Nigella Lawson's Christmas Gingerbread Stuffing

Using a food processor or by hand, finely chop the onions and apples.

Put the butter and oil in a large wide saucepan over a medium heat and fry the chopped onions and apples until soft, about 10-15 minutes.

Finely chop the bacon in the processor or by hand and add this to the softened onion and apple mixture.

Cook everything, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes more.

Add the zest of the clementines/satsumas, reserving the bald fruit.

Take the pan off the heat and let it cool a little before mixing in the gingerbread crumbs.

You can let this get properly cold now if you want.

Just before you want to cook the stuffing, add the beaten eggs and pepper.

Use it to stuff the cavity of your turkey, or cook all of it (or what’s left after stuffing the bird) in a buttered baking dish.

Bake it in a hot oven (200C/180C fan/400F/gas 6) with your turkey for about the last 45 minutes.

If the stuffing’s going into a full oven – which it no doubt is – there should be no need to cover the dish.

If the oven is less full, and therefore hotter and less steamy, you could cover with foil for the first 30 minutes.

Let the cooked stuffing sit in its terrine for a good 10 minutes out of the oven before turning it out and slicing it.

Or just spoon from the dish if that’s less stressful.