’Nduja-Stuffed Roast Turkey with ’Nduja Maple Glaze

Bring on Christmas! In this punchy riff on the requisite turkey, the Calabrian sausage ’Nduja gives a little spicy kick to the stuffing proceedings; but not so spicy as to cause complaints.

Prep:
30 minutes
Cook:
2 hours
Serves:
10-12

Ingredients

Approx. 400g sourdough bread, crusts removed (to make around 3 cups of breadcrumbs)

2 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra for rubbing the turkey and the tray

1 onion, chopped

1 celery stick, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 Tbsp ’nduja

1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves

½ tsp salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

A small handful of parsley, finely chopped

Size 3 or 4 turkey, washed and dried

1 cup chicken stock

For the glaze:

1 Tbsp ’nduja

1 Tbsp maple syrup

½ cup cream

Method

Tear the bread into small pieces, then use a food processor to blitz to a coarse crumb. Set aside.

In a large frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and fry the onion and celery until soft. Add the garlic and ’nduja and fry until fragrant. Add the thyme and salt, then stir through the breadcrumbs to combine. Set aside to cool, then mix through the egg and parsley.

Bring the turkey out of the fridge an hour before you plan on cooking.

Liberally rub the inside cavities of the turkey with olive oil. Stuff the body and neck cavities with the stuffing mix. Wrap and leftover stuffing in greased baking paper, then wrap in foil.

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Fold the wing tips onto the back of the turkey and secure the legs with twine. Weigh the turkey. Lightly grease a large roasting dish with olive oil and add the chicken stock.

For the glaze:

Melt the ’nduja in a pan over a low heat. Add the maple syrup and cream and stir to combine. Brush the turkey with some of the glaze. Cover the whole dish with foil and place in the oven.

Allow 40 minutes cooking time for every kilogram of weight. After the first 1½ hours, remove the foil from the turkey and add the remaining stuffing into the oven. Cook for another 30 minutes (or until the required cooking time is up), brushing with glaze and basting with pan juices every 20 minutes, until the juices run clear when the flesh is pierced with a skewer. If the turkey seems to be browning too fast, cover again with foil.

Rest the turkey, covered in tinfoil, for at least 20 minutes before carving.