The idea of not having turkey at Christmas is absurd to me.
I am not alone, most of us have grown up with turkey as the focal point for Christmas lunch or dinner. Interestingly, the bird has only been synonymous with Christmas for the past 70 years or so. It was popularised in Victorian times, but it was still a luxury. Even in Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol, the turkey remained in the window until Scrooge bought it. Now that's luxury. It was only in the 1950s that commercial production of turkeys became more efficient and drove prices down.
When it comes to Christmas planning, I take a leaf out of my mum Prue’s book. Coming from a large family of nine children, Christmas was a monumental assembly line of food preparation in my home.
Mum was so organised, and here are some of her useful tips and tricks, which I have now taken on board with my own private venue, Medley. Having to spend the day “slaving over a stove” is not my idea of fun at Christmas time. My advice is simple: do as much as you can in advance.
Prepare the turkey a day in advance, as per my recipe. Get the stuffing made and the turkey basted. If you are eating at lunch time, get it into the oven early in the morning. Do check your cooking instructions based on the weight. This is very important. For this recipe, I recommend 40 minutes of cooking per kilo of weight.
Another useful cheats tip is to cook the turkey crown a day in advance. Slice it, and wrap it up tightly in tinfoil. Cool it down, and put it in the fridge overnight. Then, 40 minutes before serving on Christmas day, place the pre-cooked turkey onto a rack and into a roasting tin. Fill it with water to just under the rack. This will keep it nice and succulent. Place in a preheated oven (160 degrees, fan), and reheat. It will be beautifully moist and tasty. You could also just pour some of the jus over the turkey and reseal the tinfoil package before heating it .
Over the years, my job was always to set the table on Christmas morning. I still do this and am banished from the kitchen. I am not sure whether I should be insulted about this or not. I am hoping that the justification is that I will have already hosted up to 16 Christmas parties at Medley.
Christmas for me is always about family and spending time together. This goes back to my early childhood, and the excitement of Santa. The routine has not changed much in our household. I have not missed a Christmas at home in my 41 years. Oops, did I say 41?
I don’t plan to change this anytime soon. The day begins with church at 9am. Then my Dad looks after the presents and cooks breakfast. At 80 years of age, I take my hat off to him. After church, we have a relaxed breakfast in the kitchen. Immediately after breakfast, we open presents. Then it’s lunch at 3pm, and the couch by 6pm. I love it.
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