How to cook your Christmas turkey like a pro!
With the big day just around the corner and Christmas dinner on the horizon, Phil Vickery is here to share his tips on how to cook the perfect turkey. He’ll also be answering your culinary questions and sharing his advice on how to prep, cook and serve your festive feast.
How to cook your Christmas turkey like a pro
Serves: 10
Ingredients
For the Christmas Pudding Stuffing:2 tbsp vegetable oil1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped1 tsp allspice2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped500g good quality sausage meat200g Christmas cake, no icing or marzipan, crumbledAbout 6 tbsp natural dried breadcrumbs1 whole medium egg150g dried cranberriesSalt and freshly milled black pepper
For the Christmas Turkey:1 x 5 kg just under 12lb, bronze turkey, with giblets and the wish bone removed2 large carrots, peeled2 large onion, peeled6 sticks of celery1 leek2 bay leaves½ bottle dry white wine2 pints cold water2 chicken stock cubes (optionally Gluten-Free stock cubes)Salt and freshly ground black pepper55g melted butter2 tbsp roughly cornflour4-6 tbsp cold water
Method
For the Christmas Pudding Stuffing:
1. Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onions, allspice and garlic and cook for a few minutes until soft and translucent.
2. Add the sausage meat and stir well.
3. Just break down the sausage meat but do not actually cook it through.
4. Then cool slightly, add enough bread crumbs to stiffen up the mixture, but remember that they will continue to thicken as they reconstitute themselves so take care not to add too many.
5. Stir in the whole egg and cranberries and beat the whole mixture well.
6. Finally, add the Christmas pudding and some salt and pepper.
7. Stuff the bird when required.
For the Christmas Turkey:
1. Preheat the oven to Gas 6 / 400 °F / 200 °C / 180 °C Fan.
2. First job is to remove the giblets from the bird, and if you are using a frozen bird then make sure that it is fully defrosted. Season the bird well inside and out well with salt and pepper and pack the stuffing into the body cavity (stuffing recipe below). Tie the legs and the person's nose together with a piece of string and secure well, so the stuffing is held inside the bird.
3. Chop all the vegetables into large chunks and place in the bottom of a large baking tray place the turkey on top, the tray should be large enough so the bird has at least 2 inch (5cm) gap all around. Pour in the white wine, cold water and chicken stock cube, and place the whole tray on to the stove.
4. Bring to the boil and cover tightly with two layers of foil and pop into a preheated oven. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT Simmer for 5 minutes, covered to get the steam and heat going!
5. Cook the bird for about 2 hours, approximately. To check if the bird is cooked, remove from the oven carefully as there will be a lot of stock, wine and turkey juices. Remove the foil and insert a knife where the thigh attaches itself to the body of the bird, the juices should run clear. If not, then cover again with foil and cook for a further 20 minutes
6. When the bird is cooked, remove from the oven, turn the oven up to Gas 8 / 450 °F / 230 °C / 210 °C Fan. Tip off the juices for the gravy, then brush the bird well with melted butter or oil and return to the oven to brown beautifully.
7. Once browned, remove from the oven and wrap in a double layer of foil then 2 clean tea towels, this should keep warm for up to 1 hour.
8. To serve: Re-boil the stock and juices, you may need to add a little more water in a saucepan and skim well.
Phil’s Top Tips:
Turkey cooking times
Phil says: At this time of year, I always get lots of questions from people worrying about their turkey, so, here are a few of my top tips to help you relax and have a stress-free Christmas.
How do I calculate the cooking time?
My method is different from traditional methods and has a unique set of steps for preparation and cooking. If you follow these simple steps closely you will get a perfectly cooked succulent turkey in just a couple of hours.
What size turkey do I need?
Allow 500g / 1lb of meat on the bone for each person, this will give you enough for a meal with some left over.
6-8 people: 4kg (8lbs 13oz) turkey
10 people: 5kg (11lbs) turkey
12 people: 6kg (13lbs 4oz) turkey
Make sure you have a roasting tray big enough for your bird and that it will fit in your oven.
How long does it take to defrost a frozen turkey?
At a cool room temperature (no more than 17.5°C), it will take about 2 hours for every 450g / 16oz
Do I need to rest the turkey?
Absolutely YES, resting time is the real key to a succulent turkey; it allows the meat to relax, making it tender and juicy, and to finish cooking. I have found 1 hour is the ideal length of time to rest if you wrap it in foil and importantly it frees up your oven to cook everything else.