BUTTERMILK BRINED ROAST CROWN OF TURKEY WITH LEMON AND TARRAGON

A great alternative to roasting a large bird, the crown is the turkey breasts and wing joints with the legs removed. From feedback this is the most popular recipe I’ve ever done, as the buttermilk brine ensures that the flesh stays wonderfully succulent.

SERVES 6–8

INGREDIENTS:

1 x 1.8–2kg (4–4½lb) turkey crown,

off the bone

75g (3oz) butter, softened

1 garlic clove, crushed

finely grated rind of 1 lemon

1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf

parsley

2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon

4 rindless smoked bacon rashers

For the buttermilk brine:

2 litres (3½ pints) buttermilk

2 lemons, thinly sliced

1 garlic bulb, separated into cloves

and sliced

15g (½oz) fresh tarragon sprigs,

roughly bruised

3 tbsp sea salt or kosher salt

2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1 Mix together all the ingredients for the buttermilk brine in a turkey bag, then add the turkey crown. Tie up the bag securely and put in the salad drawer at the bottom of the

fridge – up to two days is best, but brine for at least 24 hours.

2 Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F/gas mark 5).

3 Cream the butter until soft, then beat in the garlic, lemon rind and herbs. Remove the crown from the brine and drain off any excess liquid, then pat the skin dry with kitchen paper.

Gently loosen the neck flap away from the breast and pack the flavoured butter right under the skin (this is best done using gloves on your hands). Rub the butter into the flesh, then re-cover with the skin and secure with a small skewer or sew with fine twine. Cover the top of the turkey crown with the rashers.

4 Put the prepared turkey crown in the oven and calculate your cooking time: 20 minutes per 450g (1lb) plus 20 minutes. This will cook much quicker than a whole turkey, so make sure to baste it

often. You can cover it with foil if it’s browning too quickly. When cooked, cover with foil to rest and keep warm. Drain away the cooking juices to make the gravy.

5 To serve, carve the turkey crown into slices and arrange on warmed plates with a selection of your favourite accompaniments

MAKE AHEAD TURKEY GRAVY 

INGREDIENTS

2 onions

2 carrots

2 sticks of celery

2 rashers of smoked streaky bacon

2 fresh bay leaves

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

10 chicken wings

olive oil

60 ml red wine or maderia

4 tablespoons plain flour

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
   2. Peel the onions, wash the carrots, then roughly chop with the celery and bacon. Put the veg, bay leaves, thyme , rosemary into a sturdy high-sided roasting tray, then scatter the chopped bacon on top.
2. Add the chicken to the tray – if you’re using the chicken wings, break them open first and bash with a rolling pin to help release extra flavour as they cook. Drizzle with oil, season with sea salt and black pepper, toss, then cook for 1 hour, or until tender.
3. Remove the tray from the oven and transfer to a low heat on the hob. Really grind and mash everything with a potato masher, scraping up all the goodness from the base of the tray (the longer you let it fry, the darker your gravy will be). If you want to add red wine or maderia , now’s the time to do so; just leave it to cook away for a few minutes.
4. Gradually stir in the flour, then pour in 2 litres of boiling kettle water. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until thickened and reduced, stirring occasionally.
5. When the gravy is the consistency of your liking, pour it through a coarse sieve into a large bowl, pushing all the goodness through with the back of a spoon. Taste and season to perfection, cool to room temperature, then pour into containers or bags and pop into the fridge or freezer, ready to finish off on Christmas Day. By adding in the turkey juices  bring to the boil carefully strain trough a sieve  season to taste and enjoyTip
   2 DAYS BEFORE

If you’ve frozen your gravy, take it out to defrost in the fridge until needed.
 

HONEY-GLAZED HAM WITH CLOVES

INGREDIENTS

This ham is cooked in the traditional manner: it’s simmered in a large pan first before being finished off in the oven, which keeps the finished result really moist.

SERVES 10–12

5.25kg (11½lb) leg of gammon, on

the bone and skin on

4 celery sticks, roughly chopped

2 onions, sliced

1 bunch of fresh thyme

1 tbsp black peppercorns

200ml (7fl oz) Irish whiskey

200ml (7fl oz) honey

2 tbsp redcurrant jelly

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp ground allspice

2 tsp whole cloves

METHOD

1 Soak the gammon in cold water for at least 6 hours (or overnight is best), then drain.

2 Weigh the gammon and calculate the cooking time, allowing 20 minutes per 450g (1lb) plus 20 minutes – this size takes about 4 hours. Put in a large pan, cover with water and

bring to the boil, skimming off any scum. Add the celery, onions, thyme and peppercorns and return to the boil, then cover, reduce the heat and simmer until completely tender,

occasionally skimming off any scum that rises to the top. If you aren’t sure the gammon is properly cooked, check the bone end – it should come away freely from the gammon

joint. Drain and leave until cool enough to handle.

3 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4).

4 Carefully peel away the skin, leaving the layer of white fat intact. Using a sharp knife, score the fat diagonally to make a diamond pattern.

5 Put the whiskey in a pan with the honey, redcurrant jelly, balsamic vinegar and ground allspice. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Stud the ham with the cloves and put in a large roasting tin with a little water to

prevent the bottom from catching and burning. Brush a layer of the glaze all over the ham, reserving the remainder. Cook in the oven for 1 hour, brushing over another layer of the glaze

every 15 minutes, until it’s all gone. Transfer to a platter and leave to rest for 15–20 minutes before carving into slices to serve. Use as required.

APRICOT & SAGE STUFFING BALLS

This stuffing is very versatile and can also be cooked inside the bird or in a separate buttered dish so it becomes very crisp. It’s really good with turkey, goose or even chicken. These can be made two or three days in advance and kept in the fridge until needed.

MAKES 9

INGREDIENTS

75g (3oz) butter, plus extra for greasing

1 large onion, diced

1 tbsp chopped fresh sage

175g (6oz) fresh white breadcrumbs

100g (4oz) dried apricots, finely chopped

finely grated rind of 1 small orange

1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1 Melt the butter in a frying pan set over a medium heat, then add the onion and sage and cook for a few minutes, until the onion has softened but not coloured. Put the breadcrumbs in a bowl and tip in the onion mixture, then mix well to combine and season to taste. Fold in the apricots, orange rind and parsley. Roll into nine balls and either arrange around the bird or place in a small buttered roasting tin.

2 When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4).

3 Cook the stuffing balls in the oven for about 20 minutes, until cooked through and golden brown. Serve immediately in a warmed dish.

VERA’S MULLED FRUIT TRIFLE 

This is one dessert that I can clearly remember from my childhood – it probably even enticed me to be a chef. My mum always made this for special occasions and I just loved helping, especially with the cleaning of the bowls… Now I like to decorate the top with pomegranate seeds to make it sparkle like jewels.

INGREDIENTS

200g (7oz) Madeira cake, broken

into pieces

300ml (½ pint) cream

toasted flaked almonds, to

decorate

pomegranate seeds, to decorate

spun sugar, to decorate (optional)

INGREDIENTS

For the custard

300ml (½ pint) milk

100ml (3½fl oz) cream

½ vanilla pod, split in half

lengthways and seeds scraped out

5 egg yolks

4 tbsp caster sugar

2 tsp cornflour

For the fruit:

100ml apple juice

50 g caster sugar

½ vanilla pod, split in half or 1 tsp vanilla extract

lengthways and seeds scraped out

1 x 500g (18oz) bag of frozen fruits

of the forest

METHOD

1 To make the custard, put the milk, cream and vanilla pod and seeds in a heavy-based pan set over a gentle heat and cook until it nearly reaches the boil – but don’t allow to boil. Meanwhile, put the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a large bowl and whisk together until pale and thickened.

2 Remove the hot milk and cream mixture from the heat and slowly whisk it into the egg mixture through a fine sieve until smooth. Discard the vanilla pod and pour back into the pan,

then set over a gentle heat. Cook, without allowing it to boil, until the custard coats the back of a wooden spoon, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat and leave to cool, covered with a piece of cling film pressed directly on the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming on top.

3 Meanwhile, prepare the fruit. Put the apple juice in a large pan with the sugar and vanilla seeds and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 4–5 minutes, until syrupy, stirring occasionally. Stir in the frozen fruits of the forest and set aside until cooled, stirring occasionally. The fruits should

defrost naturally in the hot syrup but still hold their shape.

4 Scatter the Madeira cake over the base of a 1.5 litre (2½ pint) glass serving bowl. Spoon over the fruit and cover with the cooled custard. Chill for 1 hour, until the custard sets a little firmer, or up to 24 hours is fine.

5 When ready to serve, whip the cream in a bowl until you have achieved soft peaks. Put spoonful’s on top of the custard, then gently spread with a palette knife or the back of a spoon to cover the custard completely (or you can use a piping bag). Sprinkle over the toasted flaked almonds and

pomegranate seeds and decorate with some spun sugar if liked, then place straight on the table to serve.