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Unreel Recipes
cooking · Main Course

Roast Turkey with Flavored Butter, Bacon, and Cider-Walnut Gravy

From a video by Gordon Ramsay · 10 min watch

Gordon Ramsay's method for roasting a moist turkey using flavored butter under the skin, bacon to protect the breast, and a rich cider and walnut gravy made from the pan drippings.

Main CourseBritish
Roast Turkey with Flavored Butter, Bacon, and Cider-Walnut Gravy
Source video — Gordon Ramsay on YouTube
From the creator
Gordon Ramsay
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Watch the full video on YouTube ↗
Total time
~6 hours 15 minutesEstimated by Unreel from the recipe steps — the creator didn't state this.
Hands-on
~25 minutesEstimated by Unreel from the recipe steps — the creator didn't state this.
Servings
~8 servingsEstimated by Unreel from the complete recipe.
Difficulty
EasyEstimated by Unreel from the recipe steps — the creator didn't state this.
Cook this recipe
Extraction confidence: high

Auto-generated from the video and rewritten in our own words. Double-check quantities against the source before cooking.

Ingredients

Ingredients scaled to 8 servings
  • turkey
  • butter
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • olive oil
  • 2 lemon, zest and juice
  • 3 cloves garlic, pureed
  • 1 handful parsley, chopped
  • 2 onion, halved
  • 2 bay leaf
  • smoked streaky bacon
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 3 tomato, chopped
  • dry cider
  • chicken stock
  • walnut, crushed
  • turkey

Preparation

  1. Step 1
    Mix soft butter with salt, pepper, a little olive oil, the zest and juice of two lemons, pureed garlic from three cloves, and a generous handful of chopped parsley.
  2. Step 2
    Season the turkey cavity with salt and pepper. Add two halved onions, the remaining lemon, and two bay leaves inside the cavity.
  3. Step 3
    Carefully loosen the skin over the breasts and thighs. Place the flavored butter underneath the skin, then massage the remaining butter over the breasts, legs, and wings. Drizzle with a little olive oil.
  4. Step 4 · 220°C / 428°F · 10 minutes
    Roast the turkey at 220°C for 10 minutes.
  5. Step 5 · 180°C / 356°F · 2.5 hours
    Remove from the oven, baste the turkey, and cover the breasts with smoked streaky bacon. Reduce the oven to 180°C and continue roasting the 5 kg bird for 2.5 hours (or 30 minutes per kg), basting occasionally.
  6. Step 6 · 2.5 hours
    Test the turkey by inserting a knife into the bottom of the thigh; if the juices run clear, it is cooked. Rest the turkey uncovered for 2.5 hours.
  7. Step 7
    For the gravy, drain excess fat from the roasting tray and return to heat. Remove the bacon from the turkey and the roasted onions and lemon from the cavity. Chop the bacon, onions, and roasted lemon and add to the tray along with two sprigs of rosemary and three chopped tomatoes. Fry to build flavor.
  8. Step 8
    Add turkey trimmings and wings to the tray. Pour in dry cider and the resting juices from the turkey. Reduce by half, then crush the solids with a masher. Add chicken stock and reduce again. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  9. Step 9
    Strain the gravy through a sieve, pressing to extract all flavor. Infuse with a sprig of rosemary. Place crushed walnuts in the gravy boat and ladle in the hot gravy to serve with the rested turkey.

Notes