This festive season, why not impress your dinner guests with a showstopping Turkey Wellington recipe? This recipe features a perfectly moist butterfly turkey breast wrapped in pork sausage stuffing flavoured with cranberries and toasted hazelnuts; all encased in a crispy, golden, mouthwatering puff pastry.
An alternative to a traditional roast turkey dinner
If you’re looking for something different to serve for Christmas or Thanksgiving but still want that traditional turkey and stuffing combo, then this recipe is for you.
This recipe features a perfectly moist roasted rolled turkey breast wrapped in pork sausage stuffing flavoured with cranberries and toasted hazelnuts. The whole lot is encased in a crispy, golden, mouthwatering pastry, making for a showstopper of a meal.
It’s super easy to make, and best of all, you can prepare it in advance. On the day, all you need to do is pop it in the oven and open a bottle of red wine. We recommend a fine pinot noir or Beaujolais nouveaux.
Ingredients for Turkey Wellington
For the roast turkey
- 1.8 kg/4lb turkey butterfly – ask your butcher to prepare your turkey butterfly for you. It should be deboned, rolled and tied into an even, oval shape. Alternatively, you can butterfly and roll your turkey breast at home.
- 2 tbsp olive oil – the best way to get a flavoursome roast turkey breast is to season it with plenty of olive oil, herbs, salt, and pepper. Olive oil also helps keep the roast deliciously moist and juicy.
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme – earthy and aromatic, thyme adds depth to any dish, pairing especially well with turkey.
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper – be generous with the salt and pepper.
For the cranberry and hazelnut stuffing
- 1 large onion – finely diced and slow-cooked in butter in a sauté pan for maximum flavour.
- 1 tbsp butter – to sauté the finely diced onion, and add flavour to the stuffing.
- 600 grams pork sausagemeat – you can get this from your local butchers. Alternatively, empty out the filling from your favourite pork sausage casings.
- 100 grams fresh breadcrumbs – use slightly stale bread for maximum flavour. Slightly stale breadcrumbs absorb the juices and flavours from the meat better than fresh ones.
- 100 grams toasted, chopped hazelnuts – for a delicious nutty flavour. Learn how to toast hazelnuts.
- 100 grams dried cranberries – the tannins in cranberry skin bind with the protein and fats in turkey, making for a balanced and sweet combination.
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme – the beautiful, gentle flavour of thyme helps make for a truly exceptional stuffing.
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary – synonymous with the holidays, no roast turkey would be complete without this.
- 1 tbsp fresh sage – pairing well with turkey and pork, fresh sage elevates the stuffing.
- 2 large eggs – free range, of course, eggs help bind the stuffing together so it’ll hold it’s shape easier around the turkey.
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste, but again, be very generous. Salt and pepper both enhance the dish’s flavours.
For the pastry
- 2 x 350 grams ready-to-roll puff pastry – alternatively, make your own.
- 1 egg yolk – to give the pastry a delicious golden glow.
How to make turkey Wellington
- Preheat your oven to 180 C/ 350 F/ gas mark 4. Place your turkey butterfly on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with thyme and season with salt and pepper.
- Roast in the centre of the oven for 60-70 minutes, until the internal temperature reads 72 C. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- To make the stuffing, sauté the onion in the butter over a medium heat, taking care not to brown the onion. Cool.
- Add the cooled onion to the pork sausagemeat, breadcrumbs, hazelnuts, cranberries and herbs. Mix together well with your hands.
- Add the eggs, season well, and mix until thoroughly combined. It’s easier just to do this with your hands.
- Roll out one sheet of puff pastry and spread ½ of the pork stuffing mixture into the centre of the pasty in a shape roughly the same size as the base of your turkey.
- Place the turkey on top (remember to remove the string if you’ve tied it!), and, using your hands, coat the outside of the turkey with the remaining stuffing.
- Roll out the second sheet of puff pastry and carefully place it on top, pressing down slightly from the top to the bottom to push out any air.
- Press the edges of the top and bottom puff pastry sheets together, cutting away any excess and crimping/folding to form a pastry edge.
- You could, if desired, make decorations with the excess puff pastry.
- Brush the pastry all over with an egg beaten with 1 tbsp water.
- The turkey Wellington can, at this stage, be kept in the fridge overnight.
- Preheat your oven to 180 C/ 350 F/ gas mark 4.
- Roast the turkey Wellington in the centre of the oven for 40-50 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the turkey’s internal temperature is 72 C. Depending on your oven’s heat distribution, you might want to rotate the turkey Wellington midway for even browning.
- Allow to rest for 15 minutes, and serve with your favourite turkey gravy and all the Christmas dinner trimmings.
How to toast hazelnuts
- Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F.
- Spread whole hazelnuts out on a baking tray in a single layer.
- Toast in the centre of the oven for 10-15 minutes until browned and fragrant.
- To remove the skins, wrap the warm hazelnuts in a dish towel and let them sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
What is a turkey butterfly?
A turkey butterfly, sometimes called a boneless turkey crown, is a turkey breast joint with all the bones removed. If your turkey breast joint has been left on the bone, then you actually have a turkey crown. They are otherwise the same cut of meat – the two breast sections of the turkey with legs and wings removed.
Recipe Difficulty Levels
Easy
Requires basic cooking skills and ingredients you most likely already have in your kitchen.
Moderate
Requires more experience, preparation and/or cooking time. You may have to source special ingredients.
Challenging
Recipes requiring more advanced skills and experience and maybe some special equipment.
Turkey Wellington with Cranberries and Hazelnuts
A perfectly moist butterfly turkey breast wrapped in pork sausage stuffing flavoured with cranberries and toasted hazelnuts, all encased in a crispy, golden, mouthwatering puff pastry.
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Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 789kcal
Ingredients
For the roast butterfly turkey breast
- 1.8 kg turkey breast butterfly
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme
- Shetland sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
For the cranberry and hazelnut pork sausage stuffing
- 1 large onion finely diced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 600 grams pork sausagemeat
- 100 grams fresh breadcrumbs
- 100 grams hazelnuts toasted and chopped
- 100 grams dried cranberries
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
- 1 tbsp fresh sage
- 2 large free-range eggs
- Shetland sea salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper
For the puff pastry
- 700 grams ready-to-roll puff pastry
- 1 free-range egg yolk beaten
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Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 C/ 350 F/ gas mark 4. Place your boneless, rolled 1.8 kg turkey breast butterfly on a baking tray, drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with 1 tbsp fresh thyme and season with plenty of Shetland sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Roast your turkey butterfly in the centre of the oven for 60-70 minutes, until the internal temperature reads 72 C. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- To make the stuffing, sauté 1 large onion, finely chopped, in 1 tbsp butter over medium heat in a sauté pan, taking care not to brown the onion. Cool.
- Add the cooled onion to 600 grams pork sausagemeat, 100 grams fresh breadcrumbs, 100 grams hazelnuts, toasted and chopped, 100 grams dried cranberries, 1 tbsp fresh thyme, 1 tbsp fresh rosemary and 1 tbsp fresh sage. Mix together well with your hands.
- Add 2 large free-range eggs, and season well with Shetland sea salt and freshly ground black pepperMix until thoroughly combined. It’s easier just to do this with your hands.
- Roll out one sheet of your 700 grams ready-to-roll puff pastry and place in a large roasting tin. Spread ½ of the pork stuffing mixture into the centre of the pasty in a shape roughly the same size as the base of your turkey.
- Place the turkey on top (remember to remove the string if you’ve tied it!), and, using your hands, coat the outside of the turkey with the remaining stuffing.
- Roll out the second sheet of puff pastry and carefully place on the top, pressing down slightly from the top to the bottom, pushing out any air.
- Press the edges of the top and bottom puff pastry sheets together, cutting away any excess and crimping/folding to form a pastry edge.
- You could, if desired, make decorations with the excess puff pastry.
- Brush the pastry all over with 1 free-range egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp water.
- The turkey Wellington can, at this stage, be kept in the fridge overnight.
- Preheat your oven to 180 C/ 350 F/ gas mark 4.
- Roast the turkey wellington in the centre of the oven for 40-50 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the internal temperature of the turkey is 72 C. Depending on the heat distribution of your oven, you might want to rotate the turkey wellington midway for even browning.
- Allow to rest for 15 minutes, and serve with your favourite turkey gravy and all the Christmas dinner trimmings.
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Nutrition
Calories: 789kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 26g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 167mg | Sodium: 854mg | Potassium: 642mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 226IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 4mg
How to make Shetland Huffsie
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