Christmas turkey with stewed apples

Recipes

Christmas turkey (karácsonyi pulykasült)

  • 7-10 oz/200-300 g smoked bacon
  • 1 oven-ready turkey (51/2—653/4 lbs/2-5-3 kg)
  • salt
  • 2  cooking apples (or quinces)
  • 2/3 cup/150 g butter
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp white wine

 

Cut the bacon into thin slices and batten them out slightly. Cover the turkey breast with slices of bacon and secure using cooking thread. Cut the remaining slices into thin strips and use them to lard the turkey legs. Rub the bird with salt.

Pierce the apples (or quinces) with a fork and place them in the bird’s abdominal cavity. Transfer the bird to a casserole. Melt the butter and pour it over the turkey. Brown for a few minutes on the stove top, then pour 3/4 cup/200 ml water into the pot (not over the turkey) and roast in a preheated oven at 400 °F/200 °C until cooked.

Finish off by basting the bird regularly with the roasting juices, so that it is crisp and golden brown. After around 2 1/2 hours remove the turkey from the oven. Let it rest for 15 minutes before carving and serving. Pour the remaining juices from the casserole into a small pan, stir in the tomato paste, and reheat. Pour in the wine and 1 1/4 cups/300 ml of water. Season with salt and bring to the boil. Serve the sauce hot in a gravy boat. The Christmas turkey is accompanied by rice with mushrooms, creamed potato and stewed apples and plums.

 Stewed apples (párolt alma)

  • 2 1/4  lbs/1 kg cooking apples
  • 3 1/2 tbsp/50 g butter
  • pinch of cinnamon

Peel and core the apples. Cut them into thin strips and. gently stew in the butter in a covered pan. Do not stir the apples simply shake the pan from time to time. Sprinkle immediately with cinnamon and serve hot. Fresh or frozen, pitted plums can be used equally well in this recipe.