Turkey dinner with apricot and cashew nut stuffing
2 hours 20 min
Turkey breast joints are lean and easy to carve, and if you buy two the same size, they can be stuffed and tied together to make a really delicious, good-sized roast. A selection of vegetables can be roasted in the same tin to complete a scrumptious festive meal.
Maggie Pannell
1 person made this
Ingredients
Serves: 6
- 2 boneless turkey breast joints, about 500g each
- 1 large sweet potato
- 2–3 large baking potatoes
- 2 carrots, peeled
- 6 small parsnips, peeled
- 3 celery sticks
- 2 leeks, trimmed
- 1 red pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp runny honey
- 4 tbsp vinaigrette dressing
- STUFFING
- 3cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 small onion, grated
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 50g ready-to-eat dried apricots, finely chopped
- 40g unsalted cashew nuts, roughly chopped
- 40g fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs
- 1 small egg, beaten
- 1 tsp dried thyme
Method
Prep:45min ›
Cook:1hr35min ›
Ready in:2hr20min
- Make the stuffing first. Cook the ginger and onion in the oil in a small pan for about 5 minutes, until softened. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then mix in the apricots, chopped nuts, breadcrumbs, egg, thyme and seasoning. Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas 5.
- Untie the rolled turkey joints or pull off the netting. Spread them out and place them side by side, slightly overlapping. Press the stuffing into the centre, then roll the joints together and shape into a large joint, over-wrapping with the skins if included with the joints. Tie 5–6 times with thin kitchen string to hold in shape. Place the joint in a large, lightly oiled roasting tin. Season and roast for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables. Cut the sweet potato and potatoes into equal-sized chunks. Cut the carrots into chunky sticks. Leave the parsnips whole. Thickly slice the celery and leeks. Core the pepper, deseed and cut into chunks.
- Put all the potatoes into a plastic food bag and drizzle with 1 tbsp of the oil. Rub well together, then tip out around the turkey. Season. Roast the potatoes and turkey for 30 minutes. Toss the remaining vegetables with the rest of the oil in the food bag, then tip out beside the potatoes in the tin. Brush the top of the joint with the honey. Roast for a further 30 minutes, covering the turkey with foil, if necessary, during roasting.
- Remove the turkey joint to a carving board. Cover with foil and allow the turkey to rest while you continue to roast the vegetables for 15–20 minutes until they are tender and browned.
- Using a draining spoon, lift the vegetables onto kitchen paper to drain off excess oil, then transfer to a serving dish and keep warm. Carve the turkey into thick slices, saving any juices. Tip the juices back into the roasting pan and add a glass of water, then heat on the hob until bubbling, stirring up any meaty deposits. Mix in the vinaigrette, then strain into a jug and serve as a light sauce with the turkey and vegetables.
Turkey tips
For fail-safe tips and turkey cooking times see our guide to cooking turkey. Also don't forget our turkey gravy recipes.
variations
*If you want to serve this as a less festive meal, then use just 1 turkey joint and roast it unstuffed for about 1 hour in total, surrounded by the vegetables. The stuffing can be rolled into balls and cooked alongside. *Add 8 chipolata sausages to the vegetables for the last 30 minutes.
