About the Recipe
Chef Jocelyn’s Festive Favourite: A Wild, Herby, Slow-Cooked Celebration
Every family has that one holiday dish that signals the true start of the festive season, and for Chef Jocelyn, it’s this slow-brined, herb-infused turkey feast inspired by wild flavours, foraged aromatics, and nostalgic holiday cooking traditions. This recipe isn’t just food, it’s a feastive season ritual.
It begins long before the oven heats up, a carefully crafted wild rosemary and wild sage brine that transforms the turkey into something deeply succulent, fragrant, and celebratory. Add to that a rustic apple-sourdough-sage stuffing and a beautifully balanced homemade cranberry sauce, and you have the kind of centrepiece that gathers people close, slows the pace, and fills the room with warmth.
Perfect for long-table feasts and family-style sharing, this is Jocelyn’s personal festive showstopper, rooted in nature, guided by patience, and served with joy.
If you’re looking for the ultimate hero dish this holiday, this is it.
Slow, seasonal, and made with love, just the way festive food should be.
Ingredients
The Brine
1 whole turkey (4–6 kg)
4 L water
1 cup coarse salt
½ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
3–4 stalks wild rosemary
3–4 stalks wild sage
2 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic (crushed)
Optional: peel of 1 orange
The Stuffing
6 cups sourdough bread (torn into rustic chunks)
2 apples (diced)
2 large onions (diced)
2 teaspoons garlic (finely chopped)
1 cup celery (finely chopped)
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped sage leaves
2 teaspoons thyme leaves
2 teaspoons wild rosemary (finely chopped)
2 teaspoons wild sage (chopped)
Salt and black pepper
Roasting the Turkey
Brined turkey (patted dry)
Olive oil or melted butter
Salt and pepper
1 onion and 1 apple for the cavity (optional)
Extra rosemary and sage
Cranberry Sauce
2 cups frozen cranberries
1 cup sugar
½ cup water
3–4 whole all spice berries
A small sprig of thyme (about 6–8 tiny leaves)
A pinch of cinnamon (or ½ a cinnamon stick)
A pinch of salt
Optional: orange zest
Preparation
Lets do this!
The Brine
Bring 1 litre of the water to a gentle heat and dissolve the salt and sugar.
Add the remaining cold water.
Stir in rosemary, wild sage, bay leaves, peppercorns and garlic.
Let the brine cool completely.
Submerge the turkey fully and refrigerate for 12–24 hours-use a brining bag or clean bucket.
The Stuffing
Heat butter and olive oil in a large pan.
Add onions, celery, garlic and apples and sauté until softened.
Add the sourdough chunks and toss until the bread is lightly toasted.
Add all herbs, mixing well until the mixture smells deeply herby and savoury.
Season well.
Allow the stuffing to cool before using.
Stuff a portion into the turkey cavity, leaving space for air circulation.
Shape the remaining stuffing into logs, wrap in foil, and set aside for baking alongside the turkey.
Roasting the Turkey
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Rub the turkey with olive oil or melted butter and season lightly.
Add the optional onion, apple and herbs into the cavity along with the stuffing.
Place the turkey breast-side up on a rack or on top of chopped vegetables.
Roast at 15–18 minutes per 500 g for a stuffed turkey.
Baste occasionally.
Add the foil-wrapped stuffing to the oven for the final hour of cooking.
The turkey is ready when the thickest part of the thigh reaches 74°C (165°F).
Rest the turkey for 20–30 minutes before carving.
Cranberry Sauce
Combine cranberries, sugar, water, allspice berries, thyme, cinnamon, and salt in a small saucepan.
Bring to a gentle simmer.
Cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries burst and the sauce thickens.
Remove the cinnamon stick and thyme sprig before serving.
Allow the sauce to cool; it will continue to thicken as it sits.
Serving
Carve the turkey, scoop out the warm herb stuffing, slice the foil-baked stuffing for extra crunch, and serve with the cranberry sauce.