The great Christmas dinner thread
Discussion
h0b0 said:
vladcjelli said:
More information required on this turkey oven device.
roasting ovenUsing one will transform your Christmas cooking. Stick butter under the skin and shove it in on high for 30 minutes then turn down to 350F for 2 hours. Don’t baste it or even look at it. It will self baste. Rest for 30 minutes. You will be able to make great gravy from the juices.
It really is that simple. It takes all the stress out of balancing times and temperatures for everything. The only warning is to believe the instruction book on how long it takes to cook the turkey as it will cook in one hour less than traditional oven cooking.
Using one this year (Thanksgiving) was even more useful than previous years because we moved house and only have one large oven instead of the 2 we used to have.
Another thing we do at Christmas to make the most of cooking devices is a whole tenderloin, or indeed 2 as we did last year, on salt blocks on a gas grill. All it took was my friend and I drinking huge quantities of alcohol. We checked the temperature in a couple of places and then rested it. The best part is that the diameter varies down the length so those that want raw go to the thicker meat and those that was well done go to the other end.
I’m no cooking genius but the 2 methods above make it very easy to get great results.
Anyone got a lead on a kitchen goods supplier who will sell me one this side of the pond?
Great thread although spreadsheets aren't my thing haha.
I'm cooking for the first time for 9 people so want this to be as good as possible.
I've got a 4.5kg turkey crown and am thinking of cooking it on Christmas eve. My only thing really is that I would want to reheat it on the day.
What's the best way to do this? Carve it up, fridge it then on Christmas day just put it back in the oven covered in foil for a certain amount of time?
I've got a range cooker with gas oven/ electric oven / 5 hobs/ warming draw and hot plate so doing all the other bits should be ok to do simultaneously.
I'm cooking for the first time for 9 people so want this to be as good as possible.
I've got a 4.5kg turkey crown and am thinking of cooking it on Christmas eve. My only thing really is that I would want to reheat it on the day.
What's the best way to do this? Carve it up, fridge it then on Christmas day just put it back in the oven covered in foil for a certain amount of time?
I've got a range cooker with gas oven/ electric oven / 5 hobs/ warming draw and hot plate so doing all the other bits should be ok to do simultaneously.
MissChief said:
If anyone is looking for an alternative stuffing than the usual try this. https://www.nigella.com/recipes/gingerbread-stuffi... It really is amazing. My mum makes great stuffing with mushrooms and bits of bacon but st Christmas she makes two lots with the gingerbread stuff too. It’s wondrous!
My stuffing recipe, is quite simple, and really more like meatloaf, but it is nice and tasty and goes down a treat. I don't stuff the turkey with it as I reckon would really screw up the cooking time, so it all fits into a large a loaf tin that cooks alongside the roast potatoes.Serves around 12 with plenty of leftovers
- 500gms of sausage meat
- 1 onion chopped finely
- 8 rashers of smoked streaky bacon diced
- 1 pack of cooked chestnuts - chopped fine
- 200-ish gms (or four good handfuls) of breadcrumbs. I collect the crusty ends of sourdough loaves during the year, freeze them, and chop them up in the food processor.
- 1 egg
- small handful of chopped thyme
- small handful of chopped sage
- 6 chopped juniper berries
- salt & pepper
- 50-ish gms of butter
- enough water to bind it all together
Method is: gently fry the onions & bacon in some of the butter until soft. Then transfer into a bowl with the rest of the ingredients and stir all together until fully mixed. If necessary add a small amount of water to the mix to make it all stick together but not get sloppy. Then transfer it into a greased loaf tin rough up the surface and dot with the rest of the butter. Roast for 45 mins or so at 160C until the top is nice and crispy.
My tip for roasting the turkey saves overcooking and time, which is to use a temperature probe in the thick part of the thigh and take the turkey out of the oven when it reaches 74C. At about 180C i've found this takes about 2hrs max with 40 mins or so of resting ready for carving.
singlecoil said:
Birdster said:
Does anyone here pick up a turkey from a local farm?
I normally pick up a refrigerated one from M&S or somewhere similar. Have used frozen also, but thinking of purchasing local this time. Is it worth the effort? Or any recommendations for online delivery if it’s good?
We had one from a local farm and it was awful. I have never seen so much fat/grease on an item of poultry before or since. I normally pick up a refrigerated one from M&S or somewhere similar. Have used frozen also, but thinking of purchasing local this time. Is it worth the effort? Or any recommendations for online delivery if it’s good?
This year the two of us will each be having one of these filled with a layer of corned beef, a layer of baked beans and a layer of textured mashed potatoes with a generous topping of melted cheese.
Been some good stories so far this year and long may it continue till the 25th celebrating all those years ago when Jamie Oliver was born in a barn and descibed it as "pukka" when his mum and dad did not let him into their pub. Or was it a gastro inn ?
Building up to the big day note that Tescos are doing potatoes at 29p rather than £1.09 and half price finest yorkies. Go get some
The finest yorkshire puddings kick above their weight, and that is me being a tight git who eats stuff my dog doesn't.
87p for them, and they taste far better than all the others. I did a test trial a way back
just as a snack as Alan Patridge would say ... soooperb.
Go run out and get them now and knock all those old grannies out of the way at the checkout chitty chatting to the young person on the till like it was 1999.
Actually just buy 10 bags of them for £8.90 and build them up like this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkwxVWS11fs
Imagine that as a centre piece to your dinner.
Building up to the big day note that Tescos are doing potatoes at 29p rather than £1.09 and half price finest yorkies. Go get some
The finest yorkshire puddings kick above their weight, and that is me being a tight git who eats stuff my dog doesn't.
87p for them, and they taste far better than all the others. I did a test trial a way back
just as a snack as Alan Patridge would say ... soooperb.
Go run out and get them now and knock all those old grannies out of the way at the checkout chitty chatting to the young person on the till like it was 1999.
Actually just buy 10 bags of them for £8.90 and build them up like this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkwxVWS11fs
Imagine that as a centre piece to your dinner.
Edited by Gandahar on Tuesday 18th December 13:42
Gandahar said:
The finest yorkshire puddings kick above their weight, and that is me being a tight git who eats stuff my dog doesn't.
just as a snack as Alan Patridge would say ... soooperb.
Which variety are those? Are they the Tesco Finest 6 Beef Dripping Yorkshire Puds we get over here?just as a snack as Alan Patridge would say ... soooperb.
I normally eat Yorkshire puddings 2 or 3 times a week, especially after beer, usually I make the batter and gravy before going out, 30 mins after getting home I have delicious plate of grub, better than any kebab.
Tesco say
Usage Count
6 Servings
I'm going out to Tesco now, I'll polish that lot off in one sitting. :slurp:
vladcjelli said:
Okay, that's the sort of thing I found through Google, but not available in UK.
Anyone got a lead on a kitchen goods supplier who will sell me one this side of the pond?
Sadly not gonna arrive in time for Christmas this year, but here you go:Anyone got a lead on a kitchen goods supplier who will sell me one this side of the pond?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152649070087
I'm seriously tempted......
BigMacDaddy said:
vladcjelli said:
Okay, that's the sort of thing I found through Google, but not available in UK.
Anyone got a lead on a kitchen goods supplier who will sell me one this side of the pond?
Sadly not gonna arrive in time for Christmas this year, but here you go:Anyone got a lead on a kitchen goods supplier who will sell me one this side of the pond?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152649070087
I'm seriously tempted......
Will research further ready for Turkeygeddon 2019.
singlecoil said:
Birdster said:
Does anyone here pick up a turkey from a local farm?
I normally pick up a refrigerated one from M&S or somewhere similar. Have used frozen also, but thinking of purchasing local this time. Is it worth the effort? Or any recommendations for online delivery if it’s good?
We had one from a local farm and it was awful. I have never seen so much fat/grease on an item of poultry before or since. I normally pick up a refrigerated one from M&S or somewhere similar. Have used frozen also, but thinking of purchasing local this time. Is it worth the effort? Or any recommendations for online delivery if it’s good?
This year the two of us will each be having one of these filled with a layer of corned beef, a layer of baked beans and a layer of textured mashed potatoes with a generous topping of melted cheese.
My wife sings in a choir so Wednesday is my home alone night and usually I have something like a ready meal or a steak, neither were in the fridge this week but just by chance these ingredients were in the cupboard and it just had to be done. I added some mushrooms just because they needed eating and I like them.
It looked really good when it came out of the oven and I even had a red roasting dish.
It looked more like a dirty takeaway on the plate but it tasted amazing.
I had some of the leftovers for lunch today and they were lovely, my wife gave me the sort of are you sure about this look she does when I have chosen the wrong clothes to wear but I don't care as there's still enough leftovers for another lunch tomorrow.
TeeRev said:
singlecoil said:
Birdster said:
Does anyone here pick up a turkey from a local farm?
I normally pick up a refrigerated one from M&S or somewhere similar. Have used frozen also, but thinking of purchasing local this time. Is it worth the effort? Or any recommendations for online delivery if it’s good?
We had one from a local farm and it was awful. I have never seen so much fat/grease on an item of poultry before or since. I normally pick up a refrigerated one from M&S or somewhere similar. Have used frozen also, but thinking of purchasing local this time. Is it worth the effort? Or any recommendations for online delivery if it’s good?
This year the two of us will each be having one of these filled with a layer of corned beef, a layer of baked beans and a layer of textured mashed potatoes with a generous topping of melted cheese.
My wife sings in a choir so Wednesday is my home alone night and usually I have something like a ready meal or a steak, neither were in the fridge this week but just by chance these ingredients were in the cupboard and it just had to be done. I added some mushrooms just because they needed eating and I like them.
It looked really good when it came out of the oven and I even had a red roasting dish.
It looked more like a dirty takeaway on the plate but it tasted amazing.
I had some of the leftovers for lunch today and they were lovely, my wife gave me the sort of are you sure about this look she does when I have chosen the wrong clothes to wear but I don't care as there's still enough leftovers for another lunch tomorrow.
geeks said:
TeeRev said:
singlecoil said:
Birdster said:
Does anyone here pick up a turkey from a local farm?
I normally pick up a refrigerated one from M&S or somewhere similar. Have used frozen also, but thinking of purchasing local this time. Is it worth the effort? Or any recommendations for online delivery if it’s good?
We had one from a local farm and it was awful. I have never seen so much fat/grease on an item of poultry before or since. I normally pick up a refrigerated one from M&S or somewhere similar. Have used frozen also, but thinking of purchasing local this time. Is it worth the effort? Or any recommendations for online delivery if it’s good?
This year the two of us will each be having one of these filled with a layer of corned beef, a layer of baked beans and a layer of textured mashed potatoes with a generous topping of melted cheese.
My wife sings in a choir so Wednesday is my home alone night and usually I have something like a ready meal or a steak, neither were in the fridge this week but just by chance these ingredients were in the cupboard and it just had to be done. I added some mushrooms just because they needed eating and I like them.
It looked really good when it came out of the oven and I even had a red roasting dish.
It looked more like a dirty takeaway on the plate but it tasted amazing.
I had some of the leftovers for lunch today and they were lovely, my wife gave me the sort of are you sure about this look she does when I have chosen the wrong clothes to wear but I don't care as there's still enough leftovers for another lunch tomorrow.
Essential is the beetroot.
No I'm not pregnant.
Gassing Station | Food, Drink & Restaurants | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff