Cooking The Perfect Organic Christmas Turkey

Follow our tips and serve the perfect centrepiece on Christmas Day

Our organic turkeys make a classic centrepiece for your Christmas celebration. Follow our guide to cooking the perfect roast organic turkey and help your festive feast run smoothly.

Why choose an Eversfield Organic turkey

Our organic Bronze turkeys are slow grown on the edge of Dartmoor, enjoying a free range lifestyle. They are fed a simple traditional cereal and left to forage in the meadows where they enjoy wild herbs and seasonal berries. By Christmas all our turkeys have a traditional ‘finish’ of fat. They are then hung for 10 days to make them extra tender. 

Our Norfolk Black turkeys enjoy the same free range lifestyle, but are closer to a wild bird with a more game-like taste and texture after being hung for two weeks.

Our turkeys stand out not just for their taste but for their happy and healthy lifestyle. Unlike conventionally raised turkeys, which are fed on grain-based feeds designed for rapid weight gain in preparation for the festive season, our turkeys grow at a natural pace expressing all their natural behaviours, which helps them develop a more even and healthy layer of fat. 

You will find that this slow, natural approach to raising turkeys results in meat that is not only moist but also boasts a deliciously succulent texture and an incredible flavour.

How To Cook The Perfect Roast Turkey

Preparation:

• Ensure the turkey is at room temperature before cooking, taking it from the fridge at least an hour before.
• Remove the string holding the legs together and set aside any giblets.

Before you roast:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C).
• Pat the turkey dry.
• Mix softened butter with chopped fresh rosemary, salt, and pepper to create a herb butter.
• Gently loosen the turkey skin and spread half the herb butter between the meat and skin, and the other half over the skin. Season generously.
• Place half an onion, a sprig of rosemary, and a halved lemon in the turkey cavity.
• If you are cooking stuffing with your roast, add it to the neck end of the turkey now making sure to not overfill to allow air to circulate.
• In a large roasting dish, add 4 quartered onions, 4 roughly chopped carrots and the turkey giblets.
• Place the turkey breast side down on the bed of vegetables.

Roasting:

Our turkeys take less cooking time than a supermarket bird due to the extra intramuscular fat they develop during their active lives. The following are approximate roasting times:

4kg - 1 hour 45 minutes
5kg - 2 hours
6kg - 2 hour 15 minutes
7-8kg - 2 hour 45 minutes
9-11kg - 3 hours

Roasting times are only a guide, if in doubt, check with a meat thermometer. The temperature should reach between 65c-70c at the thickest part of the bird between the thigh and breast. 

• Pour 500ml water around the turkey.
• Roast for the recommended time (include any stuffing in your weight) and turn the turkey over halfway through the roasting time to allow the skin on the breast to crisp.
• Pierce the skin between the legs and breast to allow juices to flow.
• Add more water if needed to prevent the pan from drying out.
• The turkey is cooked when juices run clear when pierced with a metal skewer.

Resting:

• Leave the turkey to rest, covered loosely with foil for 30-45 minutes before carving.
• Use this time to make gravy and finish any sides.

Enjoy your perfectly roasted turkey. 

For gravy and sides inspiration, check out our recipe hub.