Tobie’s Christmas Turkey, 3AW Afternoons

TOBIE’S TURKEY

Serves: 8-10 people.

Ingredients:

• 2 large turkey breasts, butter flied open into three or in half
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Good splash of balsamic vinegar
• 100g minced pork or veal
• 400g ciabatta, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1 apple, grated
• Small handful of dried apricots, roughly chopped
• About 10 pitted dates, roughly chopped
• Good pinch of nutmeg
• Good pinch of cinnamon
• 8 sage leaves, finely sliced
• 80g prosciutto, roughly sliced
• Splash of brandy or cognac
• 1 egg
• Salt and freshly cracked pepper
• Kitchen friendly string
• 200ml white wine
• 200ml stock

Method:

Place garlic, onion and a splash of olive oil into a pan and cook on a low heat without coloring. Once the onion starts to soften and become transparent, splash in a good amount of balsamic and allow it to almost evaporate before taking the pan of the heat.

In a mixing bowl, combine the warm balsamic onion along with the torn bread, minced pork, apple, apricots, prunes, nutmeg and cinnamon, prosciutto, sage, egg and a splash of brandy. Mix together and season. Cover with cling film and place it in the fridge until needed.

Lay a boned turkey breast on a clean surface. Shape the stuffing into a cylinder in the middle, and then bring each side up around the stuffing to create a log. Secure it with string. Rub the skin generously with salt (this will help the skin become nice and crispy).

Seal the rolled turkey breasts in a little olive oil in a heat proof pan until browned on all sides, remove the pan from the heat and pop into a pre-heated oven on 200C for about 40 minutes basting every 5-10 minutes.

Once the turkey is ready you should remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for about ten minutes. If you have a meat thermometer you are looking for a temp of around 70C.

Slice the turkey with a serrated knife and serve immediately.