STUFFING WITH BACON RECIPES

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5.
2. Peel, quarter and blitz the onions in a food processor until finely chopped, then tip into a large bowl.
3. Tear the stale bread into small chunks and whiz into breadcrumbs. Add these to the bowl, then crush and crumble in the chestnuts.
4. Place the diced pork into the food processor, pick in the sage leaves, roughly chop and add the bacon, followed by 1 level teaspoon of white pepper and a good pinch of sea salt.
5. Finely grate in a quarter of the nutmeg, the zest of half a lemon and just 2 or 3 gratings of orange or clementine zest. Pulse until you’ve got some chunks and some mush – it won’t even take a minute, then tip into the mixing bowl.
6. Because the pork is raw, you’re committed to seasoning it well, so add another pinch of salt and pepper, then scrunch it all up until well combined.
7. Take just under half of the stuffing out of the bowl to use for your turkey, then transfer the rest to a lovely earthenware dish.
8. Use your hands to break it up and push it about, then flatten it all down. Pop it in the oven to cook for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until bubbling and crispy. If you’re doing it as part of your Christmas lunch, you want to put it on at the same time as your spuds.
9. Once done, pour away any excess fat before serving, if you want to. It will be soft, juicy and succulent on the inside, then gnarly, crispy and chewy on the outside. Enjoy!

Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. In a bowl, mix together the butter, thyme, sage and garlic, and season with freshly ground black pepper.

Use your fingertips to separate the turkey skin from the breast meat, being careful not to tear it. Push in the herb butter and spread evenly over the breast. Lay the bacon over the turkey, overlapping as you do so.

Tie the turkey legs together with string and place the bird on a rack inside a large roasting tin. Roast for 30 minutes, uncovered, then remove from the oven and loosely cover with buttered foil. Reduce the temperature to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Continue roasting for 3-3½ hours, basting every 45 minutes with the juices, until cooked through. Remove the foil a few minutes before the end of cooking if the skin still needs to crisp up.

Mix all the stuffing ingredients together and season. Shape into 20 balls and place in the oven in a roasting tin, 25 minutes before the turkey has finished cooking.

To test whether the turkey is cooked, insert a skewer into the thickest part of the leg – the juices should run clear. Transfer to a warmed serving plate, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 30 minutes before carving. Garnish with the sage leaves and serve with the stuffing balls.

Cook’s tip: to baste a turkey: use a bulb turkey baster, a basting brush or a large spoon to scoop up the juices and drizzle over the turkey.

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5.
2. Peel, quarter and blitz the onions in a food processor until finely chopped, then tip into a large bowl.
3. Tear the stale bread into small chunks and whiz into breadcrumbs. Add these to the bowl, then crush and crumble in the chestnuts.
4. Place the diced pork into the food processor, pick in the sage leaves, roughly chop and add the bacon, followed by 1 level teaspoon of white pepper and a good pinch of sea salt.
5. Finely grate in a quarter of the nutmeg, the zest of half a lemon and just 2 or 3 gratings of orange or clementine zest. Pulse until you’ve got some chunks and some mush – it won’t even take a minute, then tip into the mixing bowl.
6. Because the pork is raw, you’re committed to seasoning it well, so add another pinch of salt and pepper, then scrunch it all up until well combined.
7. Take just under half of the stuffing out of the bowl to use for your turkey, then transfer the rest to a lovely earthenware dish.
8. Use your hands to break it up and push it about, then flatten it all down. Pop it in the oven to cook for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until bubbling and crispy. If you’re doing it as part of your Christmas lunch, you want to put it on at the same time as your spuds.
9. Once done, pour away any excess fat before serving, if you want to. It will be soft, juicy and succulent on the inside, then gnarly, crispy and chewy on the outside. Enjoy!