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by Miriam González Durántez from Made in Spain (Hodder and Stoughton)

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Christmas in Spain is actually celebrated on Christmas Eve. ÌýI have no idea how many Spanish families have started eating turkey, but I suspect it has to do more with the influence of Hollywood than anything else. Ìý

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I like to very lightly marinate the turkey the day before cooking it by putting it in a (huge) bucket covered with flavoured brine.Ìý For this, chop 2 onions and put them in the bucket with 1 chopped leek, 3 bay leaves, 2 halved mandarins, 1 halved orange, 1 halved lemon, a handful of parsley, 2 glasses of port (about 300ml), a handful of coarse salt and a handful of sugar.Ìý Add the turkey and cover with water.Ìý I am not sure this actually makes any difference to the final result, but my children, nephews and nieces like to help and it gets the magic of Christmas started.

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2-2.5kg serves 4-6Ìý

3kg serves 6-7Ìý

3.5kg serves 7-8

4-4.5kg serves 8-10Ìý

5-5.5kg serves 10-12

6-6.5kg serves 12-15Ìý

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Prep time: 20 mins + brining overnight (optional).

Cooking time: 1-4 hours depending on size of bird, from 75 mins for 2kg, 3hrs 40mins for 7kg.

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(A free range turkey will cook in half the time because of the extra intramuscular fat that is not present in a standard bird, so can be as quick as 30minsÌýper kg, so check a 2kg bird after 1hr to find if it’s nearly done. See top tip below).

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Ingredients

1 turkey (the rule in my home is: the bigger the better)

sea salt

1.5kg apples (ideally of different kinds so you get different textures)

4 large onions

2 handfuls of pine nuts

150g prunes

150g dried apricots

100g raisins

100g unsalted butter, at room temp

6 bay leaves

2 glasses of port (about 300ml)

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Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.

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If you have marinated the turnkey, pat it dry.Ìý Salt it inside and out.Ìý Put the turkey in a (big) roasting pan.Ìý Peel and chop the apples in medium-sized chunks and the onions in slices.Ìý Mix the apples, onions, pine nuts, dried apricots and raisins and use some of this to stuff the cavity of the turkey, but don’t put too much inside as air needs to circulate inside the bird.

Now get the butter and work it between the skin and the breast, carefully opening up a cavity under the skin with your fingers and trying not to tear it.ÌýÌý Massage the breast inside the skin with the butter.Ìý Arrange 3 bay leaves on each breast under the skin, then put the bird in the roasting tray breast side down.Ìý Arrange the remaining stuffing around the turkey.Ìý Dilute the port with water and throw it all over the turkey.Ìý You many need to add more water to the pan, the liquid should be more or less 2 fingers’ depth.

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Then start the roasting, cooking for 45-50 mins per kg (or 30mins per kg if a free range bird).Ìý Keep adding water if you think the roasting tin is getting dry.Ìý After 1¾ hrs, put some foil over the turkey,Ìýit’sÌýbrowned sufficiently andÌýdefinitelyÌýover the stuffing so it doesn’t get burnt.Ìý When there are 45 mins left to go, turn the turkey over so it is breast side up (use a couple of wooden spoons in the neck and cavity to help do this).Ìý Test to see if it is done (see tip below); give it a few more mins if it isn’t quite there yet, then test again.

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The turkey releases a lot of juice this way, so there is no need for gravy, but you may need to add a bit more salt to the sauce and stuffing before serving it.ÌýI serve it carved, with the stuffing and sauce separately on the side.

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Top Tip

To check it is done, insert a long sharp knife into the thickest part of the thigh.Ìý If the juices that emerge are tinged with pink, return in to the oven for 5 mins before testing again.Ìý If the juices run clear, it is ready.

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