Christmas Dinner Top Tips | WLRFM.com

In Episode 24 of Food Matters well-renowned Chef, TV Cook, and Food Media Broadcaster Aisling Larkin brings us some Christmas Dinner Top Tips

Food Matters is brought to you with thanks from Property Partners Barry Herterich and Property Partners Phelan Herterich who have offices in Tramore and Waterford City. With over 40 years combined experience both Barry and Deirdre bring a wealth of knowledge and experience in residential and commercial property, and we pride ourselves on our exceptional service, results-driven dedication, and our reputation for trustworthy, focused commitment to every client. With an emphasis on communication and integrity, we deliver expertise and success to all our clients, presenting a bespoke service that always goes the extra mile.

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Aisling has a new E-Book out called The Ultimate Christmas e-Cookbook and you can get it here.

The best-tasting dinner is made with fresh, local ingredients.

Local carrots, local potatoes, turkey..
Quantities of potatoes and vegetables - about 250g vegetables and 250g potatoes is plenty per person.
Quantity of Meat per person: 120g turkey +120g ham cooked. Gravy 120-150mls per person.
Remember to add cling film, tin foil, parchment paper, freezer bags, foil roasting trays and turkey bags to your shopping list.
Making drinks, glasses, ice etc be someone else job.
Warm plates are essential to keeping things hot.
Heat plates in the microwave water in with them or in the oven. sit a small jug of water in on top.

Turkey

Another consideration is whether or not you want a whole bird, a crown, or boned and rolled.

Here’s a quick guide to turkey weights per person fed and the cooking time for each:

For 1 day

4-6 people: 2-2.5kg
6-7 people: 3kg
7-8 people: 3.5kg
8-10 people: 4-4.5kg
10-12 people: 5-5.5kg
12-15 people: 6-6.5kg

For leftovers & dinner the next day

5-6kg bird will feed 6-7 people
6/7kg = 7-8 people
7/8kg = 8-9 people
8/9kg = 9-10 people
9/10kg = 10-11 people
Check it fits in your oven! Make sure the size of turkey actually fits comfortably in your oven before you buy. Plan a roasting tin large enough for the bird, with extra room for juices and fat to collect.
Make sure you have copious fridge or freezer space in which to store it. Try only get it 2 days before.
When it comes to roasting the turkey, it should be at room temperature before you put it in the pre-heated oven. Suggested cooking times vary.
Brine: Basically a salt solution in water so, it's 5% salt quantity to whatever water quantity you’re using (for example 2L water: 100g salt). Then get those aromatics in - garlic, thyme, rosemary, you can even add orange slices - best to brine it overnight in a bucket in the fridge.Then you take it out, rinse it off and leave it out to come up the room temperature, which might take an hour to 90 minutes pre-roasting. If it's cold in the centre, it's going to take longer for the heat to penetrate it, and that means the outside will be cooked before your inside’s cooked, and you have a really dry turkey. Keep basting it every half hour and ensure you let rest it for a good 35 to 40 minutes, covered in a couple of cloths to keep it warm, before carving.

Brining your turkey adds moisture, locks in flavour, and also makes cooking it more forgiving.

How do I make sure my turkey is fully cooked?

Inserting a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh and checking that the juices run clear, not pink, is the way most cooks check that their bird is done.
Buy a meat thermometer and check that the meat has reached 72-75 degrees Celsius
Turkey: The RULE OF 45. Cook the turkey for 45 mins per kg + 45 minutes extra. Rest for 45 minutes.
Baste or Bag
Resting the Turkey: Rest for 30-45 minutes. Letting the turkey rest before you carve will make a massive difference to the end result. It allows for the juices to settle before carving, which should mean a more moist and tender turkey. As an added bonus, it will free up your oven to finish cooking other things. As a guide, allow a minimum of 30 minutes of resting time, though a whole turkey will stay warm, covered in tin foil, for around two hours.
Cover and wrap - parchment & tin foil and big warm bath towels.

If after the resting time, you feel the turkey is slightly cold, you can pop it back in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or else carve the turkey and you will find it is still hot inside.

If you do want it warmer when carved, put in an oven-proof dish with some of the juices, cover it with the parchment and tin foil and place it in the oven on low heat for 5-10 minutes until ready to serve.

Ham

Bring it to a gentle boil, then simmer it for 20 minutes per 500g. Do this on the 24th.
To Glaze: Cut the skin off, leaving a thin layer of the fat, which you can score in a cross-cross pattern with a sharp knife and stud with whole cloves. Brush the ham generously with your choice of glaze and put it in an oven heated to 180 degrees Celsius for 15-20 minutes, basting with the glaze occasionally.
My glaze - whiskey and marmalade and mustard

Vegetables & Sides

Roast Potatoes: parboil in stock. Shake them up. Drench them in duck fat/goose fat. 4 dried herbs - rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano, irish sea salt, then finish them fresh herbs and more sea salt.
Get the vegetables ticked off ahead to save time and space
Creamy 4-cheese cauliflower
Brussel sprouts with chestnuts, butter and sea salt
Carrots with honey and tarragon
Slow cooker red cabbage
Cranberry sauce - one of the easiest things to make

Stuffing

If stuffing the cavity only stuff to the weight of 1/10th of the bird. le a 5kg bird = 500g stuffing.
Cook your onions first. Either saute in butter for 20 mins or sit in boiling water for 5 mins. This will lessen the stuffing "repeating" on people.
Sausage meat or no ???
Orange zest and cranberry, chestnut and buttered leeks, fresh herbs.

Gravy

Buy a nice stock and make your gravy on that. Add a splash of white wine,a few herbs and the juices from the turkey. Allow that to infuse. Use this with your gravy granules.
Serve piping hot and make extra. - on average you are talking 120-150mls per person.

General Top Tips

An option: Carve all the meat. Layer up turkey, stuffing and ham to create portions. Place on a serving platter. Cover with buttered parchment or foil and then place in a homemade bain marie and pop in the oven to steam and heat. This means putting it in portions on a large oven tray, adding 4 tbsp water, sealing it well with foil and popping it in the oven for 20 minutes until piping hot. (this is a super tip for St. Stephen Day dinner on repeat).
Use a steamer or a slow cooker on low to keep the veg warm once prepared.
Piping hot gravy.
Keep lids or foil on everything.
The veg will cold the quickest, so bring these to the table last
One signature cocktail for early in the afternoon - light and refreshing, a French 75. Head to the website for the recipe.
Hand-held canapes are best remember the extra touches make a difference - a spring of thyme, a dollop of chutney, a sprinkling of peppercorns.
Smoked salmon pate on bread with pickled cucumbers, hummus board with roast vegetables, Pringles sour cream & caviar, little toasts with blue cheese, slice of tinned pear, parma ham and rocket.
Cripsy garlic and truffle mushrooms, melty brie , prawns in filo pastry