A Royal Recipe for Success

Originally from humble Hobart, Chef Jerome Dalton brings his love of fresh seafood, exquisite wine and farm fresh produce to our tables with his newest venture – Dalton Hospitality. Chef Dalton has a taste for success and spotted the hunger that Brisbane locals have for fine-dining creations in a catering environment. After 27 years of experience, his food is fit for kings and queens (he has cooked for the King of Dubai and the Royal family) as well as other global giants such as Richard Branson! Along the way, Jerome has been Head Chef at The Equinox, Blue Wren Wines, assisted the opening of Grappinos in Paddington and had a chop at owning and operating Plantation House on the Gold Coast.

You could say that Chef Dalton has had a spoon in each pot in the hospitality industry over the years with all his achievements  owing to a strong belief in only using organic, local, cruelty-free and fresh elements. On that note, we were given a peek into the methods behind his madness with his mothers own recipe for the perfect stuffing for a free-range roast turkey.

Ingredients

• 300g duck or pork fat
• 1 brown onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp of fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 ripe cherries
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar or white wine vinegar (for deglazing)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 6 slices sour dough bread, torn up into small pieces
• 1 cup panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs
• 150gs speck or bacon, finely diced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Step 1

Using the duck or pork fat on a frying pan, saute the onion, garlic, fresh thyme and cherries  on medium to high heat for roughly 3 minutes or until the onions have softened and are golden in colour.

Step 2

Add the cider vinegar or white wine vinegar to deglaze the pan (this removes any sticky caramelized pieces from the bottom of the pan). Stir the vinegar with a wooden spoon, easing away any stuck bits from the bottom of the pan.

Step 3

Add the torn pieces of bread, Panko breadcrumbs and the speck or bacon to the pan and mix well. Season to your own taste with sea salt and pepper.

Chef Dalton’s Tips

This recipe is a time saver so you won’t need to worry about the stuffing whilst worrying about the already difficult turkey.

Use a Green Ag free range turkey grown in Toowoomba and make sure the cavity is clean before stuffing it for maximum flavour.

Wrap the turkey in prosciutto for a wow factor.

Don’t forget to baste the turkey throughout the cooking process to ensure the meat is tender and juicy.

Ensure the turkey is at room temperature before putting it into the oven to make sure it cooks evenly. it cavity is clean and the.