Christmas cooking

Maldesu · 04-10-2017 11:13am

B0jangles wrote: »

I always used to cook the cake with my mum too I've kind of taken over now because I like to potter around doing things in my own way and she's more a fan of cake eating than cake baking. Also, the kenwood chef is an absolute joy to have for christmas cake making - I get to leave the butter/sugar to cream by itself while I sieve flour and chop fruit - bliss!

She was up for a few days so we thought we'd do it. No fancy pants kendwood for us. Just a big bowl, hand mixer and wooden spoon. Thankfully, the fruits were bought chopped otherwise it would have been a massive job.

the beer revolu · 04-10-2017 11:19am

Love goose.
Echo everything boj said.
If you find duck fatty, don't go for goose. If you love duck, give it a bash.
It is expensive for the amount of eating but if you want something different and don't mind the expense, go for it.

Have lots and lots of jam jars to pour the fat into as it melts down.

Do some research on cooking times. You want it just right. Not under done but not dry.

Love the flavour.

B0jangles · 04-10-2017 12:30pm

Maldesu wrote: »

She was up for a few days so we thought we'd do it. No fancy pants kendwood for us. Just a big bowl, hand mixer and wooden spoon. Thankfully, the fruits were bought chopped otherwise it would have been a massive job.

I remember she told me about the first time she made a christmas cake all by herself - she was using a fairly old cookbook which said to cream the butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon until pale and creamy, so wanting to be traditional she used the spoon, not an electric beater. Apparently it took a very very long time

The kenwood chef we have was a find at the local market - probably dates back to the '70s and still works perfectly!

Shenshen · 05-10-2017 8:38am

the beer revolu wrote: »

Love goose.
Echo everything boj said.
If you find duck fatty, don't go for goose. If you love duck, give it a bash.
It is expensive for the amount of eating but if you want something different and don't mind the expense, go for it.

Have lots and lots of jam jars to pour the fat into as it melts down.

Do some research on cooking times. You want it just right. Not under done but not dry.

Love the flavour.

My gran would use the fat as spread once it was cooled down - I believe that's called "drippings" here, right?

The Black Oil · 06-10-2017 8:35pm

I was thinking about this thread in the supermarket earlier. There was something in last year's thread that made me think about not doing turkey. iirc, it was homemadecider's post.

homemadecider · 08-10-2017 9:00pm

I love that you're all planning your Christmas dinners already. I am too! We've had beef wellington the last two years which is my absolute favourite, but I'm all sorts of pregnant this year so rare beef is off the menu. I think we'll do an orangey gingery ham, lots of stuffing and tons of veg. Still tossing up dessert ideas. Trifle? Chocolate log? Both?!

rubadub · 08-10-2017 9:45pm

the beer revolu wrote: »

.
If you find duck fatty, don't go for goose. If you love duck, give it a bash.

They should cross a turkey with a goose to get something with the right amount of fat!

Just googled it there and found this forum about raising birds

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/crossbreeding-pilgrim-goose-and-turkey.613776/

Crossbreeding pilgrim goose and turkey

Our Turkey absolutely loves our Pilgrim goose , gussie. She is quite the looker but he goes nuts when she gets near him. I cannot find any information as to whether it can or has been done in cross breeding a turkey and pilgrim goose. There seems to be a love story going on between them and if they would be happy and safe i would consider putting them together.

-"quite the looker" :eek:

Dubl07 · 09-10-2017 5:27pm

I'm building up citrus peel in the freezer at the moment to do a day of preserving those by type. So far I have lemon, orange and red grapefruit. Lime skins seem too thin to bother with, am I right?
When that's out of the way, it's Christmas cake x 2 and a couple of puddings. Then a few jars of mincemeat, some traditional with suet and one I found recently with cranberries, nuts etc on a Good Food page.
After that, it's stocking up on chicken livers - never available at Christmas itself. A load of stuffing (I bake it in a flat dish rather than in balls and it takes up less room in the freezer), and a vat of cranberry and orange sauce with port. We rarely do turkey and ham but I'll swap some stuffing, liver pate and cranberry sauce for a dish of t&h from my aunt.

No-one has mentioned a pressed tongue. It has fallen out of favour? My mum used to do that, spiced beef and a lot of sausage rolls. All to be eaten in the same week. :eek:

beertons · 09-10-2017 7:15pm

Consulted the kids earlier, after a maiden bake of hassleback potatoes. Them or roast potatoes, I asked them. Now the roasties are done in goosefat, so they're gonna be delicious. But the want the hassleback again.

Suits me, a dish less, and a lot lighter on the stomach.

StripedBoxers · 10-10-2017 12:32am

This year we've decided to to turkey and ham, which we normally never do. Couldn't tell you the last time we had it, esp for Xmas.

I'm really looking forward to it for a change.

Veg will be our usual carrots, broccoli, peas. We will also have stuffing and maybe I might try Bazmo's stuffing balls too.

Need to order our turkey crown soon too, wonder if the butcher is taking orders yet actually, must check this week.

Whistlejacket · 10-10-2017 6:11pm

I'm going to make mincemeat this weekend hopefully. Is there any advantage to getting fresh suet from a butcher over using the dried Atora version?

I'm happy to put the time into cleaning and grating the fresh stuff (like my Granny used to do) if it gives a nicer texture but maybe there is no discernible difference? I'd be interested in others' opinions; I am looking forward to meltingly delicious mince pies with crumbly pastry while watching the racing on tv on Stephen's Day!!

Loire · 19-10-2017 10:31am

A couple of years ago I set up the site below JUST for the big day

https://loirexmas.wordpress.com

Gloomtastic! · 19-10-2017 1:17pm

Loire wrote: »

A couple of years ago I set up the site below JUST for the big day

https://loirexmas.wordpress.com

Marie Rose sauce? Is that for your prawn cocktail starter or do you serve it with your turkey/ham?

Loire · 19-10-2017 2:36pm

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

Marie Rose sauce? Is that for your prawn cocktail starter or do you serve it with your turkey/ham?

Yeah, it's for the usual seafood starter I do with:
scallops, crab / crab meat, smoked salmon and tiger prawns, all sitting on a bed of iceberg lettuce.

This might be "Christmas cake weekend" too!

ImARebel · 20-10-2017 1:23pm

We do boned and rolled turkeys legs, the meat is much nicer than the breast. i usually do one with traditional stuffing and the other a fruit/nut one. Easy to cut and so tasty. My ham gets boiled on Christmas eve in a pot with herbs spices and veggies, then glazed on Christmas morning and bunged in the oven. I do turnip (I'm such a culchie, lol) honey roast parsnip, pigs in a blanket, my SIL does the sprouts as i can't abide the smell of them, lol. And for the last 3 years in a row I've bought M&S red cabbage to have and I've forgotten to cook it, lol...

And we've a seafood and pate for starters and generally eton mess for dessert (kids love it!), SIL sometimes brings another dessert (will never go to waste!) and then a cheese board for later that night.

I do feel guilty for not going down home for Christmas but with the kids and santy etc it's a hassle.

i had goose out only recently and it was fab, I'd eat it all day and all night, but no one else would so I'm stuck with turkey, i actually prefer the ham to turkey

Maldesu · 20-10-2017 1:35pm

Any tips for getting the tendons out of the turkey legs?
I love Eton Mess, but I doubt the rest of them would go for it. Too fond of the sherry trifle.

Gloomtastic! · 20-10-2017 1:57pm

Maldesu wrote: »

Any tips for getting the tendons out of the turkey legs?

I’ve been using a pair of pliers to pluck them out. It really is a time-consuming job so i’d love to hear of a better way.....

arian · 20-10-2017 2:04pm

Maldesu wrote: »

Any tips for getting the tendons out of the turkey legs?

I used to work in a place where they gave us a home-grown turkey for Christmas. The birds were plucked, but not drawn or otherwise dressed. The hardest thing was getting those tendons out; you'd cut through the skin around the joint and then be tugging away with a pair of pliers. You'd usually manage to get a couple, but the rest would have to stay there

Supposedly, the way to do it is to hang the bird up by its feet from a solid rafter or such like, and then pull down on the carcass with all your body weight. I never had anywhere suitable to hang it, so I've never tried this method.

ImARebel · 20-10-2017 2:18pm

Maldesu wrote: »

Any tips for getting the tendons out of the turkey legs?
I love Eton Mess, but I doubt the rest of them would go for it. Too fond of the sherry trifle.

Yep - ask your butcher

I get him to bone them out for me and if there are any tendons left I cut them out, but it usually is 90% done for me, just a matter of tipping your fingers on it to make sure no bits are left.

now that said, my usual butcher has retired this year, the fancy guy up the street might not do it for me...

regarding the desserts - have both, it is christmas after all

Loire · 20-10-2017 4:04pm

ImARebel wrote: »

We do boned and rolled turkeys legs, the meat is much nicer than the breast.

I've never cooked these before, but the recipe below has me drooling!!

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/dec/14/nigel-slater-turkey-christmas-recipe

Think I might give this a bash this year!

Gloomtastic! · 20-10-2017 5:06pm

Loire wrote: »

I've never cooked these before, but the recipe below has me drooling!!

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/dec/14/nigel-slater-turkey-christmas-recipe

Think I might give this a bash this year!

Nice link!

I'd have to give the red cabbage with juniper berries a trial run.

I wrap my stuffed legs in streaky bacon and then tin foil, then simmer them in a flavoured stock for a couple of hours then let them cool. I stick one in the freezer for January. The other sits in the fridge for a couple of days then 30 minutes before serving I take the foil off and fry it in butter until crispy all over (which also heats it through). I think this year I'll add pistachios and apricots as per the link.

LirW · 20-10-2017 7:42pm

If you try the red cabbage, cook it 2 days before and put red wine in it. It gets sooooo much better when it's reheated. And the red wine gives it a nice depth too.

ImARebel · 21-10-2017 12:05pm

Loire wrote: »

I've never cooked these before, but the recipe below has me drooling!!

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/dec/14/nigel-slater-turkey-christmas-recipe

Think I might give this a bash this year!

I've never done a sausage meat stuffing that sounds fab!

cbreeze · 21-10-2017 12:27pm

Champagne for openers
Smoked salmon to start served with Chablis - cracker pulling commences
LIDL frozen turkey crowns will be available soon so one will be kept in the freezer until time to defrost, served with choice of Beaujolais or a white wine
while family eating starter vegetables will be going into steamer (carrot and sprouts), potatoes in their own steamer and roasted ones in the oven
Ham boiling and finished in the oven while turkey resting
Christmas pudding with brandy flaming on top, whipped cream
Selection of cheese, biscuits and grapes, accompanied by port or sauternes
The dog will have a dentastick and a bowl of water
Aiming to get most of the stuff from LIDL

beertons · 04-11-2017 10:00pm

Whole salmon supplier sorted for Christmas Eve, which I'm going to smoke. A fish monger who goes to the farmers market. He laughed at me, said the day falls perfectly, as there's a market on dec 23.

leahyl · 05-11-2017 5:21pm

Christmas cake is done!

kylith · 08-11-2017 1:39pm

I have the parents this year, and since I've told them I'm not cooking turkey cos I'm not a fan of it beef wellingtons have been decided on. They're bringing the pudding as their contribution, and I'm thinking of making ginger ice cream to go with it. For starter, IDK. Was thinking salmon but they eat it fairly regularly, so now my thoughts keep coming back to Dublin Lawyer - lobster in a whiskey cream sauce. Has anyone made it themselves? Is it easy enough? I'd probably be using Lidl lobsters, tbh.