Cooking your Bronze Turkey

The Black Feather Stubs are a sure way to recognise a real Bronze Turkey. There is no need to remove them, they just shrivel during cooking.

Before you cook your turkey remove it from the refrigerator and leave the bird to stand for several hours to reach room temperature. Remove the trussing string.

If stuffing your turkey fill the neck cavity only, and cooking times should be recalculated to include the extra weight of the stuffing. Stuffing can also be cooked separately.

Preheat the oven to 190°C /fan 170°C. Coat the turkey with either goose fat or softened butter, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place your turkey, breast side down in a roasting dish and wrap loosely in foil. Very large turkeys over 8kg are best cooked breast upwards throughout cooking.

Approximately half way through cooking turn the turkey over (breast upwards), remove the foil half an hour before full cooking time. Baste with the juices to allow the skin to brown.

Your turkey is cooked when the juices run clear, not pink, when tested with a fork under the thigh. If you have a meat thermometer the internal temperature should reach 74°C in the thickest part of the thigh or breast.

Be careful not to overcook.

After cooking, stand for at least 20 minutes before carving.