Ingredients

Method

• 1 x 3–4 kg Woolworths frozen turkey in butter brine, thawed
• 750 g butter, softened
• 20 g fresh sage leaves
• For the mushroom-and-sausage stuffing:
• 3 T olive oil
• 2 T butter
• 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 250 g brown mushrooms
• 300 g leeks, washed and chopped
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 500 g pork sausages, removed from the sausage casings
• For the roast plums:
• 1 kg ripe plums, halved and stoned
• 6 T brown sugar
• 1 vanilla pod, split and seeded
• 4 T butter

Method

Ingredients

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. Place the turkey on a large baking tray, breast side up. Rub 250 g butter under the skin and tuck in the sage leaves.

3. Fill the cavity with the stuffing, cross the turkey’s legs and tie together with butcher’s twine. Rub another 250 g butter onto the turkey’s skin.

4. Roast the turkey for 2½ hours. Melt the remaining butter and use to baste the bird every 15 minutes. If any dark spots appear on the skin, cover with foil, shiny side up. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh; the turkey is cooked when the temperature is between 72°C and 75°C. Serve the turkey with the roast plums.

5. To make the stuffing, heat the olive oil and butter in a pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic, mushrooms, leeks and apple. Season to taste. Sauté until cooked through, then spread on a baking tray to cool. Toss with the uncooked sausage meat.

6. To make the roast plums, preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the plums in a roasting pan and coat in the brown sugar and vanilla seeds. Stud with butter and roast for 35–45 minutes, or until soft.

Cook's note: I recommend basting your turkey every 15 minutes to ensure that it's soft and succulent.

Discover more turkey recipes here or browse more festive recipes here.