Cider roast turkey

Cider roast turkey

Succulent, cider-roasted turkey, with tender glazed apples and pear makes the ultimate centrepiece for your Christmas table

Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Serves 8

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 15 mins

Cook time

Cook 4 hrs

Approx 4 hrs cooking for a 4.5kg bird

Method

  1. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Wash and dry the turkey, removing any feathers. Pull out the giblets and the neck, then set aside. Lift up the skin that covers the neck opening, then stuff the stuffing up and under the skin, securing it tightly underneath with a skewer or two cocktail sticks. Weigh the stuffed turkey, then calculate the cooking time, allowing 40 mins per kg (20 mins per lb).
  2. Put the leeks and carrots along the bottom of a roasting tin in a single layer - this will make a trivet for the turkey to sit on and add flavour to the gravy. Add the neck to the tin. Sit the turkey on top and coat the breast all over with butter. Pour in the cider, cover with foil, then roast according to your timings. Keep checking the tin - if the vegetables look like they're burning, add a splash of water or cider. At 30 mins before the end of cooking, remove the foil and season generously. To test that the turkey is ready, pierce the thigh through its thickest part; the juices should run clear. Take the turkey out and leave to rest, covered with a clean tea towel. Can leave to rest for up to 1 hr. Now make the gravy. Drain the fat and juices from the tin into a jug, discarding the veg and the neck. Place the tin over a flame, then pour in the cider, scraping up the flavour-filled crusty bits with a wooden spoon. Reduce the cider by half, then strain into a saucepan (this will save you hob space later).

Per serving (with gravy)

704 kcalories, protein 82g, carbohydrate 21g, fat 32 g, saturated fat 11g, fibre 1g, sugar 7g, salt 1.77 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, December 2007.

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Latest comments and suggestions

  • Binder photo marcelle

    27 December 2007

    marcelle commented on this recipe

    Well This Xmas day I used this recipe for my turkey crown and it turned out fantastic. The turkey was really moist and very tasty, I also followed the recipe for the chestnut and cranberry roll, I will give 5 stars to both, and my visitors were well impressed. Thank you very much, love this site. Marcelle

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  • Binder photo Jennifer T

    29 December 2007

    Jennifer T rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Made this for Christmas Day - surprise surprise. It worked out really well for the most part. The cider didn't really come through, but the turkey was moist and tender and very tasty.

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  • Binder photo Sif's Stuff

    23 January 2008

    Sif's Stuff rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Made this for Christmas day along with my mum and aunt. Not all the stuffing made it into the turkey. We sort of made burgers with it because it smelled so nice....and of course to reward all our hard work in the kitchen! Absolutely goregeous

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  • Binder photo annabanana

    08 March 2008

    annabanana rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Perfect!!! First time i cooked a turkey and chose to be ambitious - worked out great. Followed the recipe step by step - meat stayed lovely and moist. I made it with the cranberry roll and 'perfect roast potatoes' recipes - yum. I'm now booked to cook it all again next year, was hoping for a day off...

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  • Binder photo dunawori

    22 December 2008

    dunawori commented on this recipe

    Please help !!! I saw this in a magazine in a waiting room in Dec 2008 but when I went to buy it, I could only get Jan. This recipe doesn't tell me how to make the gravy - could anyone please help me as I was planning on making this for Christmas !!

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  • Binder photo alebreuilly

    24 December 2008

    alebreuilly rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    To make the gravy, follow all the steps in the method above then do the following (copied from the original magazine)... Tip off the excess fat then add the juices to the reduced cider and pour stock. reduce over a high heat for about 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in the quince jelly, season to taste, then pour into a serving jug or gravy boat; any resting juices should go in now too. if you prefer a thicker gravy, mix 1tsp cornflour with a splash of cold water, then add to the gravy, stirring constantly until smooth and glossy. I made this last year and it was so good that we are making it again tomorrow. Merry Christmas A

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  • Binder photo Woody

    28 December 2008

    Woody commented on this recipe

    Thank you to alebreuilly for posting up the rest of the method - I would have been stuffed without it!! Very good turkey and really delicious gravy. I went well overboard with the cider and used about 600ml in the turkey tin - I lobbed in a few Bisto granuals to thicken up the gravy towards the end and it went down a storm :o)

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  • Binder photo Lee Worsley

    14 November 2009

    Lee Worsley commented on this recipe

    Just seen this recipe which looks great... does anyone have the orginal stuffing recipe? Thanks in advance, Lee

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  • Binder photo dollydolittle

    08 December 2010

    dollydolittle commented on this recipe

    The description mentions tender glazed apples and pears, but there aren't any in the ingredients. Is this the same recipe? If it is, anyone have the instructions for glazing the fruit?

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  • Binder photo Julie's grub

    16 December 2010

    Julie's grub rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    My all time favorite - repeated it every year since the recipe first appeared

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  • Binder photo janaskar

    27 December 2010

    janaskar rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Went down a storm on Christmas Day! Easy to prepare and filled the house with a lovely aroma while cooking. First ever time cooking a big turkey and timings for cooking was perfect. Will do it again next year for sure!

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  • Binder photo Johanka

    28 April 2012

    Johanka rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This is simply a GREAT recipe! Have made it with both turkey at Christmas and chicken for an extra nice roast. Every time, meat comes out succulent and tender. Tastes simply delicious. DO use the bones, leeks and carrots with some leftover liquid for a BEAUTIFUL stock. Amazing.

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  • Binder photo Meljanie

    09 January 2013

    Meljanie rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Loved this - I was determined not to have dry turkey this year, so I tried this and it was delicious - very moist and tasty. The stock made a lovely gravy. The recipe worked with a turkey crown. I'm only ever going to cook my turkey this way from now on.

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Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Serves 8

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 15 mins

Cook time

Cook 4 hrs

Approx 4 hrs cooking for a 4.5kg bird

Spectacular show-stopper

Ingredients

FOR THE TURKEY

  • 4.5-6kg/10-13lb turkey , giblets removed and kept
  • 450g stuffing
  • 2 leeks , trimmed and halved
  • 2 carrots , halved
  • 50g butter , softened
  • 300ml dry cider

FOR THE GRAVY

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Per serving (with gravy)

704 kcalories, protein 82g, carbohydrate 21g, fat 32 g, saturated fat 11g, fibre 1g, sugar 7g, salt 1.77 g

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