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Soft Herb and Sumac Butter Turkey with Cranberry and Pistachio Stuffing

Soft Herb and Sumac Butter Turkey with Cranberry and Pistachio Stuffing

By OcadoLife
Published on 11 November 2022
Award-winning British-Iranian chef Sabrina Ghayour has created a Christmas main that’ll light up the table with its aromatic flavours: Middle Eastern-inspired Soft Herb and Sumac Butter Turkey with Cranberry and Pistachio Stuffing. Any leftover turkey can be shredded and reheated in the gravy until piping hot, then stuffed into buns with leftover trimmings.
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Time and servings

4 hrs 30 minsTotal time
14Servings
30 minsPrep time
4 hrsCooking time

Ingredients

  • 1 5-7kg turkey
  • 250 g of salted butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed or grated
  • 1 small bunch of small bunches of tarragon, leaves picked and finely chopped
  • 1 small bunch of small bunches of chives, finely sliced or snipped
  • 1 tsp of aleppo pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp of sumac
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 2 small oranges, zested
  • 2 454g packs sausagemeat
  • 100 g of dried cranberries, roughly chopped
  • 75 g of pistachios, roughly chopped
  • 125 g of fresh white bread, whizzed to breadcrumbs
  • 1 tbsp of dried oregano
  • 1 bunch of of coriander, finely chopped
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 small bunches of dill

Method

  • Step 1

    Remove the turkey from the fridge 3 hrs before cooking to bring to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Line a large roasting tin with foil and baking paper.

  • Step 2

    In a bowl, mix 200g butter with half the garlic, cloves, tarragon, chives, half the dill, aleppo pepper flakes, sumac, lemon zest and half the orange zest. Add a generous grind of black pepper (more than usual) and mix thoroughly.

  • Step 3

    Carefully tease the skin over the breast and legs of the turkey away from the flesh, without tearing it, until it’s loosened. Gently push the herby spiced butter under the skin as far as you can go, making sure it coats the breast area generously and evenly.

  • Step 4

    Spread the remaining 50g butter all over the outside of the turkey; season.

  • Step 5

    Place the turkey, breast-side up, on a trivet in the roasting tin and cover loosely with foil. Cook for as long as needed, removing the foil after 1 hr and basting with the juices every 30 mins. The cooking time (for unstuffed birds) will be around 25 mins/kg, or until the juices run clear when pierced in the thigh (or a meat thermometer reads 80°C). Remove from the oven, cover loosely with a clean sheet of foil and a tea towel and leave to rest for 30-45 mins before serving on a large platter with the optional bay leaves and oregano, lemon, clementine and garlic bulb garnishes.

  • Step 6

    For the stuffing, increase the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Combine the sausagemeat, cranberries, pistachios, breadcrumbs, dried oregano, coriander and onion with the remaining dill, garlic and orange zest, plus salt and pepper, and mix to a paste. Press into an ovenproof dish (about 30cm x 20cm) and smooth the surface. Bake for 25-30 mins until golden all over. Remove from oven, cut into squares and serve alongside the turkey (carve as required). Leftover stuffing and turkey will keep for up to 4 days covered in the fridge.