Small Turkey Roasted with Bacon

Ingredients

• 1 Baby turkey (about 3 kg)
• 0.5 Hokkaido pumpkin (about 400 g)
• 150 g chestnuts (peeled and pre-cooked)
• 1 onion
• 1 sprig sage
• 50 g butter
• Salt
• Pepper (freshly ground)
• 6 slices smoked pork belly

Instructions

1. 1.

   Preheat the oven to 160°C with fan and top heat.

2. 2.

   Wash the turkey thoroughly inside and out, then pat dry. Wash the pumpkin, deseed it, and dice into small cubes. Roughly chop the chestnuts. Peel and finely dice the onion. Remove sage leaves and mix them with the pumpkin, chestnuts, and onions. Season with salt and pepper, then fill the turkey cavity. Secure with toothpicks. Melt the butter, season with salt and pepper, brush it over the breast side of the turkey, and place in a roasting pan. Brush the remaining parts with some butter as well.

3. 3.

   Roast in the oven for about 3 hours. After roughly 30 minutes, turn the bird and lay bacon slices over the breast. Whenever needed, add a little water and continue brushing the turkey with butter. Pour the roast juices over it. If necessary, slightly increase the temperature towards the end to brown the skin.

4. 4.

   Check doneness by inserting a fork between thigh and breast; if the released meat juice remains clear, the turkey is cooked.