Whole turkey

Allow about 500 g of uncooked turkey per person when it is bone-in; buy more if you want plenty of leftovers. A smaller bird may need less cooking time, so use a thermometer rather than relying only on the clock.

Roast it breast-side up at 180 °C, loosely covered with foil if the skin is browning too quickly. Remove the foil towards the end to crisp the skin, and rest the turkey for at least 30 minutes before carving so the juices settle.

Check with a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, without touching bone: it should reach 75 °C. Check the breast too, and make sure the juices run clear; if it is not ready, return it to the oven and check again.

Thaw it in its packaging on a tray on the bottom shelf of the fridge, allowing roughly 10–12 hours per kilogram. Check the cavity is no longer icy before cooking; never thaw it on the worktop.

Cooking stuffing separately is safer and helps the turkey cook evenly. If you do stuff the cavity, do so just before roasting and check the centre of the stuffing reaches 75 °C as well as checking the thickest part of the thigh.

Refrigerate leftovers within two hours, ideally in shallow containers, and eat them within two days or freeze them. Reheat until piping hot throughout, and only reheat each portion once.

After resting, pull each leg away from the body and cut through the joint; separate the drumstick from the thigh at its joint. Slice the breast meat across the grain, working down either side of the breastbone.