Traditional Scottish Recipes
- Roastit Bubbly-JockChristmas (and Thanksgiving in the US) is a time when millions of roast turkeys are consumed. In Scotland, turkey was called "bubbly-jock" and roasting and stuffing evolved using local produce. At one time, when oysters were cheap and plentiful, they formed parts of the stuffing. But here is a more modern (but still traditional) version.
Ingredients:
Large (7 to 8lbs, 3.5kg) self-basting turkey (sufficient for 6 people)
Half cup of milk
1¼ cups of fresh breadcrumbs
1 stalk of finely chopped or grated celery
1 finely chopped or grated onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
Half a cup chopped water chestnuts (tinned variety are fine)
10oz/300g chopped chicken livers
8oz/250g sausage mince (ground sausage meat)
2oz/60g melted butter
Teaspoon of Worcester sauce
Pinch of nutmeg
2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons redcurrant jelly or similarMethod:
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
Mix the milk, breadcrumbs, chopped celery, onions, chestnuts, nutmeg, plus one tablespoon parsley and half of the chicken livers. Then place the sausage mince, teaspoon of parsley and the Worcester sauce in another bowl and mix well. Remove any giblets from the turkey, rinse well (inside and out) and dry off. Press the breadcrumb mixture into the turkey cavity, making sure it is well filled. Seal the end with skewers. Press the mince into the bird via the neck cavity and again seal with skewers (toothpicks sometimes do the trick).
Place the turkey on a baking rack in a deep baking tray. Add the warm water and remaining livers to the tray. Brush the turkey all over with melted butter. Bake the bird, basing the cooking time on 20 minutes per pound of bird, plus another 20 minutes. From time to time, baste the bird with the juices in the pan.
When cooking is complete, remove the tray and the turkey from the oven and allow the bird to stand for about ten minutes. Put the pan juices plus the redcurrant jelly (or similar) into a small pan and heat vigorously for ten minutes, reducing the sauce by half, stirring continuously. Pass the sauce through a fine strainer and serve with the turkey (and your own selection of vegetables).
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