How big of a turkey

havetoquit

Great to hear from you sir and you sound like a real star, and I so wish you a great day. Yes, you will do it and make a great job of it too.

So much of that meal can be prepared the night before and get someone to peel those veg for you and do other things which do not involve actual cooking, so that you can get on with your planning of that.

I am sure someone will just be delighted to set and decorate the Christmas table and make some punch/mulled wine/juices etc.

Is there a family member or friend who would like to help out with a cooked ham or some deserts? If so, perhaps you will think of accepting this. Usually they are delighted to make a contribution to the meal. After all, it is a lot of work for the chef and it is a small way of showing appreciation as I am sure you will agree. Sometimes people are shy to offer, but yet are just delighted and honored to be asked, so why undertake all the work, when you don't have to.

Last time I undertook a large family gathering, I asked two or three family members if they would like to do the soup and dessert and they were so delighted and got all excited about making it really special. They arrived on the morning of the dinner and dropped off a huge saucepan of the most delicious soup and two different deserts to feed the throng. One brought a deliciously refreshing fresh fruit bowl, with fresh cream to accompany it and the other brought apple pies and ice cream. These would go down well at Christmas with those who find Christmas puds too heavy.

Very few of my family like Christmas pudding, so for the couple that do, I simply buy minature ones from M&S, decorate it with a little sprig of holly and serve it hot with either cream, or rum butter.

Yes, I agree with your idea of the cooking bags to collect the juices..great idea and then easy to transfer to a smaller pan to which you will add your flour and a little wine and seasonings to make a delicious gravy.

I am used to hosting medium sized get togethers for family and friends, so if you need any more tips about any area of your planned dinner, just let us know ok?

You are probably a far better cook than some of us who are writing in, but hey, it doesn't matter does it? At least you know we care enough to want to offer any tips we think may help you.

dzer2

Get a 24 to 26 lb free range turkey on the bone cook it in a Turkey bag with a few blobs of butter on the breast and the legs. you will have plenty of meat and it will be juicey and you wont have any left overs if you feel there is not enough meat on it you could always stuff it with a pheasant and then the pheasant with a small chicken you will have loads there. A full ham will be required try to get it fresh as it will taste better. As for the rest just to loads of veg you can always make soup from the left overs after and it tastes great.

havetoquit

Still think that to get best flavor from any turkey, even free range that you do need to dress the bird with streaky bacon and it is nice to have a couple of chipolatas to serve with dinner and looks good sitting beside the stuffing.

If you are cooking stuffing balls seperately, as opposed to in the bird, then a couple of onions and lemons will need to be placed inside the cavity to send some flavour round the inside and which will permeate through the flesh.

Rub the bird with butter if you wish and lots of freshly ground black pepper.

amen

Ohh important thing. When you get the turkey check both ends to ensure that the giblets/neck etc are not left inside in a plastic bag. If so please remove before cooking!

havetoquit

Am so ashamed to admit that I did this the first year I was married!! Oh the stink that came from that oven was unbelievable and how red faced was I trying to impress new husband, who thankfully saved the day with his brilliant hot curry!! That was a Christmas I prefer to forget I can assure you.

I swore that from that day onwards that I would learn to cook and was thankfully able to redeem myself with my in-laws the following year!! They were I am sure, beginning to wonder if I would one day poison their adorable son.

tayto lover

OP don't forget to get in plenty of Taytos to enjoy while watching a nice film on Christmas night while the others are doing the washing up.

havetoquit

Nice box of choccies, lights dimmed and a great film, but somehow think with so many guests that it will be more a case of Charades and other games to fill in the afternoon and then the film at night when they have all departed full and entertained!!

If you have dogs, make sure to send the ones who need the exercise most out for a walk with them!! Dogs so often get forgotten on Christmas day don't they. I tend to walk off my dinner by taking them down to the beach and then they sleep peacefully at my feet whilst I watch my Christmas films, speaking of which; wonder what our national broadcasters have in store for us this year?

badgerhowlin

tayto lover wrote: »

OP don't forget to get in plenty of Taytos to enjoy while watching a nice film on Christmas night .

Mutli pack box already got :pac:

Your not talking about looking at it on any of the Irish channels i can tell.
I would be surprised if they have any Christmas movies.

Sure for Halloween they had romantic movies so for Christmas who know what they will have!!!!

havetoquit

Ha, you could be right there, but sure you can find yourself a great DVD and you if you anticipate that things might get too loud around you to be able to enjoy it properly, hey there's a great idea for a Christmas pressie if you don't already have them; Good headphones that plug into your TV. I know, it does sound a little anti-social, but we are talking late Christmas evening when most of the guests will have dispersed, you hope! In your case, having created a wonderful festive dinner, you will be forgiven for that little indulgence!

I know we are just having a casual chatter here and not being totally serious, as am sure you will be sitting round a warm fire with your family reminiscing on Christmases past, having a good laugh, or as I said before playing some new games or going back on some old ones to avoid boredom and sleep setting in.!

We tend to sometimes get the younger group to play their own board games and we oldies give some of the old faithfuls a bash. All good fun, as well as playing with the younger ones toys!!!

The one we use to get them all involved is very simple but yet fun: Place number of small items on a tray, let everyone see them for half a minute and then send them away to write down as many as they can remember. The one who remembers the most gets a prize...no not my box of Ferreo Roche!!! Each year I look up new interactive games that we can all play for a laugh and have to say it can be great fun. The younger ones also love to be asked ahead of time to devise their own. We have our own little Bingo game for the seniors and always make sure they win a little something, so everyone is involved and does not feel left out. These have to be played before drowsiness sets in of course!!! ha ha

I have one rule and that is no young family member is allowed to be anti-social and spend time in their rooms alone on either laptops or any with other passive or virtual activities. They had to learn to be to interact and make a contribution of their own to Christmas day and to show respect for family and friends. I am sure this will come across as harsh to some, but it worked so well that the young ones even enjoyed themselves and felt really included, not so much as though they were another species!!

One young girl of 15 told me recently that she often spends all day Christmas day in her room, as nobody seems to care where she is or what she is doing. That is very telling isn't it?

Ok, sorry another topic entirely, but it is at least related to the Christmas theme and could be something for us all to ponder on long after the turkey has been digested.

Posy

Speaking of turkeys, how do you guys stop yours drying out? I always find turkey is pretty dry despite basting with gallons of liquid and using a tonne of butter rubbed all over it!

dzer2

Posy wrote: »

Speaking of turkeys, how do you guys stop yours drying out? I always find turkey is pretty dry despite basting with gallons of liquid and using a tonne of butter rubbed all over it!

Buy a free range one

havetoquit

Yes, go free range, make sure to dress the bird with good streaky bacon. Rub the butter well into the bird and you could even make little slits in the skin and put a little in there. I think that having the oven too high after the first half hour makes it dry, so best to turn it down, otherwise the top will dry out and become hard. I sometimes cover the bird in foil and remove it for the last 40 mins, which also helps.

Each to their own really, but Jame Oliver's turkey recipe is online and highly recommended if you want to be sure that it will turn out delicious.

Also, make sure to let turkey stand for 10-15 minutes covered with foil before serving, just as you would with a chicken or any other meat.

Best of luck.

havetoquit

Hope our suggestions have helped, but it would be hard to beat Jamie Oliver's succulent turkey recipe, although I think you will be fine doing it your own way. It is just that I think in these instances you can receive so many varied posts all with very well meaning suggestions and so on that it can be confusing and with no set recipe to follow especially.

I can see your lucky guests sitting down to the best Christmas lunch they have ever had on 25 Dec 2012! Hope that someone else volunteers next year and gives you a chance to sit off as a guest.

Cherrycola

For the last two years we have gotten our turkey and ham cooked from the butchers, so handy! No waiting on the oven to do the roasties, I just slice up the meat, portion them out on a tray, slice of ham on the bottom, stuffing, turkey on top, a drizzle of water, cover in tinfoil and bung them in the oven for about 15-20mins to heat up, they steam heat so stay really moist, then place each portion on its plate, add veg and spuds, pour over gravy, lunch is served! And I can tell you I was never so glad to have done this as I was the year the water pipes froze! We didn't need anymore stress that year!!

nhg

I usually cook a 20lb turkey a 10lb ham for about 16 people (over Christmas Day & Boxing Day) & we always have plenty for leftovers. I always put loads of butter in under the skin of the turkey up on the breast & baste regularly, it stays lovely and moist.

After I have boiled the ham and got rid of the first lot of water I cook the ham in apple juice (I sometimes do the same with a bit of bacon) & when cooked I put it in the oven to bake after I pour a can of bulmers over it 😘 - my MIL raves about the ham (she doesn't drink)

To carve the turkey, I let it rest for at least 15 mins & then cut the complete breasts off the bone gently and lay them down on a carving board and slice through, then everyone has the exact same turkey as each slice has some of the outside, middle & inside rather than some people having the outside & others the inside & the meat seems to goes a lot further (saw this done on a Jamie Oliver Christmas special a few years ago)

I always cover the leftover ham & turkey in parchment paper & them wrap that in tinfoil as tinfoil tends to stick to the meat if it touches it.

My mum brings the trifle & my 8yr old makes a chocolate cookie desert (cookies dipped in 7up & layered with cream & a flake crumbled over the top) & I buy a few different frozen deserts (mini eclairs, creme brulee cheesecake etc in aldi which we usually have about 2/3 hrs after dinner is finished

Witchie

Good luck OP but believe me its not as traumatic as it sounds. Our family Christmas for the past 31 years have been like yours with an average of 20-26 people for dinner.

My mum does the turkey and as a veggie I really dont know if it is good or not but everyone seems to love it. She just makes sure to baste it regularly. She has always gotten a free range one, generally a 32lb one or thereabouts but last year she got 2 large turkey crowns instead and they seemed to go down well with only one of my aunts complaining coz she was missing out on a leg! I think this year we will do a medium sized turkey and a crown so that there is some brown meat for those that want it.

We do a big ham and I usually cook it by boiling first and then rubbing a mustard glaze into it before roasting and everyone says it is the biz.

The only real advice is to prepare as much as you can the night or day before and then concentrate on making sure your turkey is cooking well.

Also if you have any veggie guests dont forget them. I usually do a nut roast wellington for myself, my sister and her fiancé or a lentil pie.

My favourite part of the dinner is the Bread Sauce so make sure you make some!

Enjoy!


Oh and dont let people fall asleep in front of the tv after, have some charades arranged to play and another good game to get the party started is Animal families. (If you dont know it, you write the names of different animals on paper in groups eg Daddy Duck, Mammy Duck, Baby Duck, Daddy Cow etc and put them in a bowl. Everyone picks one out and you have to make the noise of your animal until you find your family members and Daddy sits down first with mammy and then baby on top, first complete family are winners! Sounds a bit silly but really breaks the ice and gets everyone into the game mood)

If anyone can sing or play guitar, get a sing song going coz that means the party will be in full force all nite!

Witchie

Good luck OP but believe me its not as traumatic as it sounds. Our family Christmas for the past 31 years have been like yours with an average of 20-26 people for dinner.

My mum does the turkey and as a veggie I really dont know if it is good or not but everyone seems to love it. She just makes sure to baste it regularly. She has always gotten a free range one, generally a 32lb one or thereabouts but last year she got 2 large turkey crowns instead and they seemed to go down well with only one of my aunts complaining coz she was missing out on a leg! I think this year we will do a medium sized turkey and a crown so that there is some brown meat for those that want it.

We do a big ham and I usually cook it by boiling first and then rubbing a mustard glaze into it before roasting and everyone says it is the biz.

The only real advice is to prepare as much as you can the night or day before and then concentrate on making sure your turkey is cooking well.

Also if you have any veggie guests dont forget them. I usually do a nut roast wellington for myself, my sister and her fiancé or a lentil pie.

My favourite part of the dinner is the Bread Sauce so make sure you make some!

Enjoy!


Oh and dont let people fall asleep in front of the tv after, have some charades arranged to play and another good game to get the party started is Animal families. (If you dont know it, you write the names of different animals on paper in groups eg Daddy Duck, Mammy Duck, Baby Duck, Daddy Cow etc and put them in a bowl. Everyone picks one out and you have to make the noise of your animal until you find your family members and Daddy sits down first with mammy and then baby on top, first complete family are winners! Sounds a bit silly but really breaks the ice and gets everyone into the game mood)

If anyone can sing or play guitar, get a sing song going coz that means the party will be in full force all nite!

badgerhowlin

Witchie wrote: »

If anyone can sing or play guitar, get a sing song going coz that means the party will be in full force all nite!

I will get prople to sing when i want them to leave. No one in my family can hold a tune!

badgerhowlin

So i have a 20 lb turkey free range turkey ordered. Getting legs boned and rolled and stuffed. Roll on christmas dinner.

Posy

Wow, 20lb!! I have made sure to get free range too this year after hearing so many recommendations for them.
I have a 4kg turkey ordered and I am already dreading the fact that I will have to cook it!! :eek:

There are only four of us though, so I think 4kg will do us grand.. assuming I don't cremate it!!

dzer2

badgerhowlin wrote: »

So i have a 20 lb turkey free range turkey ordered. Getting legs boned and rolled and stuffed. Roll on christmas dinner.

Lady ordered the biggest turkey we have its 28 lb and counting:D:D

badgerhowlin

GOOD GOD.

My granny use to have turkeys and sell them years ago. (20+) anyway, i remember seen a few big turkeys but dont think any of them were 28 lb.

Was talking to here last night and back then she was selling them for pound a pound. Wish she was still doing them. could of saved my self some serious €€€€

SamHealy

BadgerHowlin, do you have a massive dining room / table or are you going to do different sittings for dinner? I wouldn't even have enough chairs.

badgerhowlin

Well, its called a play room!
18.5 sqm. Getting 2 big folding tables you know the ones that your local comunity cerntre has the big 10 foot long ones.(Or many be that just in my area)

We are also getting the chairs that are in the comunity centre too!
Its handy having the keys to your local centre :rolleyes:

mathepac

badgerhowlin wrote: »

... Last count was 25(23 adults and two 11 month olds).:eek: ...

One half of me is saying "What a lovely thought" and the other half is saying "Ah, ya big fecken eejit ya, it serves ya right!"

My tuppence-worth would be to get single bird (OK, calm down, calm down at the back) as big as you can find in order to reduce the disposal problems afterwards i.e. a single carcass at the end and maybe two hams.

But first as already suggested try and gauge the clientele you are catering to - ham only, white meat, dark meat, a bit of everything, etc in a little spread-sheet and get all and sundry to tick the boxes. Take it to the butcher and ask for it to be converted into pigs and turkeys x 2 days. (or sides of buffalo, elephant, kangaroo or bullocks to you Mrs.)

Do you have a roasting spit? No sez she but me wee-wees are warm enough.

SamHealy

It sounds like you have it all figured out, have a great Christmas. But beware, it may be the 1st of many at your place.

I had a big crowd around on Stephens day for a buffet once. They come back every year!

badgerhowlin

Well got my 22lb turkey today. Its has lost its legs, It stuffed now waiting till 6 tomorrow morning to go into the oven. A 7.5or 10kg bag of spuds peeled and sitting in water(which ever is on sale in dunnes) 2 bags of carrots, 2 bags of brussel sprouts, 5.2 kg back bacon, The roast spuds and potato croquettes are been brought by someone else so probable 2 bags of each as well if not 3, all desert is coming in the morning as well. think there is jelly, 1 apple & 1 rhubarb tart, 1 banoffee, lump of christmas pudden, 1 or 2 cheese cakes. I let yous know how it all goes!!!!

Alicat

We had our Christmas dinner last night, 21 people! Went down a storm. We had a 23lb turkey and maybe 10lbs of ham.

Posy

Wow. Looks amazing!
21 people?? I'm cooking for four and having a nervous breakdown here!!

Alicat

You'll be grand Posy! Don't be panicking, enjoy your day!