Roasting Times

Turkey

All of our turkeys come with cooking instructions and temperature probes to help you deliver the perfect bird to the table.

Turkey breasts and crowns have the same roasting and timing requirements as whole turkeys.

Avoiding A Dry Turkey

Remove all packaging as soon as possible after receiving or collecting your turkey and store in a cool place, preferably at the bottom of your fridge. Remove and keep the giblets separately in a cool place.
Remove the Turkey from the fridge 2 hours before cooking, to allow the temperature of the meat to reach room temperature. The bird will then require less time in the oven, reducing drying out of the bird.
Preheat your oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan) Gas 4/5. For an Aga, use closest to these temperatures.
Avoid stuffing the main cavity as this stops the turkey cooking properly. Instead, you may like to place an apple or peeled onion in the cavity.
Place giblets, if you have them and wish to use them, around the bird as this helps achieve the tastiest gravy. Season and place the bird breast side down in the roasting tin. For crowns keep the breast up.
Baste the meat regularly with its own juices during the cooking process.
After an hour of cooking turn the bird carefully on to its back to further cook and brown the breast.
Treat yourself to a cooking thermometer, really useful for lots of applications in cooking. you are looking to achieve a temperature of around 68ºC. Or with a fork on the inside of the thigh. When the juices run clear the bird is ready.
Use a roasting bag. Season the bird, tie up the bag and place in the oven, it will retain all the juices and cook slightly quicker due to the steam & pressure created.
REST, REST, REST! After removing your bird from the oven, cover with a piece of foil and allow to sit for a good 20 mins, it will still retain the heat in the meat but allows the meat to relax and when you then carve the bird you won’t see all the lovely juice running out of the meat onto the carving board, it will stay in the meat where you want it.
The most important thing to remember is that your turkey cooking times are not set in stone. Always prick the thickest part of your turkey (usually the thigh) to ensure the juices run clear before serving, and adjust the turkey cooking times if necessary.

Cooking times for whole birds and crowns

4kg – 2 hrs
5kg – 2-2 ½ hrs
6kg – 2 ¼ – 2 ½ hrs
7kg 2 ½ – 2 3/4 hrs
8kg 2 3/4 – 3 hrs
9kg 3 – 3 ¼ hrs
For larger birds check every 15 minutes after 3 hrs.

Cooking times guide for breast joints

1kg – 1 hr
1.5kg – 1 ¼ hrs
2kg – 1 ½ hrs
For larger joints check every 15 minutes after 1 ½ hrs.

Beef & Lamb

Medium to large joints - up to 5kg (11 lb)

Preheat oven to 220°C (Gas Mark 7)
Roast for 30 minutes at 220°C (Gas Mark 7)
Reduce oven temperature to 160 °C (Gas Mark 3) and continue to roast for:
- Rare - 20 minutes per Kg (9 minutes per pound)
- Medium - 30 minutes per Kg (14 minutes per pound)
- Well Done - 40 minutes per Kg (18 minutes per pound)
Remove the joint from the oven and rest for 20-30 minutes before carving

Very large joints - above 5kg (11 lb)

Preheat oven to 220°C (Gas Mark 7)
Roast for 40 minutes at 220°C (Gas Mark 7)
Reduce oven temperature to 160 °C (Gas Mark 3) and continue to roast for:
- Rare - 18 minutes per Kg (8 minutes per pound)
- Medium - 24 minutes per Kg (11 minutes per pound)
- Well Done - 36 minutes per Kg (16 minutes per pound)
Remove the joint from the oven and rest for 30 minutes before carving

Cote de Boeuf

Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 6 and heat a griddle pan over a high heat.
Season the rib with sea salt and sear for 2-3 minutes each side until lovely and browned.
Transfer to a small, shallow roasting tin and cook for 10 minutes per 500g for rare or 12 minutes per 500g for medium-rare.
The temperature in the centre should be between 48-52°C when you take it out of the oven and pierce in the centre with a kitchen thermometer.
Transfer to a warmed serving plate to rest, loosely covered in foil.

Chateaubriand

700g to 800g

Preheat Oven to gas 4-5/ 190-200°C.
Remove meat from the fridge 1 hour before cooking to allow the meat to rise in temperature slightly and not be fridge cold when you come to cook it.
Lightly season Beef with pepper, but not salt yet as this will encourage juices to be drawn out of the meat.
Seal the Meat in a hot frying pan with a small amount of oil, 2 minutes each side to achieve a nice light brown colour, remove to a roasting tin.
Place in your preheated oven for approximately 12 minutes for Rare, 18 minutes for Medium, or 25 minutes for Well done (This is only a guide as there are so many variants, you may need to check with a skewer or the tip of a small knife to check it’s cooked to your liking.
Remove from the oven; allow resting for 10-12 minutes before seasoning with salt and cutting. Preferably on a cooling rack or similar.

These times are a guide only, if you have a meat thermometer the temperature you are aiming to achieve in the centre of the meat is:

Rare – 50°C
Medium – 60°C
Well done – 70°C

Pork

Preheat oven to 220°C (Gas Mark 7)
Roast for 30 minutes at 220°C (Gas Mark 7)
Reduce oven temperature to 160 °C (Gas Mark 3) and continue to roast for 50 minutes per Kg (23 minutes per pound)
Remove the joint from the oven and check that juices run clear
Rest for 20-30 minutes before carving.

Chicken

Preheat oven to 210°C (Gas Mark 6)
Roast for 20 minutes at 210°C (Gas Mark 6)
Reduce oven temperature to 180 °C (Gas Mark 4) and continue to roast for 45 minutes (small chicken) to 70 minutes (large chicken)
Remove the joint from the oven and check that juices run clear
Rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Pheasant

Preheat oven to 220°C (Gas Mark 7)
Roast for 20 minutes at 220°C (Gas Mark 7)
Reduce oven temperature to 180 °C (Gas Mark4) and continue to roast for 30-40 minutes
Remove the joint from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Farmed Duck

Preheat oven to 220°C (Gas Mark 7)
Roast for 20 minutes at 220°C (Gas Mark 7)
Reduce oven temperature to 180 °C (Gas Mark4) and continue to roast for 60-90 minutes
Remove the joint from the oven and rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Mallard

Preheat oven to 220°C (Gas Mark 7)
Roast for 20 minutes at 220°C (Gas Mark 7)
Reduce oven temperature to 180 °C (Gas Mark4) and continue to roast for 35-45 minutes
Remove the joint from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before carving.