Roast Turkey Fillet with Fenland Celery, Walnut and Sausage Stuffing
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
- 1kg-1.2kg British turkey fillet
- knob of butter, melted
- 12 to 16 rashers of dry-cure smoked, streaky bacon
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For the stuffing
- 450g sausage meat
- 6 shallots, peeled and finely diced
- 4 sticks Fenland celery, diced
- 75g walnuts, chopped
- 100g fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves
- 1 free range egg, beaten
- salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Preheat oven to 180C/Gas 5.
- Butter a large roasting tin.
- Cut open the fillet and beat it with a wooden mallet until it is has increased in size by a third – be careful not to make any holes in the meat.
- Brush some of the melted butter over the turkey and season with salt and pepper.
- Mix all the stuffing ingredients together and season with salt and pepper.
- Make a long sausage shape with the stuffing mixture and place it in the middle of the turkey fillet, roll the turkey meat around to cover all the stuffing.
- Carefully wrap the streaky bacon around the rolled turkey fillet, tucking the ends underneath.
- With a spatula, lift it into the buttered roasting tin.
- Tuck any stray pieces of bacon underneath if necessary.
- Add 6 tbsp water and cover with tinfoil before roasting for 40 mins per kilo plus 20 mins, so a kilo will take one hour to cook.
- Remove the foil for the last 15 to 20 mins of cooking to allow the bacon to crisp up.
- Allow to stand, loosely covered in tinfoil, for 10-15 mins before cutting into slices and serving with vegetables.
- Use the juices from the tin for gravy.
