A complete and well-crafted Christmas dinner with all the trimmings is truly a thing of beauty, a magnificent centrepiece which the whole family will marvel at.
Picture a golden turkey surrounded by honeyed parsnips, crispy pigs in blankets and vibrant Brussel sprouts, complete with lashings of gravy - can Christmas get any better? Our turkeys have been awarded Best Turkey by Good Housekeeping, ensuring your Christmas dinner will be as delicious as can be.
For the turkey
Preheat your oven to 180°C. Let your bird reach room temperature.
Take a good sized roasting dish and let your turkey nestle snugly inside. If the legs overhang simply wrap a bit of tin foil around them and build a trench channeling any liquid back into the pan. Drizzle the bird with olive oil and season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, including in the cavity. Surround the turkey with the herbs and garlic in the tray.
Cook the turkey for approximately 20-25 minutes per kilo. If you are stuffing your bird simply add the weight of the stuffing to the weight of your bird and calculate the total weight and cooking time.
The best indication that your bird is cooked is when it’s easy to shake hands with it. Grab a tea towel or an oven glove and gently twist the drumstick to the side. As soon as it ‘gives’ this is the best indication the bird is cooked. You can also put a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh, the juices should run slightly pink.
Give your bird plenty of time to rest, 30-40 minutes at room temperature.
For the roast potatoes
Preheat oven to 210
Peel potatoes and cut into large chunks. Place in a large pan of cold water and bring up to a simmer with plenty of sea salt. Cook until the potatoes are tender but not falling apart. Strain and allow the potatoes to steam for 5 minutes.
Add the goose fat to a large deep baking tray and place in the oven to heat for 5 minutes.
Add the dry potatoes to the baking tray, being careful not to splash the hot fat anywhere. Season with plenty of sea salt.
Roast for 20 minutes. Turn the potatoes in the fat and return to the oven for another 20 minutes along with the rosemary.
Continue roasting until the potatoes are completely golden brown and crispy.
For the creamed sprouts
Take a large wide frying pan and set on a medium heat.
Add a good drizzle of oil and saute the garlic for a minute, followed by the sprouts.
When the spouts are beginning to become tender, add the double cream and thyme and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
Season with plenty of sea salt and lots of black pepper.
For the glazed parsnips
Preheat oven to 200
Peel, top and tail the parsnips. Slice lengthways into even sized long batons.
Place the parsnips in a large saucepan with sea salt and cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes until the parsnips are tender and strain.
Add the parsnips to a roasting tin with a good drizzle of olive oil. Roast for 10 minutes.
Add 4 tbsp of the sticky glaze and stir to combine with the parsnips.
Roast for a further 5-10 minutes until the glaze has caramelised nicely on the parsnips.
For the pigs in blankets
Preheat oven to 180C.
Place the pigs in blankets on a baking tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and roast for 10 minutes.
For the gravy
Remove the turkey from the tray and allow to rest. Strain the remaining liquid and skim off any excess fat from the surface.
Set a large saucepan on the stove and reduce the red wine until it is a syrupy consistency. Add the turkey stock and the liquid from the turkey tray. Reduce to form the desired texture of your gravy.
Season if required.
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