Christmas Turkey Recipes

JAMIE'S CHRISTMAS TURKEY

Steps:

• If you're worried about cooking the perfect Christmas turkey because you're afraid you'll get it wrong, don't be. This recipe is nice and simple and will help you achieve brilliant results for your Christmas meal. Take your turkey out of the refrigerator about an hour before you're ready to cook it so it comes up to room temperature before roasting. Give it a good rinse then pat it dry with some kitchen paper, making sure you soak up any water in the cavity. Drizzle the meat with a good lug of olive oil, add a few good sprinkles of salt and pepper and then rub this seasoning all over the bird, making sure you get in to all the nooks and crannies. Preheat your oven to full whack then get started on your stuffing. For the stuffing: Pour a lug or 2 of olive oil into a large pan on a medium heat and fry off your chopped onion, for about 10 minutes, or until softened. Stir in a good pinch of salt and pepper, the ground nutmeg and your chopped sage leaves, then continue to fry and stir for another 1 minute or 2. Spoon the onion mixture into a large bowl and let it cool completely. Once cooled, add your pork mince and breadcrumbs and use your hands to really scrunch everything together. Once it's mixed really well, bring the stuffing together into a ball, then cover and chill until you're ready to stuff your turkey. Pull the skin at the neck-end back so you can see a cavity and push about 1/2 of your stuffing inside your turkey. Not too much: you don't want to pack it so tightly it slows down the cooking. Once done, pull and fold the skin over the opening and tuck it under the bird so it looks nice. Turn the turkey around and drop a few small pieces of stuffing into the larger cavity along with your clementine halves and a few sprigs rosemary. Place your roughly chopped onion, celery, and carrots in the bottom of a roasting pan and lay your turkey on top. Cover the turkey with tin foil then put it in the hot oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 350 degrees F/ 180 degrees C/ Gas 4. Cook for about 35 to 40 minutes per kilo/ 2 pounds 2 ounces. The 11 pound/ 5 kg bird in this recipe will take about 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Check on your turkey every 20 minutes or so and keep it from drying out by basting it with the lovely juices from the bottom of the pan. After 2 1/2 hours, remove the foil so the skin gets golden and crispy. When the time is up, take your turkey out of the oven and stick a small sharp knife into the fattest part of the thigh. If the juices run clear and the meat pulls apart easily, it's ready. If not, pop the turkey back in the oven to cook for a bit longer, then check again. Once ready, cover the turkey with tin foil and a few clean tea towels for 30 minutes and let it rest while you get your vegetables and gravy ready.

JAMIE'S CHRISTMAS TURKEY

Steps:

• If you're worried about cooking the perfect Christmas turkey because you're afraid you'll get it wrong, don't be. This recipe is nice and simple and will help you achieve brilliant results for your Christmas meal. Take your turkey out of the refrigerator about an hour before you're ready to cook it so it comes up to room temperature before roasting. Give it a good rinse then pat it dry with some kitchen paper, making sure you soak up any water in the cavity. Drizzle the meat with a good lug of olive oil, add a few good sprinkles of salt and pepper and then rub this seasoning all over the bird, making sure you get in to all the nooks and crannies. Preheat your oven to full whack then get started on your stuffing. For the stuffing: Pour a lug or 2 of olive oil into a large pan on a medium heat and fry off your chopped onion, for about 10 minutes, or until softened. Stir in a good pinch of salt and pepper, the ground nutmeg and your chopped sage leaves, then continue to fry and stir for another 1 minute or 2. Spoon the onion mixture into a large bowl and let it cool completely. Once cooled, add your pork mince and breadcrumbs and use your hands to really scrunch everything together. Once it's mixed really well, bring the stuffing together into a ball, then cover and chill until you're ready to stuff your turkey. Pull the skin at the neck-end back so you can see a cavity and push about 1/2 of your stuffing inside your turkey. Not too much: you don't want to pack it so tightly it slows down the cooking. Once done, pull and fold the skin over the opening and tuck it under the bird so it looks nice. Turn the turkey around and drop a few small pieces of stuffing into the larger cavity along with your clementine halves and a few sprigs rosemary. Place your roughly chopped onion, celery, and carrots in the bottom of a roasting pan and lay your turkey on top. Cover the turkey with tin foil then put it in the hot oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 350 degrees F/ 180 degrees C/ Gas 4. Cook for about 35 to 40 minutes per kilo/ 2 pounds 2 ounces. The 11 pound/ 5 kg bird in this recipe will take about 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Check on your turkey every 20 minutes or so and keep it from drying out by basting it with the lovely juices from the bottom of the pan. After 2 1/2 hours, remove the foil so the skin gets golden and crispy. When the time is up, take your turkey out of the oven and stick a small sharp knife into the fattest part of the thigh. If the juices run clear and the meat pulls apart easily, it's ready. If not, pop the turkey back in the oven to cook for a bit longer, then check again. Once ready, cover the turkey with tin foil and a few clean tea towels for 30 minutes and let it rest while you get your vegetables and gravy ready.;

BRAZILIAN CHRISTMAS TURKEY

Steps:

• Place turkey (or turkey breast) and all other ingredients in a large oven roasting bag, seal tightly with no air and place in a large dish in the refrigerator to marinate overnight (actually, mine marinated for nearly 2 days--).
• When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Remove turkey from marinade and place in a large roasting pan.
• In a strainer, drain liquid from the vegetables and seasonings; place vegetables and seasonings in the turkey cavity.
• Roast, covered with foil, for 30 minutes at 425 degrees; reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and roast about another 3 to 3-1/2 hours (for turkey breast; for a whole turkey, adjust your time accordingly), basting periodically.
• Uncover the last 30 minutes or so for browning of the turkey.
• Makes the most excellent turkey sandwiches--.

PERFECT CHRISTMAS TURKEY

Steps:

• Bring salt, water, thyme and berries to a simmer in a large pot, then set aside to cool.
• Put turkey in a large basin, at least twice as large as the bird.
• Pour the brine over the turkey, cover, and rset aside in a cool dark place for 12 hours.
• Preheat oven to 150°C Put the turkey in a large baking dish, on a rack, drizzle with oil and bake for 40 minutes.
• Bring stock, sage, butter, and peppercorns to the boil and baste the turkey.
• Bake for 45 minutes, basting every 20 minutes.
• Turn the oven up to 220C and bake for a further 10 minutes.
• Remove turkey from oven, cover with foil and a towel, and rest for 15 minutes.