Boned turkey breast with sausage and chestnut stuffing

You will need to ask a butcher to prepare this joint for you. When doing so, ask him to remove all but the last wing joint (use these for the stock) and then to bone out the last section and push it back inside the joint. This will enable him to leave more skin attached to the breast meat.

Serves 6, with some left over for eating cold

1 x 2.75kg/6lb boneless turkey breast joint (i.e. the breast meat from a 6.75kg/15lb) turkey

4-6 fresh bay leaves

150ml/5fl oz wine

300ml/10fl oz turkey stock made from the carcass or chicken stock

25g/1oz butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the sausage and chestnut stuffing:

25g/1oz butter

75g/3oz rindless smoked streaky bacon, roughly chopped

1 large onion, chopped

The liver from the turkey (optional)

450g/1lb good quality pork sausagemeat

1 x 200g/7oz cooked and peeled whole chestnuts, broken into pieces

25g/1oz fresh white breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons each chopped sage and chopped parsley

Freshly grated nutmeg

1. First make the stuffing; melt the butter in a medium-sized pan, add the bacon and fry gently until golden. Add the onion and continue to cook until the onion is soft and lightly golden. Add the turkey liver and cook for 1 minute, then transfer the mixture into a bowl and leave to cool. Add the sausagemeat, chestnuts, breadcrumbs, herbs and a little nutmeg, salt and pepper. To make sure you have the seasoning right, just fry a little piece of the mixture, then taste and adjust if necessary.
2. Lay the turkey breast joint skin-side down on a board and season it with a little salt and pepper. Bring the stuffing mixture together roughly into a fat sausage-shape and lay it down the centre of the two breast fillets. Bring the sides of the joint up around the stuffing, using the skin to seal any gaps, and tie it at 4cm/1 1/2 inch intervals along its length into shape. Tuck a few fresh bay leaves under the string, cover and chill until needed. You can do this the day before.
3. About 2 1/2 hours before you want to eat, preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas Mark 7. Put the turkey joint skin-side up into a roasting tin and pour around the wine and stock. Spread the butter over the skin and season it well with salt and pepper. Cover the tin completely with foil and roast the turkey in the oven for 20 minutes – this gets the heat right into the centre of the joint. Then lower the oven temperature to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6 and continue to cook the joint for 1 1/2 hours.
4. Now remove the foil from the tin and return it to the oven for about another 20-30 minutes or until the turkey is cooked through and the skin is crisp and golden.

Recipe by Debbie Major