christmas turkey

John and I like to host mid-week dinner parties. It's more to do with our work schedules that we can't always have people over on the weekends, and we're lucky enough to have friends who's work schedules work in sync with ours. The dinners are usually always last minute and I'm a planner... I like to plan the menu- What to make for entree?? Main? What to have for dessert? The wine??? You get the idea. So when John suggested a turkey I panicked. I'd never made turkey before and I couldn't help but picture myself stuck in front of the oven, basting the bird on a scorching hot summers day. But I always like a challenge, so I reluctantly agreed and headed straight to the magazine stands and bought the Christmas issue of BBC Good Food Australia magazine.

There on page 65 was a beautiful looking turkey and a step by step guide to making a perfect Christmas dinner. I decided rather than run around finding recipes for sides that I would make all the food out of the Christmas special pages. Then I remembered John telling my about a colleague of his that swears by cooking a whole chicken on the Weber. Turkey was just a bigger version of a chicken right?? I ran the idea past John and got excited by the thought that this might just be the first dinner party where I wasn't stuck in the kitchen all night, and lucky for me John agreed. Off to the shops we went, 4 hours before the guests were due to arrive (yes we were both aware the turkey was going to take at least 3 hours...) So an hour later we arrived home only to realise the Weber had to be cleaned and we forgot to buy string and toothpick to secure the turkey. As the queen of compromise, I found the next best thing- SKEWERS!! That's right, our bird was going to be secured and prodded like a voodoo doll (you'll see what I mean in the pics). I know this is a long post but trust me, you wont go wrong with any of the recipes starting with the stuffing, the caramelised onion and cranberry sauce (not pictured but delicious none the less), green beans with almond and garlic butter, right through to the smashed potato.

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year!! Don't worry I have added keeping up with my blog on my long list of new year's resolutions, so hope you stick around.

Roast Turkey with Prune, Bacon & Walnut Stuffing

50g butter
1 leek, washed well, trimmed, halved, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 rindless shortcut bacon, chopped
1/2 cup pitted prunes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1tbsp rosemary leaves
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs

Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add leek and garlic. Cook, stirring for 3 minutes until leek starts to soften. Add the bacon and cook for 5mins stirring occasionally. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the prunes, walnut, rosemary and breadcrumbs.

Fill the turkey crop (neck cavity) with the stuffing, taking care not to pack too tightly as the stuffing will expand during cooking. Press outside of the breast to mould stuffing to shape of turkey. Any remaining stuffing can be placed inside body of the turkey. Bring neck flap over stuffing and secure to underside with a skewer.

To truss the turkey so it holds its shape while cooking, place it on its back and fold wings back and underneath to secure. Run kitchen string around the wing and underneath turkey to cross over back . Bring string up and tie legs together, keeping legs close to body.

Brush turkey with melted butter and season.

Place directly on the bbq with a foil baking tray in between the coals. Don't forget to cover the turkey with foil. Close lid and bbq for an hour. Remove the foil and bast the turkey, continue to bast every 40mins.

Our 4.5kg turkey was done in 3hrs 15mins. It works out roughly about 40mins per kilo, or use a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, it should read 80C/176F. Alternatively pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a fork or a skewer. The turkey is cooked if the fork/skewer goes in easily and juices run clear.

Gravy

3 cups chicken stock
1 onion
2 tbsp plain flour
1/3 cup or dry white wine or verjuice

Drain all but 2 tbsp of fat from pan. Add onion and place on medium heat. Add flour and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring often for 2 - 3 mins until browned. Pour remaining stock and verjuice, stirring constantly. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Gravy should reduce and taste rick. Season and strain into a serving jug.

(a snap shot of my new kitchen!!)


(The dinner table with green table cloth and Christmas napkins)

Green Beans with Burnt Butter & Almonds

750g green beans, trimmed

80g butter, cubed

1/3 cup flaked almonds

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

grated rind of 2 lemons

Cook beans in a saucepan of boiling, salted water for 3 - 4mins until just tender. Drain and cover to keep warm. Set aside.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a frying pan on medium heat. Cook for 3mins until butter turns light golden brown (be careful it doesn't burn!!). Add almonds and cook, stirring for another 1min until they are golden.

Toss through garlic, lemon rind and beans. Season to taste and serve warm.

Smashed Roast Potatoes

12 - 15 baby potato

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Cover potatoes with cold, salted water in a pan on high heat. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low ans simmer for 2omins, until just tender.

Preheat oven to 220C. Line a large baking tray with foil, then baking paper. When potatoes are tender transfer to double layer of paper towel and drain for 1 - 2mins. Using folded towel in palm of hand, gently press down on potatoes to flatten slightly without breaking apart. Carefully transfer to prepared tray.

Season potatoes with salt to taste and drizzle with olive oil, making sure potatoes are well covered on all sides. Bake potatoes, using a spatula or tongs to gently turn one halfway through cooking time for 30 - 4omins, until crispy and deep brown around the edges. (Note: I accidentally found that the potatoes were even crispier than normal when I left them to cool before I put them in the oven)

Cranberry & Caramalised Onion Sauce
(not pictured)

2 tbsp rice bran oil
2 large onions
pinch of ground cloves
375g frozen cranberries
1 cup sugar (I used brown)
1/2 cup water

Heat oil in a 23cm frying pan on medium. Add onion, cloves, a pinch of salt and griding or two of pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover, stirring occasionally for 20 - 25mins until onion is golden brown and very soft. Remove lid, increase heat to medium-high and cook for 2 - 3mins, stirring until caramelised.

Add cranberries, sugar, another pinch of salt and 1/2 cup water. Simmer for 1min (I smashed my cranberries, rather than keeping them whole because they looked more rustic and appealing). Cover, remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Transfer to a bowl and serve.