Nowadays, turkey is an essential part of most Christmas menus and we may be tired of the same recipes every year.

Below you will find 3 original ideas to serve the festive turkey and impress your guests.

# Stuffed Turkey with Pork and Dried Fruits

Ingredients:

• 1 turkey (about 4 kg)
• 500ml chicken broth
• 400g pork neck, boneless, cut into small cubes
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, cleaned, whole
• 2 bay leaves
• 100g pine nuts
• 100g golden raisins
• 8 dried apricots, finely chopped
• 8 dried plums, finely chopped
• 50ml cognac
• olive oil
• salt, pepper

Preparation:

For the turkey filling, in a deep pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the pork over medium to high heat for about 5-6 minutes, until browned. Add the onion, lower the heat and continue for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, bay leaves, pine nuts, and dried fruits, season with salt and pepper, and mix. Continue cooking over low heat for another 10 minutes and then add the cognac. After 1 minute, remove the pot from the heat, let it cool, and put the turkey filling in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.

Next, preheat the oven to 120°C. Season the turkey with salt and pepper inside and out, and stuff the cavity with the cold filling. Sew or close the opening of the cavity tightly with toothpicks. Place the turkey in the center of a large baking dish with the breast side up, add the broth, and bake for 3 hours at 120°C without covering it. Then, increase the oven temperature to 165°C and bake the turkey for another 10-20 minutes. Check if the turkey is done by inserting a kitchen thermometer into the inner part of the breast: if the temperature reads above 70°C, it is ready.

Serve a portion of turkey with a spoonful of the filling. Use the broth from the baking dish as a sauce.

# Roasted Turkey with Bacon in the Oven

Ingredients:

• 1 turkey (2.5-4 kg)
• 300 g butter
• 8 slices of bacon
• 15 baby potatoes
• 150 g grated kefalotyri cheese
• olive oil
• lemon juice
• salt, pepper

Preparation:

We clean and cut the potatoes in half in a bowl. We season with salt, pepper, oregano, olive oil, and lemon juice. We put the potatoes in the roasting pan.

In the center of the roasting pan, we add the turkey, after seasoning it with salt and pepper, and we bake it in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 3 hours. We should have coated it well with butter, as it needs enough fat to cook properly and remain juicy.

We uncover, add the finely chopped bacon and the kefalotyri cheese, and let it bake for another half an hour.

# Roasted Turkey with Pistachio Filling

Ingredients:

• 1 turkey (3 kg)
• 300 g butter
• 1/3 tsp dried sage
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1/2 celery stalk, chopped into 2-3 pieces
• 1 carrot, chopped into 3-4 pieces
• 250 ml dry white wine
• 120 ml dry sweet wine
• 250 ml chicken broth
• salt, pepper

for the filling:

• 45 g Aegina pistachios
• 100 g finely chopped ham
• 200 g pork mince
• 200 g chicken mince from thigh
• 1 egg
• 80 ml cream
• 1/3 tsp dried sage
• salt, pepper

Preparation:

Cut the pistachios into large pieces and toast them in a frying pan for 5 minutes.

In a deep bowl, mix all the ingredients for the filling and preheat the oven to 170°C. Season the turkey inside and out with salt and pepper, and stuff the cavity with the filling. Sew or close the opening of the cavity tightly with toothpicks. Rub the skin of the turkey with 100 g of butter and cut another 100 g into cubes, scattering them in a large baking dish. Add the sage, rosemary, celery, carrot, and wines, and place the turkey with the breast facing up.

Roast the turkey and after it has rested for a while, strain the liquids from the baking dish into a small saucepan. Add the remaining butter, broth, salt, and pepper, and boil over high heat for about 5-6 minutes, until the sauce thickens.

Carve the turkey and serve it on a platter with the filling and sauce.