Set your centrepiece apart with this simple turkey recipe with flavourful rub for the perfect golden turkey.  

Serves: 10 people | Prep time: 30 mins | Cooking time: 150 mins

British | Gluten Free | Main

Ingredients

• 1 x 4.5kg Medium turkey

For the butter:

• 120g Salted butter at room temperature
• 8g Fresh rosemary
• 6g Fresh thyme
• 8g Fresh flat leaved parsley
• 1 x Bulb garlic
• 4 x Cloves garlic
• Black pepper

  

For the turkey:

• 1 x Lemon – cut in half
• 1 x Large onion – peeled and cut into quarters
• 6 Sprigs rosemary
• Sea salt and black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180c/350f/gas 4.
2. Take 4 cloves from the bulb of garlic, peel and finely chop. Next take the leaves off the rosemary stalks – discard the stalks and finely chop the leaves.
3. Finely chop the thyme and parsley before combining all the herbs in a bowl along with the garlic, season with some salt and black pepper. Add the butter and mix well.
4. Put the turkey in a roasting tray – remove any giblets from the turkey cavity.
5. Put the onion in the cavity along with the rosemary, remaining garlic - (no need to peel) and the lemon.
6. Put your fingers up against the flesh of the breasts and push some of the butter underneath the skin of the turkey. Then rub the rest over the surface of the bird.
7. Roast in the oven for 2.5 hours, turning the bird occasionally – cover loosely with tin foil if the bird is getting too brown – if you want to check with a thermometer – it should read 165f – when pierced at its thickest part of the thigh.
8. Allow to rest after cooking for 20 mins before carving.