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You’re probably already thinking about the festive feast and just how you’re going to prepare the perfect Christmas dinner for the family! To make the chore a little easier, we’ve teamed up with our home economist Zoe to give you some tips and ideas for Christmas cooking!
RECIPE 1: Roast Turkey
What you’ll need:
1 x 6kg Turkey
125g butter (room temperature)
1 lemon, zest removed
1 baking/bramley apple
1 peeled medium sized onion
12 slices of streaky bacon, fatty bacon is a must!
Olive oil
Fresh black pepper
3 onions, peeled and halved
Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4
Pat the turkey dry all over with kitchen paper.
Mix the butter with the lemon zest and season well.
Gently push your fingers under the turkey’s skin, starting from the neck end of the bird, easing the skin away from the flesh. Spread the lemon butter under the skin on each breast then smooth the skin back into place.
Quarter the zested lemon and put in the turkey cavity along with the peeled onion and the baking apple.
Rub the turkey all over with olive oil.
Starting with the breast of the bird lay the streaky bacon rashers over the breasts, finishing with the legs.
Put the halved onions in the bottom of a large roasting tin to act as a trivet for the bird. Sit the turkey on top and cover completely with foil, tucking under the tin to create a foil tent.
Cook the turkey for 25 mins per kilo (2 hour 30 minutes for a 6kg bird). Take out the turkey and turn up the oven to 220C/fan 200/gas 7. Remove the foil and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes until golden. To test, pierce the fattest part of the thigh with a skewer.
The juices should run clear. Rest the turkey, covered loosely with foil, for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour before serving (strain the cooking juices and keep the onions to use in the gravy).
Zoe’s Top Turkey Tips: Try and take your turkey and butter out of the fridge 2 hours before cooking; this will bring it up to room temperature, ideal for cooking. And if you are looking to feed a family of 6 for Christmas dinner it’s worth getting a larger turkey, then you can have some cold cuts on Boxing Day! We suggest a 6 kg bird which will ideally feed 10.
RECIPE 2: Sage and onion stuffing
What you’ll need:
2 medium onions, diced
25g butter
1 small Bramley apple , peeled, cored and diced
2 x 400g packs meaty Cumberland sausages , removed from their skins
A handful of sage , leaves chopped, plus extra for topping, or 2 tbsp dried sage.
140g granary breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper
Fry the onion in the butter for 5 mins, then add the apple and cook briefly. Cool, and then mix with the remaining ingredients and seasoning.
Use to stuff the neck end of the bird and then roll any leftovers into balls. Or, pack the whole mixture into a 1kg loaf tin and top with extra sage leaves. Bake with the turkey for 30-40 mins. Drain off any fat and serve sliced.
Refrigerate any left over’s, delicious on crusty bread with turkey and a touch of cranberry.
RECIPE 3: Turkey gravy
What you’ll need:
1.3l turkey or chicken stock
3 tbsp plain flour
5 tbsp water
Using the strained juice from the cooked turkey roasting dish, add extra stock to bring the quantity up to approx 1.3litres
Place into a large pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Blend the flour with the water and add slowly to the hot stock stirring continuously until thickened. Carry on cooking over a low heat for 20 minutes; adjust the seasoning, adding in any extra juices from the turkey.
Zoe’s Top Turkey Tip: Why not make some flavoured turkey stock by simmering the giblets in a small pan of water for an hour.
RECIPE 4: Bread sauce
What you’ll need:
600ml milk
50g butter
1 medium sized onion, chopped
6 cloves
1 garlic clove
1 bay leaf
3 fresh thyme sprigs
100g white breadcrumbs
4 tbsp single cream
Pinch nutmeg , freshly grated if possible
Simmer the milk, butter, onion, cloves, garlic and thyme in a pan for 20 mins. Strain and return the liquid to the pan.
Add the breadcrumbs and simmer for 3-4 mins.
Stir in the cream or mascarpone.
Add nutmeg, season and serve.
Can be made up to 3 days in advance and chilled, heat up gently, adding a little milk to correct the consistency. Bread sauce can discolour if heated for too long, so do this as close to your dinner as possible if you like to serve this warm.
RECIPE 5: Crispy Roast Potatoes
What you’ll need:
1.5 kg King Edward potatoes, or another roasting variety, peeled
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp polenta, or extra flour
5 tbsp goose fat
5 tbsp vegetable oil
Cut the potatoes into quarters, or your chosen size – you want to end up with even-size 6cm pieces. Put the potatoes in a large pan of salted water and boil for 5 mins, just until the outside of the potato starts to soften. To check, try scraping a potato with a fork – it should be easy to make a mark but you shouldn’t be able to slide it into the flesh. Drain really well.
Return to the pan and scatter over the flour and polenta (if using) and a little salt. Place a lid on top of the pan and give it a couple of good shakes, coating the potatoes in the flour and polenta and lightly fluffing the sides. This makes them really crispy when cooked!
Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Place the goose fat and oil in a roasting tin large enough to hold all the potatoes in one layer and heat in the oven for 5 mins. Quickly tip the potatoes in and return to the oven. Cook for 30 mins, turning once, then increase the heat to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Cook for 20 mins more or until crisp all over. Sprinkle with a little sea salt, and then serve.
RECIPE 6: Ultimate creamy mash
What you’ll need:
1.5 kg charlotte/Maris Piper potatoes
1 tbsp salt
200g/10½oz cold butter, cut into cubes
Warm milk/single cream, to taste
Peel the potatoes and cut them into 7 cm pieces.
Rinse under cold water to wash off any surface starch.
Place into a pan and cover with cold salted water, bring to the boil, then lower to a simmer, and cook until soft.
Drain the potatoes and then place them back into the pan. Shake the pan over a gentle heat to get rid of any remaining water.
Tip the potatoes into a ricer and rice the potatoes over a bowl containing the cold butter. Or use a masher taking care not to leave any lumps of potatoes, beat the mixture with a wooden spoon to create a silky smooth texture. Season and add a little warm milk or cream if required.
RECIPE 7: Brussel Sprouts with Pancetta
What you’ll need:
1kg Brussel sprouts
100g thin sliced pancetta,
1 tbsp chopped sage
Freshly ground black pepper
Fry the pancetta in a hot dry frying pan until crisp, be careful not to burn the pancetta as it does cook quickly. Remove from the heat and place the cooked pancetta onto kitchen paper to drain the excess fat. Reserve the oil from the pancetta pan
Cook the brussel sprouts until al dente, drain and refresh under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside.
Heat a couple of spoonfuls of the pancetta oil in a clean pan, add the brussel sprouts and pan fry until piping hot. Add the sage, pepper and crumbled pancetta to the pan and cook a further 2 minutes. Serve immediately.
RECIPE 8: Root vegetable mash
What you’ll need:
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 small celeriac, peeled and cut into chunks
1 small Swede, cut into small chunks
30 softened butter
Salt and pepper
Place all the prepared vegetables into a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and simmer until cooked. Drain well.
Return the vegetables back to the pan and add the butter and seasoning. Mash together and serve piping hot with your Christmas dinner.
Zoe’s Root Mash tip: Why not try adding a tsp of cumin or wholegrain mustard to spice up your mash!
RECIPE 9: Rum sauce for Christmas pudding
What you’ll need:
5 tablespoons dark rum
75 g butter
60 g plain flour
1 pint full fat milk
50 g caster sugar
2 tablespoon double cream
Place 60 g of the butter in a saucepan and melt slowly.
Add the flour and stir to make a roux.
Gradually add in the milk and whisk using a balloon whisk over a medium heat. As soon as it comes to simmering point and has thickened, turn the heat right down to its lowest setting
Stir in the sugar and let the sauce cook for 10 minutes. Add the rum, the remaining 15 g butter and the cream. Pour the hot sauce into a jug, then cover the surface with Clingfilm to present a skin from forming.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
