Turkey (stuffed) by Giorgio Locatelli

Serves 10-1

Make sure you season the turkey well for this dish. I think chestnuts make are a fantastic ingredient in stuffing.

1 turkey weighing 10kg
300g dried chestnuts, soaked overnight
300g apples (granny smith
300g pears (hard)
200g dried black prunes, soaked overnight
100g shelled nuts
50g minced lamb's meat
50g pancetta
50g butter
Two small glasses of cognac
Sage and rosemary
Salt

Soak the chestnuts in cold water overnight. Soften the prunes in the same way. Then clean and gut the turkey. Boil the chestnuts for an hour (without mashing them), drain and place them in a bowl.

Add the prunes (make sure they are well drained), the shelled nuts, the apples and pears, sliced, but not too thinly, into pieces. Mix and then add the lamb's meat and chopped pancetta. Add salt, cognac and mix again before stuffing the turkey with the filling. Tie the legs tightly so that the mix won't spill out while it's cooking. Place the turkey in a roasting pan with butter, sage and rosemary and cook at 180C/gas mark 4 for at least 3 hours.