Need Christmas Dinner Advice? Ask Here...

AshAdele

ya i was hoping for some (but not too much) left overs

foodaholic

nosietoes wrote: »

I used to make these when I was cheffing. Absolutely no problem doing first bake days in advance and then re bake wiht a tiny splash of cream on top sitting on grease proof. They even freeze!

Thanks

boodlesdoodles

For my ham glaze I use a couple tbsps each of Dijon, grain & English mustard mad a couple tbsp honey. Mix well and smear all over the scored fat. I then crush Marietta biscuits very finely and sprinkle them over the glazed ham. It's the way my mother did it and her ham was always amazing.

fussyonion

This is probably going to be the most cliche question I could have possibly asked, but if someone can help then it's worth it.

When I have turkey in the pub (carvery), it's always moist and delicious and served on top of a bed of incredibly delicious stuffing.

I'm not too bothered about the stuffing because I'm pretty good at making that, but (and here comes the cliche predictable question) IS there a sure-fire way of making the turkey taste half as moist and delicious as the carvery?

No matter what I do (cover it in foil, don't cover it in foil, baste it every half hour, cover in streaky bacon, etc etc), it just always comes out dry.
I would be thrilled if it had as much succulence as the carvery turkey, but it probably won't.

However, if someone has a tip for me, I'd be thrilled!
Thank you

the beer revolu

fussyonion wrote: »

This is probably going to be the most cliche question I could have possibly asked, but if someone can help then it's worth it.

When I have turkey in the pub (carvery), it's always moist and delicious and served on top of a bed of incredibly delicious stuffing.

I'm not too bothered about the stuffing because I'm pretty good at making that, but (and here comes the cliche predictable question) IS there a sure-fire way of making the turkey taste half as moist and delicious as the carvery?8

No matter what I do (cover it in foil, don't cover it in foil, baste it every half hour, cover in streaky bacon, etc etc), it just always comes out dry.
I would be thrilled if it had as much succulence as the carvery turkey, but it probably won't.

However, if someone has a tip for me, I'd be thrilled!
Thank you

If your turkey is dry it's because you're over cooking it. It's that simple.

Animord

the beer revolu wrote: »

If your turkey is dry it's because you're over cooking it. It's that simple.

And it needs to rest when it comes out of the oven. Cover it with tinfoil and let it sit - it will stay hot for 45 minutes in a normal kitchen.

Loire

Made 2 Christmas cakes last night. The smell wafting through the house was unreal! Only thing, they came out a bit light in colour. I love a good dark cake...any ideas?

Thanks,
Loire.

Animord

What recipe did you use? Mine is a very dark and old fashioned cake and it is, from memory, a pound each of currants, sultanas and raisins, 8 oz flour, 8oz butter. Can't remember how many eggs. But is it basically fruit/nuts/citrus peel, held together with a bit of flour. As I say it is a very dark and rich cake.

Loire

Animord wrote: »

What recipe did you use? Mine is a very dark and old fashioned cake and it is, from memory, a pound each of currants, sultanas and raisins, 8 oz flour, 8oz butter. Can't remember how many eggs. But is it basically fruit/nuts/citrus peel, held together with a bit of flour. As I say it is a very dark and rich cake.

I ended up going with the Odlums one http://www.odlums.ie/recipes/odlums-recipes/cakes/simple-christmas-cake-4/ and mine turned out quite like the picture on their site. Just wondering what I could add to make it darker.

the beer revolu

fussyonion wrote: »

However, if someone has a tip for me, I'd be thrilled!
Thank you

also this is how I've done the turkey for the last number of years. It involves taking the legs and the back off the turkey and convincing family members that you haven't lost your mind in that you are planning to essentially boil your turkey!:eek:
You can bone, stuff, roll and roast the legs too, which are delicious.
There are lots of Youtube videos showing you how to prepare the crown and bone the legs. If you brown the crown well after poaching it, it looks like it came from the oven.

Animord

Loire wrote: »

I ended up going with the Odlums one http://www.odlums.ie/recipes/odlums-recipes/cakes/simple-christmas-cake-4/ and mine turned out quite like the picture on their site. Just wondering what I could add to make it darker.

Mine is definitely way darker than that. There is also treacle in mine, which would darken it and I'd say just more fruit.

sorry, reread your message, do you want to darken it now or do you mean you will rebake?

Loire

Animord wrote: »

Mine is definitely way darker than that. There is also treacle in mine, which would darken it and I'd say just more fruit.

sorry, reread your message, do you want to darken it now or do you mean you will rebake?

Thanks for that...treacle is what I need. I will be making new ones anyway as these wouldn't have a hope of making it to Dec 25th!

huskerdu

the beer revolu wrote: »

If your turkey is dry it's because you're over cooking it. It's that simple.

Very true.

I assume that carverys in pubs cook turkey crowns most of the time, or maybe all of the time.

The only difficult thing about cooking turkey is that turkey leg needs long slow cooking, and by the time its cooked, the breast is dry.

Cook them separately, and the problem is avoided,

Loire

huskerdu wrote: »

Very true.

I assume that carverys in pubs cook turkey crowns most of the time, or maybe all of the time.

The only difficult thing about cooking turkey is that turkey leg needs long slow cooking, and by the time its cooked, the breast is dry.

Cook them separately, and the problem is avoided,

Would the turkey legs be candidates for the slow cooker? I'm thinking 3 hours or so and then pop into the oven to roast when the potatoes are going in?

the beer revolu

huskerdu wrote: »

Very true.



The only difficult thing about cooking turkey is that turkey leg needs long slow cooking, and by the time its cooked, the breast is dry.

Cook them separately, and the problem is avoided,

If you bone, roll and stuff the legs, they cook really nicely in about an hour. Really!
It is the only way to go. In our family this was always done for as long as I can remember - long before I started to poach the turkey crown.
One leg on Christmas day - the other went in the freezer.
I love the rolled turkey leg but never cared for the leg meat on a roast turkey.

Loire

the beer revolu wrote: »

If you bone, roll and stuff the legs, they cook really nicely in about an hour. Really

Hi Beer,

How do you mean exactly? Are you talking about taking the meat off the legs and then inserting stuffing into the meat or something? Confused but intrigued

Loire.

the beer revolu

Loire wrote: »

Hi Beer,

How do you mean exactly? Are you talking about taking the meat off the legs and then inserting stuffing into the meat or something? Confused but intrigued

Loire.

You remove the legs.
Cut along the flesh.
Take out the bones.
Put stuffing in.
Roll.
Tie.
Like I said, lots of YouTube videos to show you how. I highly recommend it.

pampootie

The best turkey I ever cooked I accidentally put in to roast upside down. (nothing whatsoever to do with the champagne breakfast, you understand) So moist! Looked a bit funny through.

Am at my in laws for Christmas this year, first time in ten years I won't be cooking Christmas dinner which I love doing. This thread is making me a bit sad

the beer revolu

pampootie wrote: »

The best turkey I ever cooked I accidentally put in to roast upside down. (nothing whatsoever to do with the champagne breakfast, you understand) So moist! Looked a bit funny through.

Am at my in laws for Christmas this year, first time in ten years I won't be cooking Christmas dinner which I love doing. This thread is making me a bit sad

That would be the recommended way to roast a turkey - then turn over to brown the breast at the end.

Loire

the beer revolu wrote: »

You remove the legs.
Cut along the flesh.
Take out the bones.
Put stuffing in.
Roll.
Tie.
Like I said, lots of YouTube videos to show you how. I highly recommend it.

Thanks for that. There's something inside me though that likes picking up the big leg in my hand a tearing away at it like a dog :eek::D

foodaholic

the beer revolu wrote: »

You remove the legs.
Cut along the flesh.
Take out the bones.
Put stuffing in.
Roll.
Tie.
Like I said, lots of YouTube videos to show you how. I highly recommend it.

How long would the stuffed legs take to cook ?
Could you use bread stuffing or would you be better of with a sausage stuffing ?

the beer revolu

Very good video on boning and stuffing the turkey leg here.

The start of this video shows how to remove the leg (very easy) but I prefer the previous video for taking out the tendons. I also don't really like how he stuffs the leg.

I bash the leg (covered with cling film) with a rolling pin to even it out a bit then I just put a line of stuffing down the centre of the opened leg and roll it into a fat sausage shape and tie it with string.

the beer revolu

foodaholic wrote: »

How long would the stuffed legs take to cook ?
Could you use bread stuffing or would you be better of with a sausage stuffing ?

As, I said earlier, the stuffed leg takes a an hour or so in a hot oven.
I use a traditional bread stuffing ( I like to use brown bread, onions softened in butter, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper).

notfromhere

What do u guys think of cooking a turkey in a bag or is it better in tin foil thanks

Danii86

For the last two years I've roasted my turkey with muslin over it.
I soak the muslin in melted butter infused with garlic herbs and lemon zest, then essentially 'wrap' the turkey in the muslin. Cover the whole thing loosely in foil and then roast away. I baste once or twice (muslin holds the juices when basting so dont need to do it too often). Then uncover the whole lot about half an hour before it done to crisp up the skin. The first year I did it i had never tasted such a deliciuosly moist turkey (Much to the complaint of some family members who like dry trukey....freaks!) last year was no exception and I can't wait to have it again this year.

On the topic of carvery turkeys, I worked in a kitchen for a few years and the turkey crowns, never full turkeys because they legs wouldnt be used, were cooked in a special oven that cooks them slowly overnight, hence the moistness.

the beer revolu

Danii86 wrote: »

The first year I did it i had never tasted such a deliciuosly moist turkey (Much to the complaint of some family members who like dry trukey....freaks!)

Some people are so used to overcooked,dry turkey that they think that's the way it should be!
Then again some people like well done, dry roast beef too:eek:

Faith

We used muslin one year, and it somehow caught on fire in the electric oven! :eek:

Loire

the beer revolu wrote: »

Very good video on boning * and stuffing the turkey leg here.

The start of this video shows how to remove the leg (very easy) but I prefer the previous video for taking out the tendons. I also don't really like how he stuffs the leg.

I bash the leg (covered with cling film) with a rolling pin to even it out a bit then I just put a line of stuffing down the centre of the opened leg and roll it into a fat sausage shape and tie it with string.

* Right about here I was getting excited :pac:

Markcheese

foodaholic wrote: »

How long would the stuffed legs take to cook ?
Could you use bread stuffing or would you be better of with a sausage stuffing ?

I always use a really good sausage, skin it,and put the tube of sausage into the boned out leg, season and butter the skin and roll the lot in tinfoil,and bung them in the oven... They cook a lot quicker than the breast...can't remember how long but 20 mins a pound and 20 over at a medium heat wouldn't see you far wrong !!!

Loire

the beer revolu wrote: »

Very good video on boning and stuffing the turkey leg here.

The start of this video shows how to remove the leg (very easy) but I prefer the previous video for taking out the tendons. I also don't really like how he stuffs the leg.

I bash the leg (covered with cling film) with a rolling pin to even it out a bit then I just put a line of stuffing down the centre of the opened leg and roll it into a fat sausage shape and tie it with string.

On a serious note, that's a super video. I would never have thought of that.

What would you use instead of a crepenette though for the rolling part?