Eat along with Master of None season 2
The second series of Aziz Ansari’s creative Netflix series is a foodie’s delight – and here’s how you can make some of the most significant dishes in the hit series’ new episodes
This series of Master of None plays with the structure of episodes more than ever, and that’s particularly clear in this year's Thanksgiving-flavoured episode.
Taking place over different Thanksgiving dinners from the 1990s to the present day, the story follows the life of Dev’s friend Denise (Lena Waithe, who co-wrote the episode with Ansari) as she reveals that she’s gay, comes out to her disapproving mother and brings a few girlfriends home in scenes that shimmer with tension.
But if you spent the episode distracted from Denise’s touching journey by the scrumptious Thanksgiving feast in front of her, then you’re an emotional husk of a human who will also probably enjoy the recipe for Thanksgiving turkey below.
PREP: 20 MINS
COOK: 3 HRS, 30 MINS - 4 HRS
Serves 8
Ingredients
- 4½ kg free-range oven-ready turkey
- 100g softened butter
- grated zest 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp chopped thyme
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- Hazelnut, pancetta & orange stuffing (optional)
Method
- Remove any giblets from the turkey and save for stock, if you are making your own. Remove the bird from the fridge 1 hr before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. Wipe the turkey inside and out with kitchen paper.
- Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Starting at the neck-end of the bird, carefully push your fingers between the skin and flesh on the breast, loosening the skin. Mix the butter, lemon zest, herbs and garlic together and season. Push the flavoured butter under the skin and spread over the flesh. Smooth the skin back over the breast.
- You can now stuff the neck-end of the bird with the stuffing, if you like, and secure the skin underneath with a skewer. Weigh the turkey and calculate the cooking time – it will need 40 mins for every 1kg.
- Transfer the bird to a roasting tin, cover loosely with foil and place in the middle of the oven. Cook for 20 mins, then reduce the temperature to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 for the rest of the cooking time. Remove the foil for the last 30 mins. Check if the turkey is cooked by piercing the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer. If the juices run clear, it’s cooked. If they are pink, return it to the oven for another 15 mins, then test again. If using a meat thermometer, it should read 80C for the thighs, and the breast should be 75C.
- Remove the cooked turkey from the tin, and place on a serving platter. Cover with foil and leave to rest for 30-45 mins before carving.
Recipe from Good Food magazine, December 2014
