on the hob. Really grind and mash everything with a potato masher, scraping up all the goodness from the base of the tray (the longer you let it fry, the darker your gravy will be). If you want to add sherry or port, now’s the time to do so; just leave it to cook away for a few minutes. Gradually stir in the flour, then pour in 2 litres of boiling kettle water. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until thickened and reduced, stirring occasionally.

  When the gravy is the consistency of your liking, pour it through a coarse sieve into a large bowl, pushing all the goodness through with the back of a spoon. Taste and season to perfection, cool to room temperature, then pour into containers or bags and pop into the fridge or freezer, ready to finish off on Christmas Day.

  If frozen, take the gravy out to defrost when your turkey goes into the oven.When the turkey’s perfectly cooked, remove it to a platter to rest for up to 2 hours, covered with a double layer of tin foil and a clean tea towel. Skim away most of the fat from the tray, cool, and place into a jar in the fridge for tasty cooking another day. Pour your Get-ahead gravy into the tray with the rest of the turkey juices. Bring to the boil over the hob and scrape up all those sticky bits from the base. Have a taste, then stir in the Cranberry sauce to balance the flavours.

  Once your gravy is piping hot, carefully strain through a coarse sieve into a pan, then leave it on the lowest heat until you’re ready to serve. Skim away any fat that rises to the top, and add any extra resting juices from the turkey before serving.

  Total time: 2 hours, plus cooling & defrosting

  Calories 231kcal | Fat 12.1g | Sat Fat 3.2g | Protein 19.3g | Carbs 12.1g | Sugars 5g | Salt 0.6g | Fibre 1.8g

Steps:

• To make the stuffing, heat the oil and gently fry the onion and leek for 5 minutes, or until well softened and lightly browned, stirring regularly. Tip into a mixing bowl and leave to cool for 30 minutes.
• For the turkey, generously oil a small, sturdy roasting tin, roughly 30cm x 22cm/12 x 8½in – the turkey needs to fit snugly.
• To continue the stuffing, once the onion and leek are cool, add the cranberries, almonds, lemon zest, thyme and breadcrumbs. Squeeze the sausage meat out of the skins and add it to the bowl.
• Season with salt and lots of pepper. Mix well with a spoon or with clean hands until thoroughly combined.
• Place the turkey breast on a board and gently remove the skin. Turn over and cut horizontally almost all the way through the thickest part of the breast and open up like a book, so that the turkey has a flatter, more oblong shape. Cover with a sheet of cling film and bash with a rolling pin until around 2.5cm/1in thick all over.
• Place a sheet of cling film on a work surface and put eight pieces of kitchen string, each 50cm/20in long, roughly 4cm/1½in apart along its length. Stretch each rasher of bacon with the back of a knife until around 32cm/13in long. Place the bacon rashers on top of the string and cling film, overlapping each slice.
• Place the turkey breast, smooth-side down, on top of the bacon and arrange the filling all the way down its length. Bring up the cling film and bacon on both long sides to enclose the filling.
• Tie firmly with the string and discard the cling film. Place the turkey parcel in the prepared tin, knot-side down. (You can cover and chill for up to 24 hours before cooking if using a fresh turkey joint, or cook the same day if using a previously frozen joint.)
• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Uncover the stuffed turkey joint, then drizzle with oil and season with black pepper. Cover loosely with foil and roast for 1 hour. Remove the foil and continue cooking for a further 30–45 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp and the turkey and stuffing are thoroughly cooked.
• Transfer the turkey to a warmed platter. Cover with foil and a tea towel and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
• For the gravy, put the roasting tin on the hob over medium heat and stir in the flour. Add the wine and cook for 15–20 seconds, stirring constantly.
• Gradually add the stock, stirring all the time. Bring the liquid to a simmer, stir in the redcurrant jelly and cook for 2 minutes, or until thickened and glossy. Season to taste, strain carefully (the tin will be extremely hot) through a sieve into a saucepan and keep warm until ready to serve.
• Snip the string off the turkey and garnish with bay leaves and thyme. Carve into slices and serve with the hot gravy.