Turkey risotto with crispy turkey skin

Want to put an extensive Christmas dinner on the table without a care? Jamie Oliver will get you well on your way with a book full of Christmas recipes. Lots and lots of Christmas recipes. A whole turkey, stuffed pumpkin or a curry at Christmas. Why not? If you make that turkey, you can make this risotto the next day.

Jamie on this post-Christmas risotto: “Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you one of the most delicious risottos in the world – it’s creamy, elegant and super-nutritious, with wafer-thin, crispy turkey skin and a well in the middle for your gravy.”

Method

I always put the skin from the underside of the turkey carcass in a cold roasting pan over a medium heat, so the fat renders out slowly and the skin becomes wonderfully crisp. Turn it halfway through. When golden brown, strip the thyme leaves in, let them fry for 10 minutes and transfer the crispy skin and thyme to a plate. Set the pan with the fragrant fat aside.

Peel the onion, wash and trim the leek and celery and finely chop them. Return the pan with the fat, adding an extra splash of oil if necessary, to a medium heat, add the vegetables and keep stirring regularly for 10 minutes, or until soft but not coloured. Bring the stock to the boil in another pan over a low heat. Stir the rice through the vegetables for a few minutes and pour in the prosecco. Let the wine reduce briefly, then add the stock one ladleful at a time.

Wait each time until the stock has been fully absorbed. Keep a close eye on things and continue stirring constantly for about 17 minutes, or until the rice is cooked but the grains still have some bite. Meanwhile, cut the turkey meat into small pieces and stir them in halfway through the 17 minutes. Warm the gravy and strain it into a preheated jug so you can serve it separately alongside the risotto.

When the risotto is cooked, add a little more stock to make it wonderfully creamy and remove the pan from the heat. Grate in most of the Parmesan, beat in the butter and mascarpone, taste and season to perfection. Put the lid on the pan and bring it to the table. Spoon the risotto onto warm plates, make a well in the centre, pour in a splash of the delicious gravy and sprinkle with some crumbled, fried turkey skin and thyme. Finish the plates with a grating of Parmesan and a few drops of extra virgin olive oil from the new harvest.

Jamie Oliver’s Christmas Cookbook
Jamie Oliver
€29,99
Fontaine