Turkey, Fig and Caramelised Onion Pizza


Paul Kelly's Turkey Pizza
Credit: Paul Kelly of Kelly Turkeys

Here’s a great recipe to use up any leftover turkey after the big day – and Paul Kelly of Kelly Turkeys also offers his top tips for cooking turkey to perfection!

Cooking time: 25min
Serves: 2-3

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C, Gas Mark 4.
  2. Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat, crush the garlic cloves and add them to the pan for a few minutes to allow the flavour to infuse. Tip – do not let the butter go brown by leaving it on the heat for too long.
  3. Brush the pizza base with the garlic butter, cut the figs into quarters and place on the base, along with pieces of mozzarella and then scatter the teaspoons of chutney on top.
  4. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until the base looks almost cooked and the cheese has melted.
  5. Then, remove it from the oven and sprinkle over the chunks of leftover turkey.
  6. Put the pizza back in the oven for a remaining 3-5min to heat the turkey. Tip – don’t put the turkey on the pizza base at the beginning of cooking, as it will dry out!

 Paul Kelly’s Top Tips for Cooking Turkey

  • Always place your turkey breast down on the baking tray when you cook it. This is because the majority of fat deposits are in the back of the bird, so as it begins to cook – the fat renders down through the bird providing optimum flavour and keeping it moist.
  • Invest in a meat thermometer – it’s the only way to ensure your turkey is perfectly cooked. You should always check cooking times according to the size of your bird, and the thigh is the best part of the bird to check the temp.
  • Don’t cover your turkey in foil once it’s out of the oven. The logic is that we don’t want it to get cold, but essentially it means that it continues to cook the meat and is a big reason turkey gets a bad rep for being ‘dry’ at Christmas. Just leave the bird to rest on the side for an hour after, and it will remain cooked to perfection.
  • For the best turkey crackling ever, remove all the skin as soon as you’ve carved the bird. It’ll now be much easier to peel the skin off the breast, legs and wings. And don’t forget the back of the bird (the triangular portion of flesh at the rear). Lay the skin out flat on a baking tray, season it with salt and pop it back in the oven at 180°C/360°F. It will take about 20-30min to get the most amazing turkey crackling – just don’t forget about it, as it will burn quickly!
  • Carve the bird in this order: wings off first, then the legs, third comes the breast meat followed by the skin and then slice up the sections of meat.