Christmas cooking

Dubl07

BaZmO* wrote: »

Where are you based?

Dial Hard wrote: »

They have them in the baking section of Lidl.

Based near Blackrock in South Dublin, BaZmO. I had tried Dunnes, Tesco, Aldi, SuperValu - thanks Dial Hard, will give Lidl a go.

mirrorwall14

So it turns out a 23lb turkey doesn't fit in my oven. We figured this out Christmas Morning Last year taking a hacksaw to the legs to cook them separately....

However, I have to feed 6 adults and 1 child for main dinner, leftovers Christmas Night and leftovers boxing day.... A smaller turkey ain't going to cut it!!

I'm thinking of cooking two? One on Christmas Day and a second on Stephens Day. I can throw the second into the oven in a bag so I don't have much work to do.

I'm unsure on timing of dates etc however. Am I likely to be able to collect a turkey on the 23rd that will still be ok to cook on the 26th? Or should i be getting a frozen one that I can defrost? And how long does a turkey take to defrost?

(Head wrecked.....!)

LirW

Can you fit a large turkey crown in your oven? Would it be a drama without having legs?
Would one smaller turkey on Christmas day do it?
I'd probably just go with the biggest crown you can fit.

I'd reckon if you collect the turkey on the 23rd you'll be grand to cook it. If you're getting it from a butcher, simply ask them, I order all my meat from our butcher and he told me when the best time would be to pick it up.

mirrorwall14

LirW wrote: »

Can you fit a large turkey crown in your oven? Would it be a drama without having legs?
Would one smaller turkey on Christmas day do it?
I'd probably just go with the biggest crown you can fit.

I'd reckon if you collect the turkey on the 23rd you'll be grand to cook it. If you're getting it from a butcher, simply ask them, I order all my meat from our butcher and he told me when the best time would be to pick it up.

Massive leg fans in this house and they'll be completely stripped so its gotta be a turkey To be fair I loooove the look (and taste) of a full turkey so I'm ok with it. I know one turkey won't because I did it for a dinner over the summer and there literally wasn't a bit left for leftovers

Good call on asking the butcher, thats probably the best plan! Particularly since I've never defrosted a turkey

BaZmO*

Dubl07 wrote: »

Based near Blackrock in South Dublin, BaZmO. I had tried Dunnes, Tesco, Aldi, SuperValu - thanks Dial Hard, will give Lidl a go.

Any Asian/African stores near you?

phormium

I thought we ate a lot of turkey but a 23lb for 6 adults!

I cooked two last year, can't remember the weights, one was small to be fair and I cooked it in a halogen oven while the other was in the main oven, I had 20 for dinner though, we didn't even use all the large one on the day itself so had a full small one for leftovers.

Slattsy

Reading this is making me worry about what size turkey will fit in my oven. Maybe I should get a crown instead!

mirrorwall14

phormium wrote: »

I thought we ate a lot of turkey but a 23lb for 6 adults!

I cooked two last year, can't remember the weights, one was small to be fair and I cooked it in a halogen oven while the other was in the main oven, I had 20 for dinner though, we didn't even use all the large one on the day itself so had a full small one for leftovers.

Yeah it’s really 21 dinners though if you think of it that way, in that everyone eats three dinners of turkey!! 22 really in that the other group have an extra person for Stephens day so bring an extra plate. I have an instant pot and airfryer so I’m not stuck for oven room hence thinking two turkeys would just be easier.

mirrorwall14

Slattsy wrote: »

Reading this is making me worry about what size turkey will fit in my oven. Maybe I should get a crown instead!

23lb was the biggest turkey I had ever seen to be honest!! My house wouldn’t have been big turkey eaters but I now cook for me, husband, child and the in laws and they all love turkey

rubadub

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

Massive leg fans in this house and they'll be completely stripped so its gotta be a turkey

You could get extra turkey legs and do them in the airfryer. Or fit them in the oven along with the turkey.

People seem to think the alternative to a whole turkey is a crown, just get a bunch of legs if you like it, why suffer the breast at all. Cook faster too.

Dubl07

BaZmO* wrote: »

Any Asian/African stores near you?

Yep. Ingredients in Stillorgan, another in Blackrock market I think. Then there's the Asia Market over in Ballymount. I'll have a look around. Pimenta as another name should help, thanks.

LirW

rubadub wrote: »

You could get extra turkey legs and do them in the airfryer. Or fit them in the oven along with the turkey.

People seem to think the alternative to a whole turkey is a crown, just get a bunch of legs if you like it, why suffer the breast at all. Cook faster too.

I think it's because it might be the easiest for cold cuts? I don't know, I'm not in the turkey game at all

phormium

My father always told me not to go bigger than 16lbs for a turkey as that size was best value meat to bone ratio and for tenderness. Don't know if he was right or not but have always stuck to around that and just cooked second one or extra crown if needed. Some years I buy a second one and bone and stuff the legs for another day and cook the crown.

the beer revolu

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

So it turns out a 23lb turkey doesn't fit in my oven. We figured this out Christmas Morning Last year taking a hacksaw to the legs to cook them separately....

However, I have to feed 6 adults and 1 child for main dinner, leftovers Christmas Night and leftovers boxing day.... A smaller turkey ain't going to cut it!!

I'm thinking of cooking two? One on Christmas Day and a second on Stephens Day. I can throw the second into the oven in a bag so I don't have much work to do.

I'm unsure on timing of dates etc however. Am I likely to be able to collect a turkey on the 23rd that will still be ok to cook on the 26th? Or should i be getting a frozen one that I can defrost? And how long does a turkey take to defrost?

(Head wrecked.....!)

Take the legs off, bone, stuff and roll them.
Roast the crown (or, even better, poach it) and while it is resting, covered, roast the legs - they will cook in an hour.

Rolled, stuffed turkey leg is effing gorgeous. You'll never roast a whole turkey again if you do this.

rubadub

LirW wrote: »

I think it's because it might be the easiest for cold cuts? I don't know, I'm not in the turkey game at all

My guess is people see a crown as still being "a turkey" but do not see a bunch of legs as being acceptable as a replacement, even if they prefer it or not. Some might carve at the table. My family do not carve at the table anymore but I could see objections to getting a bunch of legs instead, just does not seem "traditional", but is far more rational if they all hate/dislike breast meat and love leg. I knew a family who got a regular size chicken (not for xmas) and 2 more legs to suit the leg lovers, I think the youngest ended up thinking standard chickens had 4 legs!

Many getting just a crown intend on having no leftovers anyway, so so no cold cuts. I never got the tradition of cooking far too much and having to suffer having leftovers. It seems food safety concerns also go out the window at christmas. I prefer to cook what I need as I go.

I hate the whole Christmas food tradition, and simply do not believe all the claims people have of love for all the food, they can say they love it all they like but it is blatantly evident to me that this is not the case for most people. Proof to me is since I have never heard of someone saying "it was valentines/my birthday/"special occasion", and so of course I demanded my favourite (any or all of) -a turkey, a Christmas style cake, pudding, and a load of sprouts.

Of course I have no doubt someone will be along to say they do, but I think most would (reluctantly) accept this is not the norm and get my point. I can't remember mince pies at any kids or adults party I was every at -people talk of the love for them, is it just that they prefer them over the other horrible food on offer? I genuinely like pancakes, another religiously related food, and do cook them all year round -and these are seen as a cheap non-extravagant food.

silverharp

rubadub wrote: »

I hate the whole Christmas food tradition, and simply do not believe all the claims people have of love for all the food, they can say they love it all they like but it is blatantly evident to me that this is not the case for most people. Proof to me is since I have never heard of someone saying "it was valentines/my birthday/"special occasion", and so of course I demanded my favourite (any or all of) -a turkey, a Christmas style cake, pudding, and a load of sprouts.

its the tradition, whatever you say its still a nice meal , personally one of my favourite parts is having turkey sandwiches and salad later in the evening with a nice big mug of tea.
My mother used to say it was always goose when she was growing up and that turkey was a modern thing.

AustinLostin

silverharp wrote: »

My mother used to say it was always goose when she was growing up and that turkey was a modern thing.

Any tips on cooking a goose? Is it difficult? I am always intrigued to try it for Christmas dinner but always worried it will be disastrous.

Dial Hard

AustinLostin wrote: »

Any tips on cooking a goose? Is it difficult? I am always intrigued to try it for Christmas dinner but always worried it will be disastrous.

It's very fatty and doesn't have a huge amount of meat on it compared to a turkey. I'm not a fan.

dee_mc

We enjoy the white turkey meat in this house and often buy a second crown to have at new year or even Easter - often make extra stuffing balls too. People complain about the white meant being dry or bland but ours is always succulent and tasty and I love it!
Christmas dinner is one of my favourite meals of the year but that's mostly about the ritual of it. Can't beat a great steak any other day of the year!

dealornodeal23

cbreeze wrote: »

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

Dentastick and water for your dog???? I have 2 dogs and a cat and they each get a Santa plate of turkey ham etc the same as what we have

mirrorwall14

Cooked a turkey crown in the instant pot this evening as a test. That worked, definitely getting a "normal" sized turkey and doing an extra turkey crown in the pressure cooker for extra meat. Thanks for all the help everyone, Mother in law is ordering a "normal" turkey and I'll get the crown!

Now to worry about dessert

Mystery Egg

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

Cooked a turkey crown in the instant pot this evening as a test. That worked, definitely getting a "normal" sized turkey and doing an extra turkey crown in the pressure cooker for extra meat. Thanks for all the help everyone, Mother in law is ordering a "normal" turkey and I'll get the crown!

Now to worry about dessert

Can you share how you cooked your turkey in the instant pot? Perhaps in the instant pot thread? Very curious to hear how it went.

Slattsy

Is an instant pot a slow cooker????

joombo

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

sounds great! Thanks for the ideas

Mystery Egg

Slattsy wrote: »

Is an instant pot a slow cooker????

It's a digital pressure cooker. You can cook things extremely quickly, or use it as a slow cooker, or as a hot saute pan. It's great.

B0jangles

I think I say this practically every year around Christmas, but if you can beg, borrow or steal a hostess trolley, you absolutely should. They make getting a dinner for 10+ people so so much easier. We eat at around 4:30, but I start cooking the various vegetable sides from about 1 o'clock - as each is just done, it goes into the hostess.

Turkey cooking faster than you expected? No problem, take it out (even over an hour earlier than you intended), and let it rest in the hostess, it'll be fine.

I have no idea why they aren't more popular - even if you only use them a couple of times a year, they pay for themselves in the sheer amount of stress they take off your shoulders .

Dubl07

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

Cooked a turkey crown in the instant pot this evening as a test. That worked, definitely getting a "normal" sized turkey and doing an extra turkey crown in the pressure cooker for extra meat. Thanks for all the help everyone, Mother in law is ordering a "normal" turkey and I'll get the crown!

Now to worry about dessert

Enjoy! I was talking to a butcher from Whelans the other day who said people are ordering fewer crowns and more whole turkeys.
As a fan of legs, that was terrible news!

Gloomtastic!

B0jangles wrote: »

I think I say this practically every year around Christmas, but if you can beg, borrow or steal a hostess trolley, you absolutely should. They make getting a dinner for 10+ people so so much easier. We eat at around 4:30, but I start cooking the various vegetable sides from about 1 o'clock - as each is just done, it goes into the hostess.

Turkey cooking faster than you expected? No problem, take it out (even over an hour earlier than you intended), and let it rest in the hostess, it'll be fine.

I have no idea why they aren't more popular - even if you only use them a couple of times a year, they pay for themselves in the sheer amount of stress they take off your shoulders .

Mine died last year!

They have those heated serving trays in Aldi. Are they the same?

B0jangles

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

Mine died last year!

They have those heated serving trays in Aldi. Are they the same?

I don't think they'd be as good at keeping everything stable for as long as a hostess would, I think they are more for the serving stage.

There's a nice-looking hostess on adverts at the mo: https://www.adverts.ie/other-dining-utensils/electric-hostess-trolly/13312143

seller's looking for 100 quid

pigtail33

Mystery Egg wrote: »

Can you share how you cooked your turkey in the instant pot? Perhaps in the instant pot thread? Very curious to hear how it went.

I find this blog quite good for Instant Pot recipe inspiration. Here's the method she uses for a Turkey Crown. I haven't tried it, but other recipes I've tried from the blog have all been a success

https://www.everynookandcranny.net/instant-pot-turkey-crown/