Myles New//Hearst Owned

Maple and Clementine Turkey with Sherry Gravy

This year’s turkey is infused with tangy citrus and sweet maple syrup.

By The Good Housekeeping Cookery TeamUpdated: 20 July 2022

Our Christmas turkey this year has the added sweetness of maple syrup and clementine juice. It's the perfect centre piece for your Christmas table!

If you prefer to stuff your bird under the skin, use either of the stuffing recipes below, but remember to weigh it after stuffing to calculate your cooking time.

For more festive recipe inspiration these are our favourite Christmas turkey recipes.

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Yields:

8 serving(s)

Prep Time:

45 mins

Cook Time:

3 hrs 15 mins

Total Time:

4 hrs

Cal/Serv:

264

Ingredients

5
.4kg free-range turkey
4
clementines, plus extra (optional) to garnish
125 g
butter, softened
8
thyme sprigs, plus extra (optional) to garnish
2
fat garlic cloves, crushed
3 Tbsp.
maple syrup
2
large onions, skin on, thickly sliced

For the gravy

25 g
plain flour
150 ml
manzanilla or fino sherry

Directions

1. Step 1One hour before cooking, remove turkey from fridge and remove any wrappings or trussing. Pat dry with kitchen paper and use tweezers to pluck out any stray feathers. Allow turkey to come up to room temperature. Weigh the turkey and calculate the cooking time, allowing 30-35min per kg.
2. Step 2Preheat oven to 190°C (170°C fan) mark 5. Finely grate zest of 2 of the clementines into a medium bowl. Halve the zested and unzested clementines and set aside. To the zest bowl, add the softened butter, the leaves from half the thyme sprigs, the garlic, maple syrup and some seasoning. Mix.
3. Step 3Lift up turkey neck flap and use your fingers to ease the skin gently away from some of the breast meat. Work half the butter mixture under the skin, spreading over the meat. Place the zested, halved clementines and remaining thyme sprigs in the central turkey cavity.
4. Step 4Make a trivet in a large sturdy roasting tin with onion slices. Loosely tie turkey legs together with kitchen string and rub remaining flavoured butter all over the bird. Add remaining halved clementines to the tin along with 100ml (31/2fl oz) water and loosely cover tin with foil.
5. Step 5Roast for calculated time, basting occasionally. Remove foil for last 30min of cooking. To check the turkey is cooked, insert a fork into the thickest part of the breast and check that the juices run golden and clear. If there’s any red tinge to the juice, return the bird to the oven and keep checking every 10min. Alternatively, use a meat thermometer – the temperature needs to read at least 72°C when inserted into the thickest part of the breast.
6. Step 6Transfer turkey to a board (set aside the roasting tin for gravy); cover well with foil and then clean tea towels to help keep the heat in. Leave to rest in a warm place for at least 30min or up to 11/4hr.
7. Step 7Make the gravy. Spoon off all but about 2tbsp excess fat from the roasting tin (leaving other roasting remains in tin). Put tin over medium hob heat and whisk in flour, mashing the onion and clementines as you go. Cook, whisking, for 1min. Whisk in the sherry (scraping up all the sticky bits from the base of the tin) and leave to bubble for a few min. Whisk in 350ml water and leave to simmer, whisking occasionally, for a couple of min until thickened. Strain into a warmed gravy jug or clean pan (to reheat when needed). Check seasoning.
8. Step 8To serve, unwrap turkey and transfer to a warm platter. Garnish with extra thyme sprigs and fried clementine halves, if you like. Serve with gravy (reheated if needed).

Get ahead:

Prepare steps 2-4 up to a day ahead (don't preheat oven). Place turkey into a sturdy roasting tin or on a tray. Cover and chill. To serve, complete step 1 and continue with step 4.