GWJamaica Cook Book

Ingredients

8 lb Very fresh organic turkey
2 oz Fresh herbs; on the stem
4 Cloves garlic; peeled and sliced (optional),
1 tbsp Freshly ground black pepper
Salt
1 Lemon

Preparation

Remove any visible fat from the turkey cavity. Ease the skin away from the flesh by gradually inserting your fingers between the skin and the breasts. Continue working your way round the bird until the skin is loose around the legs and back. Spread butter over the flesh and then stuff the space with the herbs, arranging the leaves over the surface of the turkey and under the skin. Do the same with the garlic slices, if you are using them. This is all much easier than it sounds. Rub the salt and pepper over the turkey and season inside. Prick the lemon all over with a skewer and put it into the cavity. Cover the bird loosely , but carefully, with foil or plastic film and refrigerate for 24 hours. When you are ready to cook it, bring the turkey back to room temperature and roast in a pre-heated oven at 200C/400F/gas6 for about 3 hours.

Note, if you make stock from leftovers and turkey carcass, you can really only use it for soup. Do not try to reduce it to make a sauce as it would be far too salty. However a tasty soup can be produced by cooking rice in the stock, adding a little grated lemon peel, a hint of lemon juice, some leftover cooked turkey and right at the end without letting it boil, an egg yolk, well beaten with a little single cream. You will then have something like Greek Avglemono soup. The following vegetables are delicious with this or any of the main courses demonstrated on Francis Bissells Westcountry Christmas. Salsify – gratin or cream. Jerusalem artichokes – gratin Savoy cabbage – shredded and stir-fried with olive oil and sherry or fruit vinegar. Chinese cabbage – shredded and stir-fried. Kale or green cabbage – shredded and stir fried with flake almonds, sultanas and creme fraiche. Chicory salads. Fennel. Kohl rabi. Baked sweet potatoes. Baked pumpkin. Wild rice and wild mushrooms. Chestnuts, small onions and quartered pears, glazed.