Serving size: Serves 8
Cooking time: More than 2 hours
Course: Main

Roast turkey with roast almond stuffing

INGREDIENTS

5kg turkey
60g butter, melted
1 litre (4 cups) salt-reduced chicken
stock, approximately
1/3 cup (50g) plain flour

ROAST ALMOND STUFFING
80g butter
2 medium (300g) onions, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 cups (200g) stale breadcrumbs
350g turkey mince
11/4 cups (100g) flaked almonds, roasted
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice

METHOD

1. ROAST ALMOND STUFFING: Heat butter in a small frying pan. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, over a low heat, until soft. Transfer to a large bowl. Add half the breadcrumbs, mince, almonds, parsley, rind and juice. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; mix well. Add the remaining breadcrumbs; fold to combine.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).
3. Discard neck from turkey. Rinse turkey under running cold water. Pat dry inside and out with absorbent paper. Fill turkey cavities with Roast Almond Stuffing. Tie legs of turkey together with kitchen string; tuck the wings under. Place turkey on an oiled rack in a large flameproof baking dish. Brush turkey all over with half the butter; sprinkle with salt. Pour 2 cups (500ml) of the stock into the dish.
4. Cover baking dish tightly with two layers of greased foil. Roast the turkey for 2 hours. Remove foil, brush with remaining butter.
5. Roast the turkey, uncovered, for a further 1 hour 30 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Add water to the dish during cooking to prevent juices burning, if necessary. Remove turkey from the dish; cover with foil. Stand in a warm place for 15 minutes before carving.
6. Meanwhile, pour juices from dish into a jug; stand for a few minutes or until fat has risen to surface. Skim off fat and return 2 tablespoons to baking dish. Discard remaining fat. Top up pan juices with chicken stock to 3 cups. Place baking dish over a medium heat; add flour, cook, stirring, until browned. Gradually add reserved pan juice mixture; cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain gravy into a heatproof jug.
7. Serve the turkey with gravy.

Stuffing suitable to freeze. Onion mixture suitable to microwave.