Roast turkey with mlinci flatbread (Purica s mlincima)

1. Rub the turkey legs with salt, pepper and thyme, put them in a roasting tin, dot with the butter and pour in 250 ml of water.

2. Cover (with a lid or foil) and roast at 180 °C for 1 hour, then remove the foil and roast for another 45-60 minutes, basting every 15 minutes with the pan juices, until the skin is crisp and golden.

3. Meanwhile, for the mlinci, knead the flour with the eggs, oil, a pinch of salt and about 100 ml of lukewarm water into a firm, smooth dough, leave to rest for 20 minutes, then divide into 4 and roll out very thinly, to about 2 mm.

4. Bake the sheets on a dry baking tray or directly on the oven rack at 200 °C for 4-5 minutes into hard, brittle sheets browned in patches (this way they keep for a long time).

5. Before serving, break the mlinci into large pieces, pour over hot salted water, drain after 2 minutes, then toss in the juices from under the turkey and return to the oven for 10 minutes to soak up the flavours.

6. Serve the turkey carved on a bed of juicy mlinci, with sauerkraut salad on the side.

Tip: Purica s mlincima is a Christmas and Sunday dish of Zagorje and the Zagreb area; it's made the same way with goose or duck. You can also buy ready-made mlinci in Croatian shops if you're short of time.