Quantities are for a bird weighing 7 kg (15 pounds).

Make a special butter which will go between the skin and meat.

• 375 grams of butter (1 2/3 cups) room temperature

• salt and pepper

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

• zest of two small lemons and the juice

• 3 garlic cloves finely chopped

• handful of parsley chopped

Add to the turkey cavity:

• salt and pepper 

• two halved onions (yellow or sweet)

• two lemon halves that were zested and squeezed for the butter

• two bay leaves, tuck one on each thigh so you can remove them later

Open up the turkey skin with your fingers at the thighs and the neck. Be careful not to break it where the butter would run out. Make balls with the butter and tuck it into the skin. Use your hands to spread out the butter to line the top of the breast. Rub the rest of the butter over the top of the skin on the breast, legs, and wings.

At this stage the turkey can rest in the fridge over night.

Drizzle olive oil on top of the bird before it goes in the oven, to prevent the butter from burning. The bird goes in the oven at 220C (430F) for 10 minutes. Then take it out, baste, back in the oven at 180C (360F).

Roast 1/2 hour per kilogram (2.2 pounds), basting periodically (every 40 minutes).

Lay bacon on top halfway through. It will protect the bird from drying and can be used to make gravy. Smoked bacon, thick cut, no strong flavors.

The bird is done when you can pick it up and the juice runs clear, reaching an internal temperature of 74C (165F).

Rest for as long as it cooked.

Gordon Ramsay’s recipe video