How to Cook the Perfect Christmas Turkey
Sharpen your carving knife, tie your apron and set the timer — it's the most important meal of the year, and you're going to cook your best turkey yet!
How to Choose the Best Turkey
90% of cooking the tastiest turkey you've ever had is down to the turkey you choose. A herb-fed, free-range turkey from a farm that prioritises welfare — dry-plucked and game-hung for up to 10 days — is worlds away from a supermarket bird.
Sizing Guide
A whole bird carries a lot of bone, so raw weight alone tells you very little about how many it feeds. Go by the serving guide on each size:
- 5–6kg — serves 6–8
- 6–7kg — serves 8–10
- 7–8kg — serves 10–12
- 8–9kg — serves 12–14
- 9–10kg — serves 14–16
- 10kg plus — serves 16+
These allow for a proper Christmas plate and cold turkey on Boxing Day. If you are between sizes, size up. Cooking a turkey crown instead? A crown yields far more meat per kilo, so allow around 400g of meat per person — 2–3kg serves 4–6, 3–4kg serves 6–8, 4–5kg serves 8–10.
Recipe: Herb Fed, Free Range Turkey with Sage and Onion Stuffing
Stuffing ingredients: 500g free range sausage meat, 2 large white onions (diced), 1 tsp ground nutmeg, handful fresh sage (finely chopped), 2 sprigs rosemary, handful breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, olive oil.
Method:
- Remove turkey from fridge at least 1 hour before cooking
- Sauté onions in olive oil 6–8 minutes; add sage and nutmeg for 2 more minutes; cool then mix with sausage meat and breadcrumbs
- Preheat oven to 180°C
- Pat turkey dry, coat in olive oil or butter, season generously
- Stuff both cavities; tuck neck skin neatly
- Place in a large roasting tray and cover with foil
- Cook for 40 minutes per kilo plus an extra 20 minutes, basting every 30 minutes. Keep the foil on for the first two thirds and remove it for the final third to brown the skin
- The bird is done when the thickest part of the thigh reaches 72°C and the juices run clear; rest for at least 45 minutes before carving
