Stephanie Alexander’s turkey roll with sour cherry relish

1.For sour cherry relish, bring wine and muscat to the boil in a saucepan over medium heat, add cherries, remove from heat and set aside to soak (20 minutes). Place onion in a bowl, pour over enough boiling water to cover, set aside for 5 minutes, drain (discard liquid), set aside. Bring vinegar, sugar, apple, spices, orange rind and onion to the simmer over medium heat, stir until sugar dissolves, then simmer for flavours to infuse (5 minutes). Add cherries and soaking liquid, simmer until slightly thickened (20 minutes), stir in redcurrant jelly until dissolved, simmer until softly set (10-15 minutes). Transfer to sterile jars, cool, refrigerate until required. Sour cherry relish will keep refrigerated for 2 weeks in a sterile container.

2.Make an incision through skin down backbone of turkey, carefully separate skin, sliding fingers between skin and flesh and working around each side. Cut skin at wingtips and drumsticks to remove skin in a single piece. Remove breasts from carcass with a small sharp knife, running down breastbone, and trim sinew. Remove drumsticks and reserve for another use.

3.Melt butter and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat (30 seconds-1 minute), add lemon rind and cool slightly.

4.Cut a 20cm x 30cm piece of muslin, dampen slightly with water then dip in butter mixture. Brush turkey skin with a little butter mixture and lay flat on muslin. Place a turkey breast in centre, season to taste, brush with more butter mixture and scatter with herbs. Brush remaining breast with butter mixture, season to taste and place top-to-tail on top of other turkey breast. Brush with more butter mixture. Bring up side of skin, fold in ends and roll to enclose. Trim excess skin and secure turkey roll at intervals with kitchen string. Wrap turkey in muslin, secure with kitchen string, then weigh to determine cooking time (allow 40 minutes cooking per kilogram).

5.Preheat oven to 200C. Place turkey roll in a baking dish, add 125ml water and roast, turning once and topping up with water if necessary, until turkey is cooked through (1 hour-1 hour 20 minutes; juices should run clear when turkey is pierced with a skewer). Carefully unwrap, then rest in a warm place (20 minutes), carve, scatter with extra chopped herbs and serve hot with sour cherry relish, steamed asparagus and potatoes.