Roast turkey with smoked paprika & orange
10
Points®
Total time: 3 hr • Prep: 30 min • Cook: 2 hr 30 min • Serves: 10 • Difficulty: Easy
Try this sweet, citrussy take on the main event – just make sure your bird is totally defrosted before cooking it


Ingredients
Whole turkey (weighed without bone), raw, with skin
1 individual, 4kg fresh or thawed frozen turkey, giblets removed
Salt
15 g, sea salt flakes
Paprika
1 tablespoon(s), level, smoked
Olive Oil
2 tablespoon(s), extra virgin
Orange
3 medium, plus extra oranges, halved and quartered, to serve
Bay leaf, dry
10 leaf/leaves
Chicory
100 g, leaves, to serve
Instructions
1
Pat the turkey dry with paper towels and place in a deep roasting tray. In a small bowl, combine salt, paprika and oil. Use a zester to remove the zest from the orange and add it to the bowl, stirring to combine. Rub the mixture evenly over the skin. Halve the orange and stuff into the turkey cavity. Let the bird sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
2
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 190°C, fan 170°C, gas mark 5. Pour 120ml of water around (not on) the turkey, so that it’s about 0.5cm deep in the pan. If you’re using a disposable aluminium tray, place it on a sturdy baking sheet to ease its transfer in and out of the oven.
3
Roast the turkey, basting with the juices every hour, until cooked. The skin should be brown and firm, and juices from the thigh meat should run clear. Set aside to rest in the tray at room temperature for 30 minutes. Tilt the turkey so any juices in the cavity flow into the tray. Use two clean tea towels to lift it onto a large board. Remove the orange halves from the cavity and set aside.
4
To carve, first remove the legs. Hold a drumstick with one hand and cut through the skin all the way through the thigh joint (it helps to wiggle the leg so you can locate the joint.) Separate the legs and thighs, and transfer them to a serving plate. Next, remove the wings by cutting through the joints and place them on the plate. Next, steady the top of the turkey with a fork. Make a horizontal cut at the base of the first breast, then a vertical cut along the breastbone, and remove the meat in one large piece. Repeat with the second breast. Place the breasts skin side up on a board and slice crosswise. Add to the serving plate.
5
Squeeze the reserved orange halves over the turkey pieces. Decorate with the extra oranges, the bay leaves and chicory. Serve immediately.
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