all you want for CHRISTMAS
dry-brined turkey crown with green herb butter
Over the Christmas period your fridge will be packed with veg, including herbs. Don’t waste any stalks: keep them for this recipe, they’re packed with flavour and natural oils. Put a few orange or lemon halves in the tray while the turkey roasts – they’ll get caramelised and charred, and will be great squeezed over the meat and veg.
2 HOURS +DRY BRINING + RESTING | SERVES 6-8 | EASY |GF
turkey crown 2-3kg
unsalted butter 200g, softened
flat-leaf parsley stalks, coriander stalks, dill stalks,
sage stalks (a mix of any) a large handful
garlic 3 cloves, crushed
onions 2, roughly chopped
carrots 2, roughly chopped
DRY BRINE
sea salt flakes 11/2 tbsp
soft light brown sugar 1 tsp
thyme and rosemary stalks, a handful, chopped or
broken into pieces
oranges 2, zested
whole black peppercorns 1 tsp
juniper berries 1 tsp
1 The night before cooking, remove the turkey crown from the fridge and weigh – this will give you a good idea of how long to cook the turkey for the following day. The crown will need 20 minutes per kg, plus 1 hour (so a 2kg crown will take 1 hour 40 minutes; a 3kg crown will take 2 hours).
Make the dry brine by putting all the ingredients into a small blender and whizzing until combined – don’t worry if the thyme and rosemary stalks don’t completely
