Christmas Dinner Tips

[Gemmel]

I'm Chef this year for ten.

 

Tradional Turkey dinner, I am just after tips and extras to make it one to remember.

 

Any weird vegtables, sides etc. that I should consider? What's the best way to keep the meat moist blah blah blah

 

Any and all suggestions welcome.

[WindsorSaint]

Try goose instead of turkey - cooks itself (i.e. you don't have to baste it every half an hour!)...

[swannymere]

Number of methods to keep the turkey moist;

 

a) Brine it, place it in a bucket of water with salt, pepper and various herbs and spices this will help keep everything moist and will introduce some flavours into the meat, very popular in the US.

 

b) Roast the turkey upside down so the fat and juices run from the dark meat (where all the flavour is) through the breast meat.

 

c) Bare minimum would be to cover the breast of the turkey with rashers of streaky bacon, also cover this with foil until halfway through cooking.

[Smirking_Saint]

Personally, I dont like turkey, Id rather go for the biggest chicken you can get, probably a rooster, to keep it moist ? Dont overcook it, and perhaps put some butter under the skin on top of the breast, do this by removing the skin from the meat gently by putting your fingers under the neck flap bit.

 

Spuds ? Peel and place into hob with cold water, then heat water up, when the water is boiked they will be soft enough, whilst water is boiling chuck some goose fat into roasting tin and put oven to the hottest, when water bouled take out spuds, into collander and let them steam dry (approx 30-60 secs) rough them up on the edges by shaking about and cover in thin layer of flour, chuck into boiling fat and make sure each is covered in oil. Last 20 minutes of roasting mix up a mix of red wine vinegar, garlic oil and salt and pepper, chuck over roasties, they will be perfect.

 

Asparagus is nice, bacon in leeks (dont like brussels), parsnips and honey, rosmary roasted carrots.

 

Have a look online too, the big chefs usually have decent tips, and make sure you let the meat rest for 30 mins, itll prob get a little cold but the gravy will warm it back up and itll be moister.

 

MAKE SURE you nail the gravy, this is a must, use some meat and veg juices with the stock.

[Smirking_Saint]

Number of methods to keep the turkey moist;

 

a) Brine it, place it in a bucket of water with salt, pepper and various herbs and spices this will help keep everything moist and will introduce some flavours into the meat, very popular in the US.

 

b) Roast the turkey upside down so the fat and juices run from the dark meat (where all the flavour is) through the breast meat.

 

c) Bare minimum would be to cover the breast of the turkey with rashers of streaky bacon, also cover this with foil until halfway through cooking.

 

You should cook it upside down for last hour of cooking, and yeah bacon is a must.

[Tractor_Saint]

Did this Turkey recipe last year. Absolutely fantastic:

 

http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/510522/gordon-ramsay-s-roast-turkey-with-lemon-parsley-and-garlic

 

And one of the best pieces of advice, remember that the turkey will keep warm for a long long time after cooking so cook the turkey first and then take it out of the oven and do all the roasts etc in your now empty oven. Stops the panic of having to try to juggle veg around the huge turkey in the oven. Last year I took the turkey out and let it stand for about 3 hours - was still hot and fantastic!

[trousers]

Yep, defo turn it upside down for second half of cooking (it means you won't get crispy skin but preferable to have moist meat IMO)

[trousers]

Carving the meat.... I once saw someone cut each breast of the bone whole before cutting it into relatively thick pieces. This meant that everyone got as much moist meat as possible. The more traditional thin slices cut directly off the bird are likely to mean a combination of drier and moister slices.

[FloridaMarlin]

Dust your parsnips with finely grated Parmesan cheese. A great way to get people who don't like parsnips to eat them.

 

The secret to sprouts and cabbage is to steam it.

 

The reason people don't like sprouts and cabbage is probably because their mothers boiled the bejasus out of them, and with it the flavour.

 

Steaming them preserves the flavour and makes you realise how tasty they are. It also helps if you add some fried pancetta to your sprouts.

[The Kraken]

Some tips from the Kraken household:

 

Always wrap the turkey in bacon. Foil on for the bulk of the cooking until the last hour or so when you crank up the oven and remove the foil to crisp up the skin.

 

To make things easier for yourself with timings of the veg etc you can rest the Turkey for at least half an hour by completely foiling it and then covering it with (strange to say but it works) a towel or two. As its a big old bird it'll retain a lot of the heat anyway but this will also ensure it is wonderfully moist.

 

For carving; get someone else to do it! But the easiest and best way I've found instead of the standard sliced carve is this: take off the breasts entirely (can be a bit tricky with a big bird that's still hot) and cut through the thickness of the breast to give 1cm thick slices. That way you ensure that everyone has a part of the meat that is closest to the skin, and also a part that is deeper down (plus a bit of skin for everyone).

 

Smirking's recipe for the spuds is an absolute must.

 

Swede; usually do this advance and put in a bowl which then gets microwaved at the end (not ideal but cuts out a lot of hassle when you've got 10 jobs to do in just a couple of minutes). Veg, not really much else to say there. But v. important IMO to have (as well as the standard stuffing) lots of individual stuffing balls which can get cooked in the oven. These are great as they're a different texture to the normal stuffing, but we always make far too many as they're lovely to have as an evening snack or in a turkey leftover sandwich.

[Window Cleaner]

Carving the meat.... I once saw someone cut each breast of the bone whole before cutting it into relatively thick pieces. This meant that everyone got as much moist meat as possible. The more traditional thin slices cut directly off the bird are likely to mean a combination of drier and moister slices.

 

Wife bones turkeys and stitches them back up again (alright alright settle down titter titter) before she cooks them. Dab hand with the old kitchen knives actually.Then again she's a botanist so I guess she must have dissected few poor beasts in her Uni days.

Just need to slice it afterwards, anyway you like

[CB Saint]

Wife bones turkeys and stitches them back up again (alright alright settle down titter titter) before she cooks them. Dab hand with the old kitchen knives actually.Then again she's a botanist so I guess she must have dissected few poor beasts in her Uni days.

Just need to slice it afterwards, anyway you like

 

Stick insects?

[Gemmel]

Brillaint - Thanks all

[Window Cleaner]

Stick insects?

 

Is that a biologists in-joke ?

[trousers]

Carving the meat.... I once saw someone cut each breast of the bone whole before cutting it into relatively thick pieces. This meant that everyone got as much moist meat as possible. The more traditional thin slices cut directly off the bird are likely to mean a combination of drier and moister slices.

 

For carving; get someone else to do it! But the easiest and best way I've found instead of the standard sliced carve is this: take off the breasts entirely (can be a bit tricky with a big bird that's still hot) and cut through the thickness of the breast to give 1cm thick slices. That way you ensure that everyone has a part of the meat that is closest to the skin, and also a part that is deeper down (plus a bit of skin for everyone)

 

Must have been you that I saw...!

[CB Saint]

Bird - by the best one you can afford - it really makes a difference, imo. If having goose, you might want to cook the legs separately. They need more time than the breast so you can end up with just cooked legs and overcooked breast if you are not careful

 

Sprouts - half them and chop finely. Fry up some pancetta, add the sprouts and stir fry. Towards end add chestnut flavoured butter (bought or homemade) - great stuff. Even managed to con my brother into eating this last year and he would rather lick a dockers armpit than eat a sprout.

 

Wine - we having a californian pinot noir with the bird and a choice of maderia or vinsanto with the pud.

[trousers]

If you do sprouts, serve them with pancetta lardons

[trousers]

Sprouts - half them and chop finely. Fry up some pancetta, add the sprouts and stir fry

 

Bugger....beaten to it....to many great minds thinking alike on here....

[bridge too far]

Best to do the stuffing separately - by all means stuff the bird but don't eat that stuffing : risk of salmonella.

[CB Saint]

Don't forget the "pig in blankets". We also do as many chipolatas as we can fitin the roasting tray. Amazing hot or as leftovers.

[Smirking_Saint]

Best to do the stuffing separately - by all means stuff the bird but don't eat that stuffing : risk of salmonella.

 

Really ? What you could do is ditch the bird altogether, then there is no risk

[The Kraken]

Best to do the stuffing separately - by all means stuff the bird but don't eat that stuffing : risk of salmonella.

 

 

The best stuffing comes from the bird itself. And as long as you're following you're weight/timing correctly there should be no risk at all. And if in any doubt, take the stuffing out and while the turkey is resting put the stuffing back in the oven while the spuds etc are finishing (this will also crisp it up quite nicely).

[The Kraken]

Don't forget the "pig in blankets". We also do as many chipolatas as we can fitin the roasting tray. Amazing hot or as leftovers.

 

Damn right; they are an absolute must in a left over turkey, stuffing, pig in blanket and cranberry sauce sandwich!

[The Kraken]

Must have been you that I saw...!

 

Good minds and all that.....!

 

I actually picked up the tip from Jamie Oliver; he's a bit of a douche but I watched a program of his and the food looked so wonderfully presented.

 

 

He first dooes a goose and then a turkey (although I'm pretty sure the turkey he uses is stone cold, it wasn't that bloomin' easy when I've done it....)

[Redondo Saint]

I'm Chef this year for ten.

 

Tradional Turkey dinner, I am just after tips and extras to make it one to remember.

 

Any weird vegtables, sides etc. that I should consider? What's the best way to keep the meat moist blah blah blah

 

Any and all suggestions welcome.

 

Don't get too pished before you serve.

[LGTL]

I'd just get the wife/girlfriend to do it while you have a nice relaxing drink.

[bridge too far]

Really ? What you could do is ditch the bird altogether, then there is no risk

 

http://www.food.gov.uk/scotland/news-updates/news/pressreleases/2009/dec/turkey#.UNCfPXd1GSo

 

Also: "A third of cooks put the stuffing inside the turkey. But the FSA said: 'This runs the risk that stuffing and bird itself might not cook through fully - and an under-cooked turkey could mean food poisoning. 'The safe and easy way to enjoy crisp stuffing this year is by cooking it separately in a roasting tin.'

 

No skin off my nose - I don't like turkey. Give me a good piece of beef any day

 

[LVSaint]

Par boiled sprouts, then add to a buttered pan with chestnuts and bacon or pancetta.

 

Myself, doing a prime rib with yorkshire puds and veg this year. Had turkey for thanksgiving last month.

[saint lard]

Bread sauce is a must.

lardons of Pancetta in with the sprouts sauté off and at the last moment add some chopped chestnuts.

Glazed honey roasted parsnips.

roast the spuds in goose fat,add a crushed hand of garlic and Thyme into the roasting tin also.

nothing revolutionary,but adds something nice.

[The Kraken]

Am I the only one who refuses to entertain the idea of sprouts on the Christmas menu?

 

Can't stand the things, traditional or not. Cabbage, absolutely, get in there. Sprouts, good lord no.

[Joe Kirkup]

Dates wrapped in bacon. Brilliant with the Xmas dinner, brilliant for breakfast in a sandwich boxing day.

[dubai_phil]

For many years down here it used to be (almost) as cheap to order a ready cooked Turkey from our local Supermarket Chain - Spinneys.

 

You could request different stuffings etc.

 

Thing was it left you only worrying about all the trimmings, and so made it crazy simple on Xmas Day.

 

Now the point of me telling you that was NOT to advocate you get a takeaway it was because we learnt a really useful tip.

 

The Supermarkets here would be open on Xmas day, so heading out to collect the Cooked Turkey at midday was always a big thing (and allowed me to get all the stuff I had forgotten!)

 

BUT of course the Turkey was always lukewarm bordering on cold.

 

The TRICK we learnt was to carve the Turkey and put all the meat into a large casserole bowl, add a good 3 or 4 spoons of water sprinkled all around then Microwave it for a few minutes until it was steaming hot.

 

The water evaporates and Voila, the Turkey came out as moist as a wet...................

 

Never failed.

 

Normal cooking last few years? Stuff with an Orange, Lemon, Onion, pierce them (as well as FRESH Sage and anything else you feel like) and as they fruit gets hot it lets out the moisture into the meat (which is wrapped in foil until the last 30 mins or so (and of course baste)

 

Those have also been perfect

 

HTH

 

Oh and a Chablis Premier Cru helps

[CB Fry]

I've got nothing to add on Turkey advice but how about

 

> Make your own cranberry sauce: boil up a bag of cranberries from supermarket, juice and zest of one orange, few spoonfuls of sugar to taste and thicken. Absolute doddle and lovely. You can chuck in a cinnamon stick or cloves but no real need IMO.

 

> Braised red cabbage with apple and a cinnamon stick, with a splash of red wine vinegar.

 

> Sprouts parboiled then tossed in a pan with butter, ginger and the juice of a clementine or two.

 

As someone said above, the turkey can come out early to rest and it will keep warm for ages if covered, and it doesn't really need to be piping hot, as long as your plates and your gravy are warm.

 

Oh, and don't fu ck up your kitchen worktop by putting a raging hot pan on it, as I did a year ago next week. Chump.

[krissyboy31]

http://www.food.gov.uk/scotland/news-updates/news/pressreleases/2009/dec/turkey#.UNCfPXd1GSo

 

Also: "A third of cooks put the stuffing inside the turkey. But the FSA said: 'This runs the risk that stuffing and bird itself might not cook through fully - and an under-cooked turkey could mean food poisoning. 'The safe and easy way to enjoy crisp stuffing this year is by cooking it separately in a roasting tin.'

 

No skin off my nose - I don't like turkey. Give me a good piece of beef any day

 

 

You need to add the weight of the stuffing to the weight of the bird before working out the cooking time but the stuffing from inside the the turkey is the best by far IMO.

[vince]

> Make your own cranberry sauce: boil up a bag of cranberries from supermarket, juice and zest of one orange, few spoonfuls of sugar to taste and thicken. Absolute doddle and lovely. You can chuck in a cinnamon stick or cloves but no real need IMO.

 

> Braised red cabbage with apple and a cinnamon stick, with a splash of red wine vinegar.

 

Get ahead of the game - I've literally just finished those two now to be frozen (CB, try adding a dash of vodka to the Cranberry, fella!). My red cabbage was braised with balsamic vinegar, raisins, apples and onions too.

 

Write a plan for the day it and stick to it - mine always has a slot for a family hour in my local round the corner.

 

If you don't fancy roast spuds (or want a second dish), thinly slice some maris pipers, some sweet apples and some celeriac, chop some garlic, cover in double cream and simmer until soft, put into an oven proof dish - freeze it at this point, or cook for about 30 minutes in the oven.