Christmas Turkey Wellington Recipe

Season your turkey breasts with salt and pepper then press them both together.

Roll the turkey breasts in clingfilm nice and tight to form a ballotine. Tie both ends then set in the freezer for 1 hour until firm.

Stuffing: Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the onions and garlic then cook until nicely caramelised.

Remove the pan from the heat then add the apricots, cranberries, thyme, sage and nutmeg and mix until well combined. Set aside to cool down.

Add the sausage meat to a bowl then combine with the ingredients from the pan to complete the stuffing mix.

Use a rolling pin to roll the stuffing mix between two sheets of greaseproof paper until 1cm thick then remove the top sheet of paper so you are left with an evenly rolled out stuffing mix.

Take the turkey from the freezer, remove the clingfilm then place it in the centre of the stuffing mix. Roll to form another ballotine using the greaseproof paper then leave to set in the fridge for 1 hour.

Set your oven on 140°C then wrap foil around the turkey ballotine, squeeze tight at each end to keep it sealed. Wrap the foil over the greaseproof paper, do not remove it.

Cook on a tray in the oven for 3 hours, then remove from the oven and leave to chill overnight in the fridge.

Pastry wellington: Dust the work surface with a little flour then lay out the puff pastry sheet, Remove the turkey ballotine from the paper and foil. It should be set and chilled at this stage.

Brush the pastry sheet with egg then roll the turkey in the pastry, set aside on a tray dusted with a little flour to avoid sticking whilst cooking.

Now it’s time to be creative, use any puff pastry you have left to decorate the wellington. For example, you can make little tree branches, holly leaves, berries or any other decoration you decide. When you are happy with it finish by brushing with egg then set in the fridge for at least an hour or until you are ready to cook.

Set your oven to 190°C cook and cook the wellington for 1 hour or until you have deeply golden pastry, leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.