Stuffed Turkey Leg With Pistachio And Apricot

Stuffed Turkey Leg With Pistachio And Apricot

A brilliant recipe, particularly if people are not too fond of Turkey at Christmas, can be served from November to February.

Recipe By Nigel Slater: "I suggest you order the turkey leg a couple of days before you need it. Ask the butcher to bone it and remove the sinews".

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

a large leg of turkey, boned, sinews removed, ready for stuffing. A large leg should weigh about 1.8kg.
a small-to-medium onion
150g fresh white breadcrumbs
75g soft dried apricots
45g pistachios
350g interesting sausages
thyme
grated zest of a small lemon
parsley
olive oil
vermouth or white wine

Method:

Peel the onion, chop it finely and put it in a mixing bowl. Stir in the breadcrumbs. Chop the apricots and pistachios, then add them to the bowl. Slit the sausages' skins and peel them away, then mix the meat in with the other ingredients. Add a tablespoon or so of thyme leaves, the zest of the lemon and a handful of chopped parsley, then season thoroughly with salt and a little pepper.

Set the oven at 160C/gas mark 3. Put the turkey leg skinside down on the work surface and bat out the meat with a rolling pin or cutlet bat to roughly 1cm (there will be holes and tears). It needs to be no more than 1cm thick, thin enough to roll into a thick sausage when stuffed. Spread the stuffing over the meat, almost to the edge. Roll up the meat and its stuffing to give a long, fat sausage, then secure with string at 3cm intervals.

Place the meat in a roasting tin, moisten with olive oil and roast for 2 hours, covered in foil. It is done when the juices run clear when tested with the point of a skewer. Remove to a warm place to rest, covered with foil (such as the switched-off oven) and tip most of the fat from the roasting tin, leaving behind the darker residue and any crusty pan stickings. Put the roasting tin and its juices over a moderate to high heat. Pour in the wine or vermouth. Stir to dissolve the gooey flavours stuck to the pan to make a thin, delicious gravy. Simmer for a few minutes, taste for seasoning and pour into a warm jug.

Put the meat on a carving board, slice thickly, and serve with the hot pan juices and veg of your choice.