Maple Butter Turkey with 3-Ingredient Stuffing
Maple Butter Turkey with 3-Ingredient Stuffing is a flavorful and straightforward holiday dish that combines a tender, juicy turkey glazed with a sweet and savory maple butter sauce. The turkey is paired with a simple, no-fuss stuffing made using just three key ingredients, typically bread, seasoning, and a liquid binder like broth. This dish is perfect for festive occasions like Thanksgiving or Christmas, offering a blend of rich flavors and minimal preparation effort. It highlights the essence of traditional North American holiday cooking with a modern, sweet twist.
Ingredients
- 125g butter, chopped
- 80ml (1/3 cup) maple syrup
- 5-6kg whole turkey
- 10 fresh sage leaves, plus extra, to serve
- 1kg Kent pumpkin, deseeded, cut into large wedges
- 2 garlic bulbs, sliced in half
3-ingredient stuffing
- 250g pkt microwave brown rice and quinoa
- 55g (1/3 cup) chopped toasted pistachios
- 125g (3/4 cup) morello cherries, drained, reserving 125ml (1/2 cup) cherry juice
Gravy
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 375ml (1 1/2 cups) Massel chicken style liquid stock
- 125ml (1/2 cup) white wine
Instructions
- For the stuffing, squeeze the packet to break up the rice and quinoa mix. Place in a bowl. Add the pistachios and cherries and stir to combine. Season and set aside.
- Place butter and maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until melted. Set aside, covered to keep warm.
- Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan forced. Remove turkey giblets, neck and excess fat. Pat turkey dry, inside and out, with paper towel. Gently run your fingers under the breast skin to loosen. Carefully push the sage leaves under the skin, making sure they sit flat. Fill the cavity with the stuffing. Tie legs with kitchen string and tuck the wings underneath. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan. Pour 375ml (11⁄2 cups) water into base of pan. Brush turkey all over with maple butter. Season. Place a large piece of baking paper over turkey, then 2 layers of foil over pan, securing tightly. Roast for 2 hours, basting with melted maple butter after 1 hour. Remove foil and paper. Roast, basting once, for a further 1 hour or until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a platter, cover and set aside for 30 minutes to rest. (Set pan aside for making the gravy.)
- Meanwhile, place pumpkin and garlic on a large baking tray lined with baking paper. Season. Spray with oil. Drizzle pumpkin with the remaining maple butter. Roast for 40 minutes or until the pumpkin is lightly caramelised and garlic is tender.
- For the gravy, skim fat from the juices in the roasting pan and discard. Place the pan over medium heat and scrape base to dislodge any cooked-on bits. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add stock, wine and reserved cherry juice. Stir until smooth. Bring to the boil. Simmer for 5-7 minutes or until slightly thickened. Season.
Nutrition
Calories: 3705kcalCarbohydrates: 37.2gProtein: 94.1gFat: 37.2gSaturated Fat: 12.7gCholesterol: 0.3mgSodium: 751mgPotassium: 1.2mgFiber: 2.3gSugar: 11.6gVitamin A: 193IUVitamin C: 5.9mgCalcium: 92mgIron: 4.8mg
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