Christmas dinner

appledrop

I actually like ham so am grand on Christmas day as always loads. However when you go to these events you always get a scrapy bit of ham hidden under a pile of turkey. I won't touch turkey is horrible.

Glenster

_Jamie_ wrote: »

Easy. Chicken breast. It's way blander. Turkey has a strong, distinctive flavour to my palette. And my mother is a whizz at roasting a moist turkey. Y'all just can't roast it properly.

Turkey = Bigger = Longer to cook = Dryer

QED

Just because your ma is some sort of wizard who can coax a non-Saharan turkey out of the oven does not mean its not dry and bland.

Answer me this, how long does your ma spend making this succulent turkey? if she spent as long prepping a chicken would it not taste even better.

JESUS THEY DONT EVEN SELL TURKEYS 50 WEEKS OF THE YEAR, COS NO-ONE WANTS THEM COS THEY DRY AF.

Yamanoto

I quite like Turkey that's been cooked well & retained its succulence, but it's the hours of associated faff and stress of plating up too much accompanying veg & all the other seemingly mandatory trappings that make Christmas dinner a bit exhausting.

I'm lucky to spend Christmas day with family I love but tbh, there's just too much pissing about doing things simply because tradition says that's the way it should be done. I'd far prefer if it were pared back a bit, to maximise the time spent sitting round the table having a chat & a laugh with those I care about considerably more than roasties, stuffing and cranberry sauce.

picturehangup

We always get a bronze free-range turkey, and they are not at all dry, especially if cooked breast side down rather than up, as the juices seep through, which keeps it nice and moist. Overcooked turkey tends to be very dry. Perhaps we are listening to bord bia ads re. salmonella a bit too much, but still need to heed!

RWCNT

I actually like Turkey quite a bit, especially the leg, but sticking to having that for your dinner out of tradition is daft if you don't enjoy it.

So many delicious alternatives, had Beef Wellington for the first time at my ex's parents house a few years ago and it was unbelievably awesome. Spiced Beef is another fave.

Glenster

IamMetaldave wrote: »

I have Lasagna every year for Christmas dinner because I hate Christmas dinner.

I cant help you.

Give these guys a try -116123

DEFTLEFTHAND

Usually too fcked up to enjoy the dinner properly.

Yourself isit

people who think turkey dry or bland have never had it cooked properly.

_Jamie_

Glenster wrote: »

Turkey = Bigger = Longer to cook = Dryer

QED

Just because your ma is some sort of wizard who can coax a non-Saharan turkey out of the oven does not mean its not dry and bland.

Answer me this, how long does your ma spend making this succulent turkey? if she spent as long prepping a chicken would it not taste even better.

JESUS THEY DONT EVEN SELL TURKEYS 50 WEEKS OF THE YEAR, COS NO-ONE WANTS THEM COS THEY DRY AF.

You don't need to be a wizard, just a competent cook. You can't cook. Sucks to be you. :cool:

Tauriel

demanufactured wrote: »

You're cooking them wrong.

I don't cook them, it's usually a relatives I am dragged to :rolleyes:

Kivaro

GingerLily wrote: »

BAH HUMBUG!!!!!

Based on some of the posts on this thread, I think you meant to say:
BAH HAMBUG!!!!!

P_1

Been trying to suggest that hot and spicy Turkey fillets be used instead of the bland, dry whole bird that usually ends up in the bin. Have not met with much success.

mohawk

I love Christmas dinner. My favourite part is the sandwiches in the evening. Ham, turkey and stuffing. Better then the dinner itself.

I know loads of people who don't like sprouts but still have them at Christmas. My granny always puts a couple on her plate every year even though she hates them. Then there is the people cooking them up in pancetta trying to disguise how disgusting they really are. If you don't like something feck tradition and have something you like.

philstar

anyone for Duck?

kfallon

mohawk wrote: »

I know loads of people who don't like sprouts but still have them at Christmas. My granny always puts a couple on her plate every year even though she hates them. Then there is the people cooking them up in pancetta trying to disguise how disgusting they really are. If you don't like something feck tradition and have something you like.

You wha'?

Estrellita

mohawk wrote: »

I know loads of people who don't like sprouts but still have them at Christmas. My granny always puts a couple on her plate every year even though she hates them. Then there is the people cooking them up in pancetta trying to disguise how disgusting they really are. If you don't like something feck tradition and have something you like.

Wrong. I'm beginning to think people are bollocksing up sprouts they way they are with their turkey. Cook / boil the s.hit out of everything, then tell everyone how you hate Christmas dinner. You get what you put into a dinner.

We love Brussels sprouts in our house, and yes I use pancetta in it. I'm not disguising the taste of them, I'm enhancing with meat juice flavour which softens the leaves nicely and gives them a nice bacon-y saltiness to them. It wouldn't be unknown to add meat flavours to other food. Gravy is another example.

It's fine to hate a boiled-to-s.hit sprout, but not a loved sprout. High in protein (for a green), source of vitamin C and K, folate, manganese, and potassium. Eat up your sprouts dear.

jester77

philstar wrote: »

anyone for Duck?

Yip, having duck on the xmas eve :pac::pac::pac:

Walter H Price

Estrellita wrote: »

Wrong. I'm beginning to think people are bollocksing up sprouts they way they are with their turkey. Cook / boil the s.hit out of everything, then tell everyone how you hate Christmas dinner. You get what you put into a dinner.

We love Brussels sprouts in our house, and yes I use pancetta in it. I'm not disguising the taste of them, I'm enhancing with meat juice flavour which softens the leaves nicely and gives them a nice bacon-y saltiness to them. It wouldn't be unknown to add meat flavours to other food. Gravy is another example.

It's fine to hate a boiled-to-s.hit sprout, but not a loved sprout. High in protein (for a green), source of vitamin C and K, folate, manganese, and potassium. Eat up your sprouts dear.

Totally agree sprouts can be awesome if done properly , like any veg if boiled to death yeh its going to be slimy pointless bland gick , i do agree that alot of why people dont like the full Christmas dinner is because allot of Irish people cant cook for Sh!t, there's nothing worse than bone dry turkey meat , over boiled ham , dry stuffing out of a packet and some over boiled veg and lumpy mash.

This thread has actually inspired me to ditch the indian/ chineese theam for this year and give the traditional thing a proper lash, im not sure Turkey can be anything other then bland but will give it a lash ,will be adding a duck just in case though :P

Estrellita

Walter H Price wrote: »

Totally agree sprouts can be awesome if done properly , like any veg if boiled to death yeh its going to be slimy pointless bland gick , i do agree that alot of why people dont like the full Christmas dinner is because allot of Irish people cant cook for Sh!t, there's nothing worse than bone dry turkey meat , over boiled ham , dry stuffing out of a packet and some over boiled veg and lumpy mash.

This thread has actually inspired me to ditch the indian/ chineese theam for this year and give the traditional thing a proper lash, im not sure Turkey can be anything other then bland but will give it a lash ,will be adding a duck just in case though :P

Lol.. no need for the duck unless it's what you really want. You just have to keep an eye on everything.

Turkey is only known to be dry and bland by those that near cremate the thing in the oven. You can't bang it in the oven for a couple of hours and hope for the best. I take the turkey out every so often and give it a little bath in its own juices. It's carefully wrapped in strips of bacon to lock down the moisture and allow it's bacon-yness to seep in.

The turkey is best enjoyed with a lovely, moist homemade stuffing. I make it from scratch every year, dry shop bought stuffing is not an option. I hate dry stuffing with a passion

LirW

Estrellita wrote: »

Lol.. no need for the duck unless it's what you really want. You just have to keep an eye on everything.

Turkey is only known to be dry and bland by those that near cremate the thing in the oven. You can't bang it in the oven for a couple of hours and hope for the best. I take the turkey out every so often and give it a little bath in its own juices. It's carefully wrapped in strips of bacon to lock down the moisture and allow it's bacon-yness to seep in.

The turkey is best enjoyed with a lovely, moist homemade stuffing. I make it from scratch every year, dry shop bought stuffing is not an option. I hate dry stuffing with a passion

Can I come over and have a bit of your turkey? I really fear for the poor bird in the house after my in-laws are done with it

Estrellita

LirW wrote: »

Can I come over and have a bit of your turkey? I really fear for the poor bird in the house after my in-laws are done with it

More than welcome

LirW

I witnessed the cooking of a ham here once: It's a block of ham dumped into cider without spices and boiled to death for some hours. Taken out, sliced and eaten. Why is this happening. I swear to god this is the process, I'm not lying.

Walter H Price

Estrellita wrote: »

Lol.. no need for the duck unless it's what you really want. You just have to keep an eye on everything.

Turkey is only known to be dry and bland by those that near cremate the thing in the oven. You can't bang it in the oven for a couple of hours and hope for the best. I take the turkey out every so often and give it a little bath in its own juices. It's carefully wrapped in strips of bacon to lock down the moisture and allow it's bacon-yness to seep in.

The turkey is best enjoyed with a lovely, moist homemade stuffing. I make it from scratch every year, dry shop bought stuffing is not an option. I hate dry stuffing with a passion

I think i'm going to try roasting it in a , roasting bag with some home made stock to really try and lock in some flavor , going for the boned and rolled joint as the OH cant cope with meat on the bone , will be part boiling in cider then honey mustard glazing and baking the Ham.

Fully agreed on the stuffing home made with sausage meat is the only way to go

currants

Walter H Price wrote: »

I think i'm going to try roasting it in a , roasting bag with some home made stock to really try and lock in some flavor , going for the boned and rolled joint as the OH cant cope with meat on the bone , will be part boiling in cider then honey mustard glazing and baking the Ham.

Fully agreed on the stuffing home made with sausage meat is the only way to go

I really wouldn't bother with the boned and rolled turkey, the bones give a lot of flavour. Get a crown, there's enough rib and breastbone there to give flavour and put your own stuffing in the neck end, apple and celery is lovely. Carve it up out of sight Neven Maguire has a great buttermilk brined turkey recipe too.

Glenster

Glenster wrote: »

Turkey = Bigger = Longer to cook = Dryer

QED

Just because your ma is some sort of wizard who can coax a non-Saharan turkey out of the oven does not mean its not dry and bland.

Answer me this, how long does your ma spend making this succulent turkey? if she spent as long prepping a chicken would it not taste even better.

JESUS THEY DONT EVEN SELL TURKEYS 50 WEEKS OF THE YEAR, COS NO-ONE WANTS THEM COS THEY DRY AF.

I eat turkey a few times a week every week as a sandwich filling and eat it as a dinner many times throughout the year. Its far from reserved for Christmas.

picturehangup

We eat turkey throughout the year. My butcher does a lovely turkey breast stuffed. Have it every month or so, as turkey is full of trytophan, a pre-cursor to all those feel-good brain chemicals. High in protein, low in fat, the family just love it!

NoFreeGaffs

Jayden Defeated Silhouette wrote: »

I eat turkey a few times a week every week as a sandwich filling and eat it as a dinner many times throughout the year. Its far from reserved for Christmas.

It's the best meat for sandwiches and rolls.