Turkey with pork and chestnut stuffed cabbage with gravy recipe

Turkey with pork and chestnut stuffed cabbage with gravy recipe

This is it. The big one. A Christmas dinner centrepiece that seems like it could keep you going 'til next year!

Your turkey needs to be brined for between 24-48 hours before cooking. Make sure your turkey is fully defrosted beforehand.

Matt gives the following advice: "Getting the gravy right binds the whole dish together. You can go to the effort of making your own stock but there are some fantastic fresh ones now available.

So long as you add your own touches, a garlic clove, a few bay leaves, a few thyme sprigs and simmer with a glass of port then whatever happens to the turkey, your be certain that the gravy will be delicious."

Ingredients

  • 6.5 kg turkey
  • 14.3 lbs turkey
  • 14.3 lbs turkey
For the brine
  • 5 l water
  • 2 tsp table salt
  • 2 tsp black peppercorns
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tsp whole cloves
  • 0.5 tsp caraway seeds
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
  • 250 ml white wine
  • 0.5 tsp mustard seeds
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 8.8 pints water
  • 2 tsp table salt
  • 2 tsp black peppercorns
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tsp whole cloves
  • 0.5 tsp caraway seeds
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
  • 8.8 fl oz white wine
  • 0.5 tsp mustard seeds
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 21.1 cups water
  • 2 tsp table salt
  • 2 tsp black peppercorns
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tsp whole cloves
  • 0.5 tsp caraway seeds
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
  • 1.1 cups white wine
  • 0.5 tsp mustard seeds
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
For roasting the turkey
  • 1 onion, peeled and halved
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and quartered
  • 2 sticks celery, halved
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 drizzle olive oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 small bunch of thyme
  • 1 pinch pepper, to taste
  • 1 handful bacon rashers (optional) for the breast
  • 1 bulb garlic, halved
  • 1 onion, peeled and halved
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and quartered
  • 2 sticks celery, halved
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 drizzle olive oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 small bunch of thyme
  • 1 pinch pepper, to taste
  • 1 handful bacon rashers (optional) for the breast
  • 1 bulb garlic, halved
  • 1 onion, peeled and halved
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and quartered
  • 2 sticks celery, halved
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 drizzle olive oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 small bunch of thyme
  • 1 pinch pepper, to taste
  • 1 handful bacon rashers (optional) for the breast
  • 1 bulb garlic, halved
For the stuffing
  • 1 savoy cabbage
  • 6 sausages, removed from their skins
  • 200 g chestnuts, chopped
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 tbsp goose fat
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 savoy cabbage
  • 6 sausages, removed from their skins
  • 7.1 oz chestnuts, chopped
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 tbsp goose fat
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 savoy cabbage
  • 6 sausages, removed from their skins
  • 7.1 oz chestnuts, chopped
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 tbsp goose fat
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper, to taste
For the gravy
  • 1 pint chicken or turkey stock
  • 1 large glass port
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1 pint chicken or turkey stock
  • 1 large glass port
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1 pint chicken or turkey stock
  • 1 large glass port
  • 1 tbsp flour

Details

  • Cuisine: English
  • Recipe Type: Main
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Preparation Time: 90 mins
  • Cooking Time: 210 mins
  • Serves: 12

Step-by-step

  1. For the brine, in a large pot add the water. Add in all of the turkey brine ingredients – stir to dissolve salt & sugar. Remove any string attached to the turkey, remove the legs from the turkey and put them back in the fridge covered.
  2. Add the turkey breast & crown to the liquid - add more liquid if needed. Bring up to the boil and then let it cool to room temperature. Put in the fridge or if the pot doesn't fit somewhere cold, even outside (covered, of course). Leave for between 24 and 48 hours.
  3. Preheat the oven to 180C. For the turkey, sit your brined turkey on a roasting tray over the onion, garlic, carrot and celery. If desired layer or lattice rashers of bacon over the breast to protect in the oven. Take the legs out of the fridge, place in a roasting tray, baste with goose fat, dress with thyme, and a halved bulb of garlic.
  4. Roast the turkey for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 160C and roast for a further 2 ½ to 3 hours until cooked (most turkeys come with cooking time instructions, make use of these), basting every 30 minutes, and covering it with foil once it’s golden brown, to prevent over-colouring. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 1 to 1 and a half hours in a warm place.
  5. For the stuffing, pre-heat the oven to 130 degrees centigrade. Cook the cabbage in salted water, drain and run under cold water. Mix up all of the stuffing ingredients together and season.
  6. Line an oven proof terrine dish with 2 layers of cling film leaving enough to completely cover the cabbage. Cover the base and sides of the oven proof dish with the cabbage leaves. Arrange the sausage meat over the cabbage, around half way up and press down.
  7. Finely chop some of the cabbage and layer in the middle of the meat. Layer on the remaining sausage meat and finish with a final layer of the cabbage. Cover tightly with the cling film and put it into the oven 40-50 minutes.
  8. Remove it from the oven, the cabbage should be tender and allow it to cool. Carefully turn out the parcel and remove the cling film. Slice it into wedges and serve it.
  9. For the gravy, from the turkey roasting tin, strain the juices and reserve for later, leave the onion, carrot celery garlic and a little fat and juice in the pan. Heat over a medium heat. Add a tablespoon of flour and mix with the fat in the pan.
  10. When the flour and juices have combined add the large glass of port and mix well. Add the reserved juices from the turkey, stir then add a pint of chicken or turkey stock. Reduce by about half.

Twelve Chefs of Christmas is currently airing on Food Network UK, every day at 11am.

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