Kurtinja
(Bush Turkey)
Josephine Grant & Belinda Manfong
have the perfect recipe for Xmas
Illustration by Marlene Johnson

First of all you have to catch your turkey. They live on the plains, spend a lot of time on the ground but can be hard to catch as they are good at flying.
Clean it and pluck the feathers. Stuff the turkey with gum leaves and also wrap them around the outside.
Have a really good fire going with slow burning wood and dig a pit. Fill the pit with hot coals, put the turkey in and cover it with more coals and the fire.
The gum leaves add a really delicious flavour to the meat. Alternatively, cut the bird up and wrap the pieces in foil and cook in the fire.
If you decide to cook the turkey in a conventional oven, cook the same way as a chicken, except that the bird has a lot of fat and you need to drain the pan occasionally throughout the cooking. It is really good tucker and you get a lot of meat from one bird.
Serve with vegetables or salad.