WEBER Stuffed Christmas Turkey

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Weber Stuffed Christmas Turkey / Kate Martens (p)

“This is a recipe for delicious pork filled and stuffed turkey with coal-roasted sweet potatoes... an appealing alternative to the traditional turkey and gammon that we (as a family) have always enjoyed on Christmas Day. Get out those knives and start tunnel boning.”

— Jackie Cameron

WEBER Stuffed Christmas Turkey with Coal roasted Sweet Potatoes and Weber–grilled Fresh Asparagus

Serves: 8 portions

Stuffed Turkey:

Ingredients:

• 3.5kg Whole Turkey, deboned (will weigh about 2.5kg after complete de–boning)
• 500gr Pork Fillets, smoked if possible, with all sinew removed

Stuffing:

Ingredients:

• 160gr Onions, chopped
• 295gr Bacon, chopped
• 500gr Pork Sausages, mince removed from the casing
• 250gr Chicken livers, cleaned
• 35gr Pecan nuts, roasted and roughly chopped
• 3 Whole Eggs
• 90ml Brandy
• 2.5ml Nutmeg Powder
• 125gr Fresh Breadcrumbs
• ORYX Salt and Black Pepper, to season

Method:

1. Sauté the onions and bacon together, set aside.
2. Mix all the ingredient together. Season well with the salt and black pepper.
3. Put a layer or two of plastic wrap on your board. Lay the turkey flat onto a working surface, skin side on the outside or downside. Take a rolling pin and lightly flatten the turkey to get an even thickness. Place the stuffing on the turkey meat, not placing all the way to the end, leaving an open space to prevent the stuffing from oozing out when rolling.
4. Place the pork fillets in the centre of the stuffing, like a long tube (like top to toe). Roll the turkey tightly, using the plastic to help this process, creating a long roll. Now truss the turkey roll, using string (use a medium-weight, natural, undyed, all cotton string).
5. Take a piece of string (almost ten times the length of the turkey roll) and wrap this around the length of your turkey (making sure the end sides are tucked in well) to almost form a loop – knot this tightly. Then do the width; take your string from the bottom and start wrapping the turkey widthways and when getting to the already centre, tight string tuck this string under the centre string and continue going around the turkey and continue the process. Keep these width string lines as close as possible to keep the filling tight, 2cm is ideal.
6. Weigh the turkey roll; it should weigh about 3.5kg, this will determine the cooking time. For every 1kg the turkey needs to cook 20 minutes of cooking. Plus then an extra 90 minutes.
7. The turkey roll will be cooked on the Weber, using indirect heat (placing 35 coal on each side).
8. Place the turkey onto the ready to use hot Weber Grill, close the lid. The temperature should be about 210⁰C. Try too not open the lid during the cooking time.
9. The temperature will drop to around 180⁰C, after about an hour or so but should not go any lower. Cook the turkey for about 2.5 hours (depending on your weight).
10. Remove from the Weber, cover with foil and allow the turkey to rest for about 15 minutes. Remove the string, cut into slices and serve. 

Sweet Potatoes:

Ingredients:

• 2 (180gr) super large Sweet Potatoes

Method:

1. Take a fork and poke the sweet potatoes. Place the sweet potatoes, in the Weber, between the indirect heat coals. Ensure the sweet potatoes are really large, they will cook for the same time as the turkey.
2. When cooked and really soft remove from the Weber, and serve with lashings of butter, salt and black pepper.

Asparagus:

Ingredients:

• 2 pun Fresh Asparagus

Method:

1.  Hold both the ends of the asparagus and bend, allowing the asparagus to snap. Keep the tip and throw away the bottom woody piece.
2. About 10 minutes before the turkey is being removed from the Weber, place the asparagus onto the grill next to the turkey, to grill. When removing the turkey, the asparagus should also be cooked and seared beautifully.
3. Season well with salt and pepper.