Roast turkey with chestnut, sage and apple stuffing

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If you like lots of stuffing, double the quantity to have plenty of stuffing balls to serve with the turkey and also with cold meat.

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Roast turkey with chestnut stuffing really is a must for every Christmas dinner table, so look no further than this classic recipe.

Makes: 6
Calories per serving: 650
Fat per serving: 40g

For the stuffing
30g (1oz) butter
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
500g (1lb) pork sausage meat
60g (2oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
1 medium egg
1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
200g (7oz) packet vacuum-packed chestnuts, chopped

For the turkey
5-6kg (11-13lb) British turkey
600ml (1 pint) turkey giblet or chicken stock
30g (1oz) butter, melted
Sprigs of fresh rosemary, to garnish

1. To make the stuffing: Melt butter in a pan and add the onion. Cook it over a medium heat for 5-7 mins until the onion has softened. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the onions to cool.
2. Mix together the sausage meat, breadcrumbs, egg, apple and sage, then add the onion mixture. Stir in the chestnuts, taking care that they don't get completely mashed and retain some texture.
3. Use stuffing to fill neck cavity of turkey. (Shape any extra stuffing into balls and cook on a baking tray for 20-30 mins, after turkey has been taken out of the oven.) 4.Pull neck skin tight over stuffing without tearing it, and, if necessary, secure it with a fine skewer or a couple of cocktail sticks.
4. Set oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5.
5. Weigh turkey to calculate the cooking time, allowing 20 mins per 500g (we based our timings on the metric weight, as imperial conversion charts are not exact weights and will give different results). A 6kg turkey with stuffing will take 4 hours to cook.
6. Place the turkey in a roasting tin and pour the stock around it. Brush the melted butter over the skin of the turkey. Cover with foil and place towards the bottom of the pre-heated oven. The shelf at the top will be used for the roasted vegetables.
7. Keep the turkey covered with foil until the last 30-40 mins of the calculated cooking time, then remove the foil, baste the turkey and return it to the oven until cooked through. A thermometer can be used to check the turkey is cooked, or pierce the thickest part of the flesh on the thigh with a skewer.. if the juices that run out are clear, it's cooked. If the juices are still pink, then the turkey needs further cooking.
8. Remove the bird from the oven and transfer it to a warmed serving plate. Cover with clean foil and leave it to rest in a warm place for 20-30 mins before carving. Garnish with sprigs of rosemary.

Top tip: If you like lots of stuffing, double the quantity to have plenty of stuffing balls to serve with the turkey and also with cold meat.

Cook your turkey to perfection:

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