Turkey with apricot and pistachio stuffing

By msmollett

Ingredients

• Stuffing:
• 4 kg turkey
• 125 g streak bacon
• 50 g softened butter
• 15 ml avocado oil
• 1 large onion, sliced into large rings
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 4 celery sticks, roughly chopped
• 250 ml hot water
• 40 g butter
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 50 g pistachio nuts, chopped
• 150 g dried apricots, chopped
• 180 g fresh breadcrumbs
• 15 ml parsley, chopped
• 15 ml thyme, chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 egg

Details

Servings 6
Cooking time 3mins

Preparation

Step 1

1. pre-heat oven to 180 celcius. Rinse turkey and dry well.
2. Make the stuffing: heat butter and fry the chopped onions over a medium high heat. Take off heat and mix in the rest of the stuffing ingredients. Season well with salt and pepper.
3. Season the inside of the turkey with salt and pepper and stuff cooled apricot and pistachio mixture into the cavity of the turkey. Secure the legs of the turkey with string to ensure the stuffing does not come out.
4. Roll the leftover stuffing into small balls and wrap each with a pice of streaky bacon.
5. Season the skin of the turkey with salt and pepper and rub softened butter into the legs and breast area to help keep it moist.
6. Drizzle avocado oil into a large roasting tray and scatter the slices onion, carrots and celery in the bottom. Place turkey breast side up on top of the vegetables, pour the hot water into the roasting tray and cover with foil.
7. Bake the turkey for 2 hours with the foil on, remove foil and bake uncovered for a further 1 hour, adding the stuffing balls to the roasting pan for the remaining half hour cooking. Baste the turkey every hour.
8. Remove turkey and let it rest for 30 minutes before serving.