Turkey Crown

We have all the advice you need for how to cook a Turkey Crown. From what size turkey crown to buy, how many people it serves, how long to defrost, preparing to roast, adding flavour, what temperature and how long to cook.As well as basting advice, internal temperature, resting time, how to carve bone-in Turkey Breast and finally how to create turkey gravy from the leftover stock and drippings.Ensuring you have moist, tender slices of roast turkey for your Christmas Roast Dinner or Thanksgiving meal and convincing you that turkey is not dry when prepared and cooked correctly!In this recipe card, we have cooked a 2.5kg Turkey Crown. Cooking times for other sizes are in the notes section.

📝 Ingredients

• 2.5 kg Turkey
• 120 grams Unsalted butter
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 6 sprigs Thyme
• 1 Clementine (halved)
• 5 Sprigs Thyme
• 2 Onions (cut in half )
• 2 Carrots (cut into quarters)
• 500 ml Stock (Chicken, turkey or vegetable stock we used knorr stockpot)
• Black Pepper
• Leftover stock and drippings from pan
• 5 tbsp Cornflour / Cornstarch
• 1000 ml Stock (Chicken, turkey or vegetable stock we used knorr stockpot)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Prepare: If using a frozen turkey, make sure to fully defrost before cooking. 1 hour before cooking remove the butter and turkey crown from the fridge - remove turkey crown from packaging and discard excess liquid. Use a kitchen paper towel to dry the turkey crown.Keep loosely covered.
2. 2Preheat the oven at 180°C fan / 190°C / 375°F Gas mark 5Combine leaves from thyme and garlic in a bowl with the softened butter.
3. 3Butter: Split the garlic butter mixture into 2 portions.Gently lift skin from the breast and rub ½ of the butter under the turkey skin.
4. 4Coat: Use the remaining garlic and herb butter over the top of the breast skin as well as under and inside the carcass.
5. 5Cavity: If the drumettes are still attached to the turkey crown, tie them together under the breast.Add clementine and some thyme sprigs inside both the empty cavities of the turkey crown.
6. 6Vegetables: Use carrots and onions to create a base for the turkey crown to sit on top of inside the baking tray. Add more thyme into the tray.
7. 7Stock: Place the turkey crown on top of the onion and carrots. Pour the chicken stock around the bottom of the tray, not over the turkey. Finally, season the turkey crown with black pepper
8. 8Roast: Tent foil over the top of the turkey crown and secure on the long edge of roasting tin only. Leaving the ends open. Place in the oven to cook covered, see cooking times in notes for recommended times for the size of your turkey. Or use the packet for guidance (although they sometimes overcook turkey) For example, a 2.5kg turkey crown, I would recommend cooking for 2 hours.
9. 9Brown: 30 minutes before the end of cooking time, remove the turkey crown from the oven, take off the foil and baste the turkey crown evenly with the stock at the bottom of the pan. Return tray back in the oven and cook for the final 30 minutes uncovered allowing the skin to brown.
10. 10Temperature: The easiest and safest way to check if your turkey is cooked is by using a thermometer. Place into the thickest part of the breast (make sure not to push all the way through!) For the turkey crown to be cooked, the temperature should be over 74°C / 165°F. If it has not reached the right temperature, place it back in the oven (covered to prevent skin burning) and cook for an extra 15 minutes, then check again.No thermometer? Pierce the skin and check the juices are running clear with no pink tinge.
11. 11Rest: Once cooked, remove the turkey from the tray and place on a chopping board. Cover loosely with foil, allow to rest at least 30 minutes before carving.
12. 12--- Turkey Gravy ---
13. 13Sieve: The stock left in the pan is perfect for making gravy. Pour into a jug through a sieve.
14. 14Fat: Allow to cool for 30 minutes, the fat will rise to the top. Spoon some of the fat away.
15. 15Cornflour: Mix cornflour/cornstarch with an equal amount of cold water in a small bowl until lump-free
16. 16Drippings: Add turkey drippings and cornflour together into a saucepan. Whisk to combine and heat until it starts thickening.
17. 17Whisk: Then slowly add in the extra stock, whisking all the time. Bring to a boil to thicken again.
18. 18Browning: Optional - We like to add a drop of browning to give a deeper colour to the gravy.
19. 19--- Carving Turkey Crown ---
20. 20Carve: When it's time to carve, find the centre breast bone and cut the two breasts all the way down. If your turkey crown has drumettes, pull them down and cut inbetween the bones. Pull any remaining soft meat off the carcass.
21. 21Breast: Carve the two large breasts into desired size slices.
22. 22Serve with all the usual trimmings and plenty of gravy!