Christmas Turkey

Prepare the turkey. You can use stuffing if other family members are not on the diet.

Mix together roughly ground salt & pepper, ground cumin, dried thyme & sage. Rub the mixture gently into the bird. You can use a spray or two of oil on the skin for a slightly moist surface.

Cut the shallots into quarters (or smaller pieces if you like).

Use a roasting bag and place the turkey inside. Place the shallots with the turkey inside the bag. Add 1 tbsp of water. By using a bag you can avoid adding fat to the dish as the turkey will baste nicely in it's own juices.

Pre-heat the oven to 190C/375F. Cooking time will depend on the size of your turkey - 20min + 20min per every 5500g.

About 20-30min before the cooking time is up, cut open the roasting bag and let the meat grill a bit. It's a good time to check if the meat is cooked through yet and if you will need to extend the cooking time a bit if needed.

You can leave it on the same temperature, or I like to turn the heat up and change my oven to grill, while manually basting the turkey every few minutes.

Serve with roasted carrots & parsnips and Brussels sprouts.

Remember to leave out the skin and let others have the "naughty" dishes :)