Christmas classics

ADD TRUFFLE BUTTER TO YOUR TURKEY FOR A LUXURIOUS TWIST

Perfect sage, thyme and truffle turkey

Cook an ample turkey to make the most of leftovers – serving cold turkey on Boxing Day makes life much easier.

Serves 8, plus leftovers m Ready in 3 hours 20 minutes, plus resting

4,5kg turkey
1 onion, cut into wedges
1 lemon, cut into wedges
6 thyme sprigs
6 sage sprigs
40g butter, softened
2tsp truffle oil bay leaves, and cooked Pork and
Herb Stuffing Balls (see recipe at womanandhomemagazine.co.za), wrapped in cooked bacon, to garnish

1 Upturn the turkey onto a board; remove giblets. Push onion, lemon wedges, thyme and sage into turkey cavity. Tie up the legs with string to secure, and push a large skewer through the wings to help the bird keep a good shape during cooking.

2 Beat softened butter until pale and fluffy. Add truffle oil and mix to create spreadable paste. Put turkey in roasting tin, rub with half of truffle butter, and cover with foil. Chill until ready to roast.

3 Heat oven to 190°C, 170°C. Place turkey breast-side down in tin (this keeps it moist). Roast for 2 hours 30 minutes, then take out of oven. Upturn turkey so breast is on top, remove foil, and dot remaining truffle butter over breast. Return to oven; cook for 30 minutes until bird is golden.

4 Remove turkey from the oven and transfer to serving platter. Cover with foil and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes (up to 1 hour is fine).

To serve, garnish the turkey with bay leaves and arrange the