Simple and brilliant roast turkey with gravy recipe

Paul Kelly, from KellyBronze turkeys and Jamie Oliver's go-to turkey farmer has this recipe for a stress-free roast turkey

Watch the how to roast a turkey video

• A turkey (allow 500g per person)
• 5 onions, chopped
• Salt
• Pepper
• A glass of water

How to make a simple and brilliant roast turkey

1. It's vital you let your turkey come up to room temperature before you cook it, so take it out of the fridge and let it sit for 3 - 4 hours.

2. Preheat your oven to 180°C / gas 6 (160°C / gas 4 in a fan assisted oven).

3. Place the turkey breast-down ion the roasting tray - the fat deposits are on the turkeys back and cooking it upside down means the bird will baste itself as it cooks, keeping the meat succulent. Scatter the chopped onions in the tray around the bird and season. If your bird comes with giblets, stick those into the tray too - they make a delicious gravy. If you like a little citrus kick, pop a lemon in the cavity. Add a cup of water to the tray to stop the turkey sticking.

4. Don't put stuffing inside the bird - it takes three times as long to cook and will dry the meat out. KellyBronze turkeys are aged and hold their moisture, if you're buying a young bird, you might want to cover it with tinfoil to keep the meat moist.

5. Put the turkey in the oven. Paul recommends a cooking time of approximately 22 minutes per kg but this can vary with different breeds and ages of bird so check the instructions on your turkey.

6. After an hour, remove the bird from the oven and turn it over so it is breast off. If you've used tinfoil, take this off now to allow the skin to crisp up and turn golden. Return the bird to the oven for the remainder of the cooking time.

7. To check that the meat is cooked, stick a fork deep into the thigh muscle, if the juices run clear, the turkey is ready,

8. When the bird is cooked, take it out of the oven and allow to sit for an hour. This lets the meat relax and cool enough for you to carve it without burning your fingers! Do not cover it with anything or the meat will sweat and continue to cook.

9. To make a wonderful gravy, skim off the excess fat from the top of the stock, and strain the contents of the roasting tray into a pan. Make sure to scrape in the delicious sticky bits at the bottom of the tray too. Heat until it is piping hot, then serve over the carved turkey.

Tip: Use a meat thermometer to check your meat is cooked. You can pick them up for under £5 and they take away all the guesswork.

© Paul Kelly