RECIPE: Christmas turkey

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

¼ cup (35gm) unsalted pistachio kernels, chopped

400gm (about 1 loaf) ciabatta, crusts removed, bread torn into very small pieces

100gm veal or pork mince (or a mixture)

1 apple or pear, peeled, grated

1/3 cup of cranberries and chopped apricots

Large pinch each nutmeg and cinnamon

3 pancetta slices, chopped

6 sage leaves, thinly sliced

1 egg

Splash of vin santo or brandy

1. Pre-heat your oven to 190 degrees.
2. Wrap your turkey in baking paper and aluminium foil. Leave on the turkey, to keep moist and cooked to perfection. Place turkey in your roasting tray (feel free to place on a wire rack in your roasting dish - this will assist even cooking).
3. Place turkey in pre-heated oven for 1 hour.
4. Remove turkey from oven, next carefully remove the foil and baking paper.
5. Place the turkey back in the roasting tray and cook for a further 15-25 minutes until the turkey skin is golden brown.
6. Remove turkey from oven and leave to ‘rest’ for a further 30 minutes covered with foil to keep warm and retain a moist turkey.