by aindreas

Christmas Roast Turkey

December 17, 2009 in Cooking, Food, Recipes by aindreas

As well as cooking professionally in Paris, I traditionally cooked the Christmas dinner for a large group of family and friends Christmas day in Cork, Ireland. This year the Daria is head chef.  Below are the recipes I have used for the Christmas dinner.

More Christmas recipes will be coming :-) Honey Ham, Vegetables and deserts inclusive.

Enjoy. xxx aindreas

roast turkey Ireland Christmas aindreas.com

Recipe Ingredients How to

Roast Turkey

 

 

The Stuffing;

  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 450g/ 1lb quality Irish pork sausage meat
  • 2 generous tbls of mixed chopped herbs.
  • 25g/ 1 oz  fresh white breadcrumbs. 
  • Salt and pepper. I use a crushers.
  • The Turkey;
  • 6.3kg/1 14lb free range turkey
  • 110g/ 4 oz (Kerrygold/ salted) butter
  • 225g/8 oz streaky sliced bacon
  • The Gravy;
  • 1 litre/ 1¼ pints
  • chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp plain white flour
  • 150 ml/ ¼ pint Port
  • 2 tbsp redcurrant jelly

    • Preparation:

    Heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7 before you start preparing the stuffing.

    See Cooking Stages below for cooking times.

    1. Prepare the stuffing;
    In a large bowl mix  the onion, sausage meat, herbs, breadcrumbs and a good pinch of salt and pepper.2. Stuff the rinsed turkey;
    Slip your fingers under the skin at the neck end and loosen to create a cavity in the turkey. Stuff the neck end with the onion and sage,  stuffing up to the breast. Tuck the loose skin underneath and secure.

    3. Prepare turkey for cooking;
    Smear the butter evenly over the breast and legs of the turkey. Lay thin  bacon neatly across the breast and top surface of the legs. Sprinkle the whole turkey liberally with crushed salt and pepper.
    Lay two large sheets of aluminum foil over a roasting tin large enough to hold the bird. Place the bird back down and fold the foil loosely over the bird leaving a roomy gap between the bird and the foil to allow steam to escape.

    4. Cook turkey.

    Roast in the preheated oven in stages. See stages 1-3.

    5. Prepare the gravy.

    Pour all the juices from the roasting tin into a jug with the juices saved from the foil. Spoon off all the fat which will float to the surface and discard. Place the roasting tin on a medium heat on the stove top, add the flour and stir to scrape up all the sediment from the tin. Cook till brown.  Pour in the port and stir well then add the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the turkey juices, bring back to the boil and cook for a further 3 minutes. Add the redcurrant jelly stir until dissolved, set aside until you are ready to serve..
    Cooking Stages 1. Start off cooking the turkey in the preheated oven for 40 minutes then lower the temperature to 325F/ 160/C/ Gas 3 and cook for 3½ hours basting from time to time.

    Cooking Times;
    A 6.3 Kg Turkey will require @ 5 hrs cooking time.

    		 2. Remove the turkey from the oven, raise the temperature to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Fold back the foil on the turkey, remove the bacon and pour any juices into a jug or bowl. Return the turkey to the oven and cook for a further 30 mins to crisp the skin.
    3. You can check the turkey is cooked;

    a. By turning  the bone in a leg, it should turn slightly, with the meat  loose. With a knife push the inner thigh away from the bird gently. This should be easy to do. The juices should run clear.

    b. Check the turkey is cooked when the juices run clear by piercing the thickest part of the thigh  with a small sharp knife. If the juices are pink return to the oven and cook until they run clear.If you don’t cook the bird the nite previous, leave the turkey to rest for 30 mins wrapped loosely with fresh foil before carving.

    Tips

    1. Make twice as much stuffing and gravy as above at least.
     

    2. Check the oven shelves are in correct position for cooking the size of turkey you are cooking.
     

    3. Use a stale large white pan of bread  grated for breadcrumbs if you like.
     

    4. You can cook the turkey at a lower temperature for a longer time.  I always do. You will need to cook for longer if the bird is bigger. I prefer to cook the turkey Christmas eve nite, slowly and have it fully cooked by Christmas morning.
     

    5. Once cooked, cover, leave to rest the meat. Continue preparing the accoutrements for the meal.

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