A happy turkey is a tasty turkey...

A STRUT down a sweeping wildflower meadow followed by a dawdle through a freshly planted orchard and a good long peck at the apples "for stimulation"... listening to Chris Rumming reel off his poults' packed fitness schedule and pampering regime, he sounds more like a pet spa director than the diligent farmer behind Lydiard Turkeys.

Short of spoon-feeding his chicks tufts of fresh grass - and even that is debatable - there is virtually nothing he would stop at to spoil his turkeys.

"We just want the birds to be as happy as possible,” says the 36-year-old casually. “We give our turkeys twice the space of standard free range turkeys and they have access to the outdoors. Having all this space reduces stress and gives you a better quality turkey, full of flavour."

A veritable mother hen, the farmer is at the gang's beck and call, ready to swoosh in at the faintest tweet of distress - stress is not conducive to tender meat - and forever dreaming up ways to keep the shrewd birds engaged and sprightly.

"I check them first thing when I wake up and last thing at night," he says in a surprisingly fatherly tone. "You become attuned to them. If something alarms them you can hear the noise they make change and I'm there in a flash.

"Turkeys are very intelligent and they need interesting things to explore, eat, scratch, otherwise they get bored, and start pecking at each other. You have to go a step further to keep them stimulated and interested. Every year you think of something you can do better.”

Chris’s great aunt reared the very same bronze turkeys on the farm near West Swindon, which has been owned by the Rumming family for 102 years. Her retirement in the 1980s marked the end of the enterprise.

In the decades since, the traditional bronze turkey has been gradually discarded by producers around the country for the much faster growing white variety – all at the expense of taste, Chris insists.

That is why in 2008, over a tipple at the pub, he decided to single-handedly reintroduce the birds to Swindonians’ tables.

"The pub ... where the best ideas happen," he chuckles. "I had to learn everything from scratch. Mainly it was about finding other farms, old fashioned producers - there weren’t many - willing to teach me and share their secrets.

“People worked out that they could breed the turkeys to be white. Because the feathers are white you can’t see the feather stubs whereas, on a bronze, they have little black flecks and this put people off.

“White turkeys also grow much faster but nobody stopped to realise that the flavour was compromised.

“When they are slaughtered, my turkeys are 22 weeks old – twice as old as the fast-growing variety. It gives them the chance to lay on fat reserves so it seeps through the meat and it keeps it moist when it cooks. It also cooks faster that.”

Chris started the business with just 40 birds. This year, he and wife Lindsay are raising 350.

The turkeys are one day old when they arrive on the farm at the end of June each year.

They are kept indoors under heat lamps for the first three weeks of their lives. When they are deemed big and hardy enough to roam around, they are let loose on a large outdoor run, complete with the orchard and meadow Chris planted for that very purpose. The birds are slaughtered on site which, welfare benefits aside, has the added bonus of removing any potential stress caused by transportation.

They are then dry-plucked by hand and hung for a week in a fridge to develop flavour and texture.

"People think turkey is dry but actually when it's the right breed cooked properly, you don't even need to baste them,” he adds. “They have enough fat in them. If you cook a bird side down the juice in the carcass self-bastes the meat.”

After close to six months spent doting on his rafter, it seems odd he should be counting down the days to Christmas; that is, when they are no more.

But Christmas Day, he explains, is his taste test, and his very first chance to get a flavour – literally - of weeks of hard graft.

"It's the first time I get to taste them," he laughs. "I know it's going to be good, but there's that element of excitement tasting the first bite. I've grown it and I want to know how I've done."

Orders must be placed before the start of December. Lydiard Turkeys in West Swindon will hold two collection days for customers, who will be treated to mulled wine and mince pies, on December 22 and 23. To find out more, visit www.lydiardturkeys.co.uk, call 01793 881215 or email orders@lydiardturkeys.co.uk.

Perfect turkey dinner

Chris’s top tips to a successful turkey

Start with a quality turkey

Bronze and black turkeys have made a huge comeback in the last few years with people realising that these traditional slow-growing breeds have more flavour and marbling in the meat. This keeps the turkey moister as it cooks. The very best of the bronze and black turkeys are raised to at least 20 weeks. Some farmers and butchers will be able to supply you with a bird that has been hung for seven days and dry plucked. These are the very finest.

Look after your turkey

It’s important to keep your turkey in temperatures between 4 degrees and 1 degree Celsius. This can be done in a fridge although a shed or garage may be cold enough if there is a cold spell over Christmas.

Warm it up

Remove your turkey from the fridge a couple of hours before cooking to allow it to reach room temperature before it goes into the oven.

Keep it simple

Remove the leg band or trussing to allow the heat to circulate around the bird. We don’t recommend covering with foil, as this will steam the skin. Remember that stuffing your turkey will increase your cooking time. This will also dry the turkey out a little more. For this reason the stuffing is best cooked separately.

Breast side down

Place your turkey breast side down in your roasting tray. This keeps the breast meat moist because the fat from the back trickles down through it. Halfway through cooking, turn the turkey onto its back to brown the breast. Do this by holding the legs with oven gloves.

Check

Half an hour before cooking time is up check the temperature by putting your meat thermometer halfway through the thickest part of the breast and the thigh. If the temperature is over 70 degrees it’s done.

This can also be checked by putting a skewer into the thickest part of the breast and thigh. The juice should run clear with no trace of pink.

If the turkey isn’t done, pop it back in for another ten minutes and check again. Repeat until it reaches temperature/the juices run clear. Ovens rarely cook at the temperature that is stated so it is vital that you make these checks rather than just carving it when the time is up.

When it’s done, it’s done

Don’t overcook! The fat in a bronze turkey actually reduces the cooking time as it transfers the heat to the meat. Once you’re happy that it is done, take it out to res. Any additional time is simply drying the turkey out.

And rest…..

Rest the turkey uncovered for a minimum of 20 minutes before carving. This allows the meat to relax.

RECIPES

Roast Turkey stuffed with Mascarpone, Lemon and Rosemary

Serves 6

250g tub of mascarpone

2 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

3 lemons, zested and halved

2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

5kg free-range turkey

Rapeseed oil for cooking

3 onions, peeled and cut into large slices

Sea salt & black pepper

White wine gravy:

2 tbsp plain flour

500ml white wine

500ml turkey stock

Sea salt and black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4

Method:

In a bowl mix the mascarpone, crushed garlic, lemon zest and herbs and season with sea salt and black pepper. Loosen the skin away from the turkey breast and stuff the mascarpone mix underneath. Smooth the skin down then brush the turkey all over with the rape seed oil and season with sea salt and black pepper.

Put the lemon halves in the cavity. Put the onion slices in the bottom of the roasting tin and sit the turkey on top. Cover with foil and cook for 30 minutes per kilo, basting the turkey occasionally.

Approximately 30 minutes before the full cooking time, remove the foil, baste the turkey with the juices then turn up the oven to 200°C/Gas 7 and cook for a further 30-35 minutes, until the turkey is golden brown. Remove the turkey from the oven and rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Meanwhile, for the gravy: drain off most of the fat from the roasting tin, place over a low heat and sprinkle in the flour, whisk well and cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the wine and stock and bring to a boil. Strain into a clean pan and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes whilst the turkey rests and adjust seasoning and serve with the turkey.

Roasted Turkey with Pork, Almond and Apple Stuffing and Marsala Gravy

Serves 6

5kg free-range turkey

1 lemon, quartered

6 Thyme sprigs

1 onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 stick of celery, coarsely chopped

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp plain flour

150ml dry marsala

500ml Turkey stock

2 tbsp redcurrant jelly

4 tbsp rapeseed oil

Sea salt and black pepper

Pork Stuffing:

350g breadcrumbs, made from ciabatta bread

500g good quality sausage meat

2 Cox’s apples, peeled and coarsely grated

4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

100g chopped almonds

150g parmesan, finely grated

4 tbsp Flat leaf parsley, chopped

2 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

5 eggs, lightly beaten

100g butter, melted

6 Cox’s Apples

Sea salt & black pepper

Preheat oven to 230°C/Gas Mark 8

Method:

Remove turkey giblets and reserve. Rinse the turkey inside and out and dry well.

For the stuffing, combine the breadcrumbs, sausage meat, apple, garlic, almonds, parmesan, chopped herbs, sea salt and black pepper. Stir in the eggs and half of the butter and bind together well.

Grease a loaf tin and line the bottom of it with baking parchment paper. Loosely place some of the stuffing into the loaf tin, press down a little, then cover and place in fridge until ready to cook. Take the apples and cut the top off, 1/3 of the way from the top. Remove the core, and fill each apple with the remaining stuffing and replace the lid. Brush well with rapeseed oil or melted butter and place in the fridge.

Place two tablespoons of the stuffing into the small cavity (neck end) of the turkey, pull excess skin over stuffing and secure to underside of turkey with a wooden skewer. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan; fill the large cavity with

lemon and thyme sprigs. Brush the turkey generously with rapeseed oil and season with sea salt and black pepper and cover with foil.

To make the turkey stock, place the turkey giblets, chopped onion, carrot, celery and bay leaf in a heavy based saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil.

Simmer for 2 hours, then strain. Cool and store in the fridge until needed, this can be done the night before.

Place the prepared turkey in the pre-heated oven and cook at this temperature for the first 30 minutes. Then, lower the oven temperature to 180°C/Gas Mark 4

and cook for approximately 30 minutes per kilo, basting every hour.

Meanwhile cook the stuffing in the loaf tin for 40 - 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Approximately 35 minutes before the end of cooking, remove the foil, drain off any of the excess fat and place the stuffed apples around the turkey and cook for a further 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Transfer the turkey to a platter, placing the apples around it, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 20 - 30 minutes.

For the marsala gravy, place the roasting pan over a medium heat, sprinkle over the flour, then gradually stir in the marsala, followed by the turkey stock and bring to the boil. Strain the mixture through a sieve into a saucepan. Add the redcurrant jelly and any juices that have collected on the platter. Stir over a medium heat until the mixture boils; simmer for 10 minutes and season with sea salt and black pepper.

Serve the turkey carved with slices of stuffing, stuffed apples and warm marsala gravy.

NOTE: recipes courtesy of the Traditional Farm-fresh Turkey Association.