A whole turkey is brushed with a sweet and sour glaze and baked until golden, then served with a fresh pan relish of tomatoes, pinenuts and whole caramelised shallots. Finished with grilled bacon, it makes a delicious midwinter meal.

Ingredients

• 1 turkey
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 4 tablespoons caster sugar
• Stuffing
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1 tablespoon each chopped sage and oregano
• 2 whole sundried tomatoes in oil, finely chopped
• 4 slices wholemeal bread
• 50 grams butter
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 apples
• Relish
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 16 shallots, peeled
• 4 cloves garlic, bruised but not peeled
• 1 cup turkey or chicken stock
• 4 blanched tomatoes, ¼ cup toasted pinenuts

Method

1. Mix the balsamic vinegar and sugar together and stir until dissolved. Brush liberally over the turkey and set aside for 2-3 hours to marinate.
2. Stuffing
3. Cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil until they have softened but not coloured. Add the herbs and sundried tomato and toss well. Put the bread slices into a food processor with the butter and process into coarse crumbs. Add the sauteed vegetables and baking powder. Use this mixture to stuff the neck end of the turkey. Secure with skewers.
4. Cut the apples in half and fit into the cavity of the turkey so that it holds a good shape. Any remaining stuffing can be sprinkled around the edges of the apples. The apples will give the turkey a sweet flavour and you\\\'ll find that it cooks quicker without being packed down with stuffing.
5. Weigh the turkey and cook at 180ºC allowing 15 minutes for each 500 gram. Check any instructions on the back of the packet. Brush with glaze while cooking.
6. Once it\\\'s cooked, remove the turkey from the oven tray and keep warm.
7. Relish
8. Place the oven tray over the heat and add the olive oil, whole shallots and garlic and toss in the hot oil and pan juices for 2-3 minutes. Add the turkey or chicken stock and cover. Reduce the heat and allow the mixture to simmer for about 15 minutes until the shallots have cooked.
9. Chop the tomatoes into chunky pieces, add to the pan with the pinenuts and 3 sprigs of fresh thyme and allow to simmer for about 10 mintues. Season well with salt and pepper.
10. Carve the turkey. Serve with stuffing and a spoonful of relish. Garnish with Grilled Bacon and serve with Kumara and Parsnip Chips and Brussels Sprout Leaves.
11. Grilled bacon
12. Arrange about 12 slices of bacon on a rack over a baking dish. Cook at 200ºC for about 12-15 minutes until crispy. Serve with the turkey
13. Kumara and parsnip chips
14. Peel two or three parsnips and wash two or three kumara. Keep peeling the vegetables into long, thin strips. Deep-fry the strips in hot oil at 180ºC and drain well on absorbent paper.
15. Brussels sprout leaves
16. Peel away and discard the coarse outer leaves of the brussels sprouts and then continue peeling away the leaves individually. Blanch the tender inside leaves and serve with a little thyme butter.