Roast turkey

What you'll need:

• 6 onions, cut into thick slices (no need to peel)
• 1 frozen turkey (3-4kg, thawed in fridge 4-5 days before needed)
• 1 block (500g) butter, at room temperature 
• 1 small handful fresh sage leaves, chopped
• grated zest of 1 lemon 
• salt and black pepper to taste

For the roast potatoes:

• 6-8 large floury potatoes 
• 250ml grape seed/ canola oil 
• fresh rosemary 
• sea salt for seasoning 

Turkey

You'll need to defrost your turkey beforehand. 

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Line a large baking tray with onion slices. Place the turkey on top of the onions, breast side up. In a medium sized mixing bowl, stir together the butter, sage and lemon zest. 
2. Loosen the skin on the turkey breast and rub 1/3 of the butter mixture under the skin. 
3. Cross the turkey's legs and tie together using cotton string (or butcher's twine). Rub the rest of the butter mixture all over the turkey skin. 
4. Season turkey with salt and pepper, place in the oven and roast for 2½ hours or until the juices in the thickest part of the thigh run clear when you insert a knife. (If you have a meat thermometer, you can make sure the turkey is cooked and safe to eat. When you insert the thermometer pin into the thickest part of the thigh, the temperature should be between 72ºC and 75ºC.)
5. Check the turkey every half an hour or so and baste with the pan juices. If any part of the bird gets a little too brown (like the wing tips), cover with tin foil (shiny side out) to protect it from becoming dry and overcooked. 

Roast potatoes

To make the roast potatoes, start when turkey has been in the oven for just over an hour. 

1. Peel the potatoes and cut into fours. Rinse under cold water and put in a saucepan. Pour in enough cold water to just cover the potatoes. Add a teaspoon of salt and bring to the boil. 
2. Boil potatoes for 15 minutes. 
3. While the potatoes have been on the boil for 15 minutes, drain and place back into the pot, put the lid on and give it a good shake. Very carefully take the roasting tin of hot oil out of the oven, use a pair of tongs to place the potatoes in the oil (stand back to avoid any hot oil splatter).
4. Sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary leaves and place the tray back into the oven for about an hour or until the potatoes are super crunchy and golden.