Greek Traditional Roast Turkey with Chestnut and Pinenut Stuffing
This is my gran's old recipe for a delicious roast turkey flavoured with lemon, orange and tangerine juice, and stuffed with meat, roasted chestnuts and pinenuts. An excellent recipe for anyone who loves Greek cuisine.
Ingredients
Serves: 12
- 150g chestnuts
- 150g butter
- 4 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 4 tablespoons fresh tangerine juice
- 150ml fresh lemon juice
- 1 whole turkey
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 250g beef mince
- 250g minced pork
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 100g uncooked rice
- 4 tablespoons pinenuts
- 4 tablespoons sultanas (optional)
- 75g butter
- 125ml chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons brandy
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Method
Prep:30min ›
Cook:4hr15min ›
Extra time:15min ›
Ready in:5hr
- Preheat oven to 170 C / Gas mark 3.
- Make a small incision on sides of each chestnut, and place in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until toasted. Remove from heat, then peel and chop.
- Melt 150g butter in a saucepan, and mix in the orange juice, tangerine juice and lemon juice. Rub the turkey inside and out with the mixture, reserving some for basting. Season turkey with salt and pepper.
- In a large frying pan over medium heat, cook the beef, pork and onion until beef and pork are evenly browned and onion is tender. Drain dripping from the pan. Mix in the rice. Stir in the chestnuts, pinenuts, sultanas, 175g butter, stock and brandy. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Continue cooking until all liquid has been absorbed. Stuff all turkey cavity with the mixture, and tie in place with kitchen string.
- Place turkey on a rack in a roasting tin, and loosely cover breast and thighs with aluminium foil. Pour about .5cm water into the bottom of the tin. Maintain this level of water throughout cook time. Roast turkey in the preheated oven 3 to 4 hours, brushing occasionally with remaining butter and juice mixture. Increase oven temperature to 200 C / Gas mark 6 during final hour of roasting, and remove foil. Cook turkey to a minimum internal temperature of 74 degrees C. Let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature before carving.
Cooking turkey tips
For easy tips and step-by-step instructions, see our Cooking turkey article, and don't forget our turkey gravy recipes.
Turkey tips
For fail-safe tips and turkey cooking times see our guide to cooking turkey. Also don't forget our turkey gravy recipes.
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Reviews & ratings
Average global rating:
(35)
Reviews in English (26)
Of all the turkeys I have ever eaten all over the world, this is a wonderful recipe! From the juices to the nuts in the stuffing, the brandy and all, this is the best I have ever had! I can not recommend it enough! The next time Ms. Karagouni makes her turkey, I wish she would post the picture of her creation here so all of you could see what a truly appetizing turkey it is and with her stuffing. It still could not begin to describe how fantastic it truly tastes! BRAVO to a great recipe 5 stars plus - 18 Dec 2007 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)
I made this stuffing recipe this year to impress my Greek inlaws since this was the first time they came to my house for Thanksgiving in 22 years! They loved it! The only change I made was adding a dash of cinnamon because I always remember my mother in law's stuffing having a hint of cinnamon. I thought it was a nice addition. - 03 Dec 2008 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)
I tried the recipe and the turkey tasted great. Brushing it often while cooking with butter and juice mixture, added a nice golden color. The stuffing also was extremely tasteful.I'm going to make it again. - 21 Nov 2006 (Review from Allrecipes US | Canada)