Roasted Turkey with Macadamia, Apricots and Sage
Macadamia, apricot and sage are perfect partners for this succulent roasted turkey.
How long will it take?
Takes 4 hours
What’s the serving size?
Serves 10 - 12
What do I need?
- 5-6 kg whole turkey
- 4 celery sticks, halved
For the Stuffing
- 50 g softened butter
- 3 shallots, finely diced
- 75 g dried apricots, roughly chopped
- 24 sage leaves (12 finely chopped, 12 left whole)
- 50 g macadamia nuts, chopped
- 350 g pork sausages
- 75 g breadcrumbs
- 1 orange, zested
- 12 slices pancetta
How do I make it?
- Make stuffing by melting 25 grams of butter in a large frying pan. Add shallots and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Put cooked shallots in a large bowl and set aside to cool. Use a knife to cut the casing from the sausages and add the sausage meat to the bowl along with apricots, chopped sage, macadamia nuts, breadcrumbs and half the orange zest. Mix to combine.
- Preheat oven to 180C.
- Combine remaining 25 grams of butter in a bowl with remaining orange zest. Use your fingers to separate skin from the turkey breast. Spread butter and orange mixture under the skin over the turkey breast.
- Add approximately 300 grams of the stuffing mixture to the neck cavity of the turkey, securing it closed with skewers or toothpicks.
- Use the remaining stuffing mixture to make stuffing balls. Shape the mixture into evenly sized balls. Lay pancetta slices on a board and add a sage leaf on top of each slice. Wrap stuffing balls in pancetta and secure with a toothpick.
- Use celery to make a trivet in the base of a large roasting pan and sit the turkey on top. Loosely cover with foil and cook for 1 hour, then baste with the cooking juices. Continue cooking for a further 2 hours, basting every 30 minutes. Remove foil in the final 45 minutes so that the skin becomes crisp and golden. Check that the turkey is cooked through by inserting a skewer into the thickest part of the leg. If the juices run clear, it is done. Remove it from the oven and cover loosely with foil. Rest for 30 minutes.
- While the turkey is resting cook stuffing balls in the oven for 30 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Carve turkey and serve with stuffing balls, vegetables or salad and gravy.
