Dinde aux marrons
Roast turkey with chestnuts
Dinde aux marrons: French Christmas roast turkey with chestnuts
Dinde aux marrons, roast turkey with chestnuts, is the Christmas Day dish of much of France, carried to the table at lunch on 25 December, often after oysters and smoked salmon. The bird is rubbed with butter, roasted with a gentle chestnut and onion garnish, and served with its pan juices. The stuffing is cooked separately here, which keeps it safe and the bird evenly cooked. The common mistake is roasting too long, which dries the breast. Chef's tip: the turkey is ready when the thickest part of the thigh reads 74 °C; rest it for 45 minutes under foil before carving.
- Total time
- 240 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- 1 turkey, about 5 kg, giblets removedat room temperature for 1 hour
- 2 ⅞ oz soft butter
- 2 onionsquartered
- 2 cups chicken stockgluten-free
For the chestnut garnish
- 10 small shallotspeeled
- 1 oz butter
- 1 tsp sugar
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Pat the 1 turkey, about 5 kg, giblets removed dry, rub the 2 ⅞ oz soft butter all over and under the breast skin, and season with salt and pepper inside and out. Put the 6 thyme sprigs and 1 garlic bulb, halved inside.
10 minStep 2: Set the turkey on the 2 onions in a roasting tin and pour in half the 2 cups chicken stock.
Step 3: Roast for about 3 hours (35 minutes per kg plus 20 minutes), basting every 45 minutes and adding more stock if dry. Cover with foil if it browns too fast.
180 minStep 4: Check the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone: it must reach 165°F and the juices run clear. Rest under foil for 45 minutes.
Step 5: Meanwhile, brown the 10 small shallots in the 1 oz butter with the 1 tsp sugar for 10 minutes, add the 14 oz whole cooked peeled chestnuts and a splash of stock and cook 10 minutes until glazed and hot through.
20 minStep 6: Skim the fat from the roasting tin, add the rest of the stock and boil, scraping the tin, for 5 minutes. Carve the turkey and serve with the chestnuts and juices.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 60 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dinde aux marrons take?
- About 240 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 210 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of soft butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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Perfect for:Christmas