Butter Blanketed Roast Turkey

Step 1You’ll need a piece of cheesecloth or muslin, big enough to fold in half and cover your bird. Preheat the oven to 220 °C/ 430 °F (fan assisted), or 240 °C/ 465 °F (conventional).

Step 2Dry the turkey inside and out with clean paper towels.

Step 3Melt half of the butter (250 g/ 8.8 oz) in a saucepan on the stove and add 1 cup of chicken stock.

Step 4Place the rest of the butter, salt and pepper in a small bowl and add the chopped herbs and the garlic. Mix well until you have a nicely combined herb and garlic butter.

Step 5Very carefully, use your hand to slide between the skin of the turkey and the meat, creating a pocket of space all over the breast and legs of the bird.

Step 6Cut the onions in half and stuff the turkey with them, along with the bunches of sage and thyme. You can use herbs to taste - these don’t get eaten but the infuse they bird with lovely flavours while cooking and help to ensure even cooking.

Step 7Use your hands to spread the herbed butter under the skin of the turkey, massaging and smoothing it out as you go. Any leftover butter can be rubbed all over the outside of the bird.

Step 8Place your cheesecloth in the melted butter mixture and then gently squeeze out excess liquid. Fold the cloth and drape over your turkey, patting it down and smoothing it over until the bird is wrapped neatly.

Step 9Place the wrapped turkey on a rack over a roasting dish and pour 1 cup of chicken stock in the base of the tray.

Step 10Cook the turkey for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove from oven and baste with the butter and chicken stock baste.

Step 11Reduce the temperature to 180 °C/ 355 °F (fan assisted), or 200 °C/ 400 °F (conventional), and cook the turkey for a further 2 hours or so, depending on the size of your bird (about 20 minutes per each pound/ 450 g of turkey). The turkey is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 74 °C/ 165 °F.

Step 12Baste the turkey with the melted butter and chicken stock mixture every 30 minutes, you can also use the juices that gather in the bottom of the roasting dish.

Step 13When your turkey is done, baste the cloth really well and gently pull away from your, now incredibly golden, bird. If it sticks, don’t panic, just soak that spot a bit more until it releases.

Step 14Cover the turkey with foil and rest for 30 minutes before carving. Serve warm with low-carb sides like Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Cauliflower Mash. Store, in a covered container, in the fridge for up to 5 days.