…in the final few days before Christmas here are my simple go-to food & cooking tips to keep life easy & keep you calm…
*** Keep it simple – decide what you are cooking (& what you’re not!) & stick to it!
*** Don’t buy too much – you never run out of food at Christmas time & the shops are only closed for a couple of days! Plus, we want to avoid food waste…
*** Keep your starters light – a fresh soup like Mint & Pea or pre-cooked fish like smoked salmon / crab always work well especially when served with a simple dressed salad & not much more. Or don’t do any starter & just have a simple grazing board with a couple of dips / cured meats / olives / crackers etc that people can munch on as they are having their pre-dinner drinks…
*** Dessert can be show-stopping & classic or super simple either – I serve Gingerbread & Orange Tiramisu, but the kids would be just as happy to have ice-cream & toffee sauce! As would my other half!
*** Prep the veg the day before – if you have kids get them involved too. Christmas is all about teamwork so make it tradition that everyone does their bit!
*** Make the stuffing the day before (or earlier if you fancy).
*** Cook the ham the day before – who doesn’t love a ham sambo on Christmas Eve plus it tastes way nicer just heated through on Christmas Day. Frees the hob & oven up too!
*** Choose to cook 1 or 2 types of potato! Really is there any need to serve mashed potatoes and roast potatoes and potato gratin? No!
*** Remember to have a look through your equipment: pots, pans, ovenproof dishes, crockery, serving dishes etc just to make sure you can accommodate everything you are cooking – especially important if you are cooking for / entertaining a crowd…
*** Sharpen your knives – a sharp knife will make light work of carving.
*** Write out your timings on Christmas Eve & stick them on the fridge – work backwards from what time you want to sit down to Christmas Day dinner. Planning ahead is king!
*** Remember to rest your turkey for at least an hour – it’s a big bird – it won’t go cold! Plus, it frees up your oven for everything else.
*** Cheat when you have to & when you want to – ditch any ‘rituals that don’t serve you & don’t feel a single bit guilty about it. I buy shop-bought custard every year & it rocks!
*** Christmas is not all about the food – spend time with your kids, family & friends. Whether you stay in your jammies, snuggle up & watch movies, or pull on the boots & hit the hills, woods & sea, be sure to laugh loads, make memories & get down-time.
…if you need some guidance on how to prep & cook your turkey this Christmas, read on…
Buy a small turkey – I’ve never heard anyone say they regretted not buying a bigger one!!
Buy the best quality that you can afford – its Christmas time, of course cost comes into it.
To get the most succulent, flavoursome result, brining your turkey is the way to go – brining is simply soaking the turkey overnight in a salted water solution. You can add herbs, spices, garlic & citrus to the brining liquid so little extras like bay leaf, lemon, peppercorns, garlic, allspice, cloves, orange rind etc all add extra flavour in there too. (See below for instructions on how to brine a turkey).
Prepping your turkey is half the battle! I usually combine 150g softened butter with 3 tbsp of olive oil, 3 cloves of garlic, the zest & juice of 1 lemon, a big bunch of chopped flat-leaf parsley, sea salt & lots of black pepper. Then loosen the skin on the crown of the turkey with your fingers & smear half of this gorgeous, flavoured butter underneath the turkey skin spreading it out & smoothing it down. Smear the remaining butter on top of the turkey crown & all over the legs & wings too – not the most pleasant of jobs but it will add savage flavour & keep the bird mega moist! Don’t forget to season the cavity too & pop a quartered onion in there while you’re at it! Adds wonderful sweetness!
Make sure your turkey is at room temperature for at least 2 hours before you cook it.
Allow 30 mins per KG – so a 5kg turkey will need 2.5 hours in the oven. Remember if you are stuffing it, weight it after the stuffing has gone in.
Preheat the oven to 220 & cook the turkey for 10 mins, then take it out, cover the crown with lots of streaky bacon, reduce the oven to 170 fan & cook for the remaining time.
If you are using a meat thermometer the turkey is done when the thickest part reaches an internal temperature of 74 Celsius.
Cover the cooked bird with foil & rest rest rest it for at least 1 hour – it’s a big bird – trust me it won’t go cold! Resting allows the bird to reabsorb the juices & makes it much easier to carve. Plus, it frees up your oven for the roasties & braised red cabbage etc!
How to Brine a Turkey
To brine a 5kg turkey, pop 5 litres of water into a big pot or bucket. Add 200g flaky sea salt, 50g sugar & whatever little extras you might like – I’ll be adding 2 tbsp black peppercorns, a few bay leaves, 1 tbsp allspice berries, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 skin on quartered onions & the peel of an orange. Submerge the turkey in the liquid & leave to steep overnight. If you haven’t space in the fridge, just leave it in the coldest part of your house – the utility room in my case!! The next day pat the meat dry & get it ready for the oven. Brining is simple so don’t be afraid to try it.& don’t forget our Gift Vouchers, availableto buy on our website, if you would like to gift fun, learning & food tosomeone you love this Christmas: http://www.cookalicious.ie/gift-vouchers/ A HUGE thankyou from the bottom of my heart for your support & custom this year, for supporting & cheerleading small business & for supporting Irish!
Happy Christmas & see ya in 2024
Festive love from your little Christmas cooking fairy of fuss-free fabulous food!
Cepta
