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some things are synonyms Christmas As a turkey, year after year. Yet many of us still haven’t fully mastered the art of the roasted bird.
Bland, slightly dry turkey is a feature on festive tables across the country.
we can throw something cranberry sauce There and call it delicious (because it would be rude of the chef not to do so) but what tricks are you missing to make the meat really juicy and delicious?
From shopping to cooking and carving, top chefs share their most important advice for getting it done Christmas Same day focal point.
bird selection
Ben Palmer, BBC correspondent Great British Menu The 2024 Starter winner and chef at The Sardine Factory in Looe says: “When looking for your turkey, always look at the size and shape. You want to choose the roundest, thickest turkey, as this means it will be the tastiest because it was a healthy bird. Don’t choose one that looks a little thin, as it means it didn’t have a very good life and was probably not very healthy.
“Plus, you get what you pay for – so if you can spend a little more on your turkey, do so! Local producers from well-known farms, local reputable butchers and organic delivery services are the best bets and worth the extra money.”
Many of us are guilty of buying a huge turkey for a small family, and swear by eating it as leftovers for days, but a smaller bird would be easier to cook.
“Think about it smartly,” says TV celebrity chef James Martin, whose latest book is “The Best.” Cheese (Quadrille, £25) available now. “If your family is only six people, you’re probably better off just getting the turkey crown instead of the whole thing – that’ll cut the cooking time in half.”
You want to get the right size and save some for the next day, says Gaucho’s culinary director Anthony Ekizian. “Generally, a small turkey is good enough for five or six people, a medium to large turkey is good enough for more than eight people. It needs to be plump looking and try to choose free-range. A bronze turkey is always better if you can afford it.”
preparing turkey
Some chefs swear by bringing the turkey out before cooking. Scottish chef, Dean Banks, ex-BBC master Chef Finalists say it helps create the “juiciest, most delicious” turkey.
“Take a large storage box. Fill it with water and 10% salt, then add festive spices like cinnamon sticks, cloves, bay leaves and orange peel. Submerge the turkey, cover it with a lid and leave it in your garden overnight,” he says. “This method seasons the meat perfectly, ensuring a tender and juicy bird.”
Dylan James, head chef of Cambium at Carys Manor Hotel & CenSpa, agrees: “Bringing a turkey is a great way to ensure the meat remains beautifully moist after cooking.
“This process also completely seasons the bird, so there is no need for additional seasoning before roasting. For perfectly crispy skin, once the turkey is roasted, pat it dry, and leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight. This allows the skin to dry out, making it wonderfully crisp when roasted.”
But you don’t want to put the turkey straight from a cold fridge into a hot oven.
Theo Randall, chef patron of Theo Randall at the Intercontinental, advises: “Take your turkey out of the fridge at least an hour before cooking. This will speed up cooking and allow the bird to roast better.”
cook
That said, the big mistake many home cooks make is cooking the turkey whole. MasterChef: Professional Judge and chef Marcus Wareing, whose latest book marcus’s france (HarperNonFiction, £22) is available now, says. “No matter how small or large, the breast will never be fully cooked before it dries out in the leg and thigh. The breast will always dry out, so you will always be caught between a rock and a hard place.
He suggests: “Remove the legs and thighs and have your butcher debone them and roll them for you, and cook them separately. And just cook the breast on the crown. [the white meat on the bone]Or take them off the crown and cook them slowly.
“More often than not, I think most people overcook their turkey to make sure the thighs are cooked through.”
Martin says: “It gets dry because it’s basically overcooked. Some of them require six hours – which I’ve seen people do before – I mean, it’s going to be ruined. Naturally, it’s dry meat anyway.
“So if you’re not cooking large quantities of food, you might be better off buying the Crown.”
Applying butter under the skin can also help retain moisture.
“Make your own flavored butter,” suggests Palmer. “Add the garlic, spice, lemon, thyme and sage to the salted butter and mix it all together well and then apply the butter between the breast and the skin.
“You can lift up the skin of the cavity and use your fingers to separate the skin from the breast meat before applying butter to the breast and reinstalling the skin on top. As the turkey cooks, all the butter will slowly stick to the crown, making it beautifully moist and exceptionally flavorful.”
Rest
Part of the stress of preparing Christmas food is trying to get everything done on time so that your potatoes get crisped up at the right time, while your gravy comes together and all the elements are still hot.
But when it comes to turkey, Martin suggests taking this approach to free up oven space for your sides — while also giving it plenty of time to rest.
“Don’t be afraid to cook it in advance, wake up in the morning, put it in the oven, take it out two hours before you need it.
“A lot of people panic and try to do everything at the last minute. And whenever you watch a chef working, and we do roast meat, we would never take it out of the oven and put it straight on the table. You have to leave it to rest for at least an hour. Leaving it to rest will usually make it better, because you can put moisture on it while it’s resting—you can put it on top.”
Saving enough time to get the turkey out of the oven will also give you enough time to finish the rest of your cooking.
“It gives the heat of the oven [time] “To get back up to temperature and then do your roast potatoes and things like that,” says Martin. People try to cram everything in and [as] You’re putting more and more stuff in, the temperature is going down, so it takes longer to cook.
Plus, the turkey’s resting time is “really very important” for flavor, says Wareing. “It solidifies the turkey’s natural juices.
“My turkey sits for maybe an hour, because I need a pan for the gravy, I need oven space. Never be afraid to let it rest, and don’t worry about serving it hot.”
carving on
Carving the turkey on the Christmas table is one of those big moments of the big day. But after all that time cooking, salting, roasting and resting, don’t put in all the effort to serve it.
“Remove the breast completely from the bone, do not carve it to the bone, just take [a knife] Remove the whole breast, right down the middle, and then cut it into nice slices, says Wareing. “You get a beautiful slice. It’s all cut beautifully.
“I remember seeing my dad do it. It was just a mess. There was a lot of meat left over [it],