Mix the parslep and the butter together in a bowl.
Wash & dry the Turkey. Remove the wishbone. Tuck the wings under the body of the Turkey. Make a pocket between the skin and the breast meat and fill with parsley butter.
Put one onion (2 halves) , orange, thyme and bay leaves into the cavity. Tie the legs together with twine.
Place the rest of the onions and garlic on a large roasting tray. Place the Turkey on top. Brush Turkey with vegetable oil all over. Season well with salt & pepper. Add chicken stock and cover loosely with tin foil.
Place in a pre-heated oven at 150 degrees for 1.5 hours. Remove tin foil and cook for a further 1 hour at 180 degrees until core temperature is 70degrees. Keep basting the turkey regularly – every 10 minutes during the total cooking time.
When the Turkey is cooked, rest for at least 1 hour in the oven at 60-70 degrees.
To Carve the Turkey:
Remove both legs with a knife in one piece each and leave to one side. Cut along the back bone to remove each breast in one piece.
Separate the thigh from the drumstick. Remove the big bone from each thigh. Place drumstick on a large serving plate. Slice both thighs into thick slices on the centre of the same plate.
Slice breasts straight down crossways against the grain and place each side of the thigh and drumstick meat. Blast the entire plate in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for 2 minutes.
Strain the juices from the roasting tray into a bowl. Add a couple knobs of butter and a spoonful of flour to the roasting ray and stir with a wooded spoon over a low heat for a few minutes.
Add the Port (or Red Wine) and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Add the juices back onto the roasting tray, strain into a pot, season with salt and pepper and simmer until you have the required consistency.
