10 Tips for the Perfect Turkey & My Stuffing Recipe

The turkey is the centrepiece of a traditional Christmas Dinner, which is why cooking it properly is so important. Mess it up and not even the best side dishes will save you! So here are some tips on how to prepare & cook that perfect Turkey! 

A juicy & tender whole roasted turkey does add to the sense of occasion at Christmas!

 1. It's so important that you thaw your turkey the right way. If it’s done improperly, the bacteria can multiply to a point where even oven temperatures won't be able to kill all of them off. This can cause severe food poisoning. The worst thing you can do is to leave your turkey out on the kitchen-counter to thaw. The safest method is to thaw turkey in the refrigerator.

2. When you place the turkey in the fridge (raw meat should always go the bottom shelf) put it on a tray to catch all the juices that will leak out. You should leave the turkey in its original wrapper. It takes approximately 2 days for a 15 pound turkey to fully defrost.

3. Don't buy fresh turkeys that have been pre-stuffed. Mishandling can cause bacteria to multiply inside the stuffing.

4. Add some extra flavour by loosely filling the cavity of the bird with vegetables — carrots, celery, onion & garlic work nicely together.

5. Before roasting, coat the outside of the turkey with vegetable or olive oil, season with salt and black pepper. Cover it with bacon to add more flavour and to keep it from browning too much & don’t forget to cover the legs too!

6. Cover the bird with tin foil and once you get the turkey in the oven, resist the temptation to open the oven door! Every time you open the door the temperature drops and all the moisture escapes increasing the likelihood of a dry bird.

7. Preheat your oven to 190°C (180°C for fan assisted ovens), 375°F, Gas Mark 5.

For cooking times the general rule is: If Less than 4kg weight cook for 20 minutes per kg then add another 70 minutes cooking time at the end. If More than 4kg weight cook for 20 minutes per kg and add 90 minutes cooking time at the end.

8. About 45 minutes before you think the turkey is done, remove the foil from the breast to allow it to crisp up the skin.

9.Test the turkey after this time using a pointed knife inserted into the area between the base of the wing and the top of the leg. Push in the blade and the gently ease down on it. Juice from the turkey will run down the blade. If the juices are clear then it is cooked. If there are traces of pink in it give it another little while in the oven. If you have a cooking thermometer ensure that the centre of the thickest parts return a temp of 75°C.

10. After you take the turkey out of the oven let it rest, under the loosened foil, for about 15 minutes before carving. This lets the hot juices relax and spread evenly through the meat, giving a moist and juicy bird.

My Favourite Stuffing Mix

This is a stuffing recipe that i have used for many years. It is versatile and adaptable and can be used with any type of meat. This makes enough for 8 people - generous portions!

You can add whatever herbs you like to your a stuffing!

My Ingredients:

250g butter

200g diced onion

100g diced red onion

100g grated carrot

1 tblsp chopped thyme

1 tblsp chopped parsley

1/2 tspn cracked black pepper

2 cloves garlic diced

1 tspn chopped rosemary

1 tspn chopped basil

1 tspn chopped oregano

300g white breadcrumbs made with crusts and all

300g wholemeal breadcrumbs made with crusts and all

Method:

1. Simply place the butter and all other ingredients, except the crumbs, on a medium heat and cook gently, stirring, until the onions are soft and golden.

2. Add the breadcrumbs and mix in well until the crumbs have absorbed all the wet ingredients.

3. If the stuffing feels a little dry (depending on the type of day, the weather, the heat of the kitchen or one of another hundred amazingly uncontrollable conditions !) I tend to add a little splash of my favourite white wine at this stage and mix well.

Don't forget to Feed the Fish at the bottom of this post! And Happy Christmas to you All!

zack

My Easy-to-Make Christmas Pudding!

Christmas pudding is also known as plum pudding because of the abundance of prunes in it! The rich and heavy pudding is boiled or steamed, made of a heavy mixture of fresh or dried fruit, nuts and sometimes suet, a raw beef or mutton fat. Vegetarian suet may also be used for a lighter taste. The pudding is very dark, almost black, and is saturated with brandy, dark beer, or other alcohols. They used to be boiled in a "pudding cloth," but today they are usually made in pudding bowls.

A Traditional Christmas Pudding flamed with Brandy

Many people stirred silver coins (for wealth), tiny wishbones (for good luck), a silver thimble (for thrift), a ring (for marriage), or an anchor (for safe harbour) into the mixture, and whoever got the lucky serving, would keep the charm. Ready-made and cooked puddings are now available in the shops but they can never compete with the flavour and the pleasure of making your own!

My Ingredients:

125g ready-to-eat prunes, chopped

225g raisins

225g currants

225g sultanas

Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

50g chopped almonds

1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and grated

1 medium carrot, peeled and grated

225g demerara sugar

225g suet (I use vegetable suet rather than beef)

125g fresh white breadcrumbs

125g plain flour

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground coriander

½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg

3 eggs

150ml Guinness

1 tbsp black treacle

35ml brandy

It looks like a lot of ingredients but the Christmas Pudding is very easy to make!

My Method:

1. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together.

2. Whisk the eggs, guinness, brandy and black treacle together and stir into the mixture.

3. Cover and leave to stand overnight in a cool place.

4. Butter three x 600ml pudding bowls and put a circle of greaseproof paper in the base.

5. Pack the mixture into the bowls and smooth the top. Leave about 2.5 cm space to the top of the bowl.

6. Cut a double layer of greaseproof paper into a 30cm circle. Make a pleat and cover each pudding. Tie with string around the edge, then tie with more string to make a handle so that it can be easily lifted in and out of the pan.

7. Put the bowls into a heavy-based saucepan (placing an upturned plate in the bottom of the pot first). Pour boiling water around the edge until it comes two-thirds of the way up the sides of the bowls. Cover with the lid of the pan and simmer for 3 hours. Remember to top up with boiling water every hour.

8. Cool. Put on a new greaseproof or parchment cover, and then cover tightly with foil.

9. Store in a cool dark place until Christmas. The puddings will keep for up to six months.

10. To serve cut into portion sizes and heat in a microwave, on full power, for 2 minutes until piping hot. Warm two tablespoons of brandy in a small saucepan. Set alight and carefully pour over the pudding. Serve with brandy custard cream or brandy butter.

Christmas Pudding with a Brandy Custard Cream!

Brandy Custard Cream

This is a simple and very tasty Christmas cream that I prefer to serve with my Christmas Pudding. Whip 250ml cream until it holds a figure eight shape and stir it into 250ml of cold prepared custard (you can make this yourself or buy it pre-made). Pour in 35ml (one shot) of brandy and add a pinch of grated nutmeg. This can also be served over warmed mince pies for a delightful change to the usual!

Don't forget to Feed the Fish at the Bottom of this Post!

zack

My Traditional Style Christmas Cake

Christmas cakes are made many different ways, but generally they are variations on classic fruitcake. They can be light, dark, moist, dry, heavy, spongy etc. They are made in many different shapes, with frosting, glazing, a dusting of icing sugar or plain. The spices and dried fruits in the cake are supposed to represent the exotic eastern spices brought by the three Wise Men to the newborn King! 

 The fruit is all soaked overnight in the brandy, in a covered bowl, before use.

I always make three cakes - one for Christmas Day and two for tea until then!

My Ingredients:

150g raisins

125g stoned dates

125g sultanas

100g glace cherries

100ml brandy or whiskey

(all the above are soaked together overnight)

225g real butter

extra butter for greasing

200g caster sugar

4 eggs

grated rind of 1 lemon & 1 orange

2tbls black treacle

225g plain flour

½ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp mixed spice

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp grated nutmeg

¼ tsp ground clove

50g ground almonds

50ml brandy or whiskey extra

My Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 120°C. Grease a 20cm cake tin and line it with greaseproof paper.

2. Beat together, in a bowl, the sugar & butter until creamy. Gradually add the eggs dusting a little flour in with each addition. Add the black treacle & grated rinds.

3. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, spices and add the almonds into the bowl of soaked fruit. Stir all of this together, mixing well.

4. Fold this fruit mix into the egg mix, stirring evenly and then spoon all into the cake tin.

5. Bake in the centre of the oven for 3 hours. If it is browning a little too much cover it loosely with tinfoil. Cook for another ½ hour. The cake is cooked when a fine skewer, inserted into the centre, comes out clean.

6. Make holes all over the warm cake with the skewer and spoon the extra 50ml alcohol over the holes until it has all soaked in. Leave the cake to cool in the tin. When it’s cold, remove it from the tin, peel off the lining paper, then wrap first in clean greaseproof paper and then in foil.

A small amount of brandy, sherry or whiskey is poured into tiny holes in the cake every week until Christmas. This process is called “feeding the cake” and make sure to turn it over each week when you pour another little bit of your favourite tipple over the cake. This gives you the best chance of all that lovely alcohol in penetrating to the middle of the Christmas cake!

Don't forget to Feed the Fish at the bottom of this Post!

zack

FOOD & WINE Magazine Christmas Show, in the RDS, November 25th/27th

The FOOD & WINE Magazine Christmas Show is back this November! The event focuses on family and home cooking and has all the elements to help create the perfect Christmas occasion. The hugely popular 3-day event runs from Friday 25 - Sunday 27 November in the RDS Main Hall, Dublin.

The three-day event will see Ireland’s top chefs demonstrating their skills and sharing top tips on the Chef’s Stage. Household names and heavyweights at this year’s show include Donal Skehan, Richard Corrigan, Ross Lewis, Derry Clarke, and Kevin Dundon. Catherine Fulvio, and Sunil Ghai will also be joining in the fun this year and there might even be a celebrity cook off or two.

As always there will be a special Chef’s Table next to the Chef’s Stage where lucky competition winners will be able to sit and sample the food as it is cooked.



TV Foodie personalities Catherine Fulvio & Donal Skehan

FOOD&WINE Magazine Wine editor Raymond Blake will be on hand to talk the audience through wine and food pairings. Editor of FOOD&WINE Magazine, Ross Golden Bannon says, “Unlike other imitators, the FOOD&WINE Magazine Christmas Show does not feel the need to ship in foreign cooks to teach us how to make great food, we’re backing Irish based chefs and producers all the way.”



F&W Wine Editor Raymond Blake & Magazine Editor Ross Golden Bannon

Top retailers such as Tesco and Marks & Spencer will be located throughout the hall offering exclusive show offers on those essential treats for the festive period. Top restaurants will also be offering  ‘tapas-style’ samples of their menus and flash-tastings from Ireland’s top artisan producers will take place numerous times each day. Supporting Irish producers has always been a key focus for FOOD&WINE Magazine and this year’s winter wonderland village will showcase a host of quality Irish producers.  Stop by the Artisan Village and sample tasty treats, which are all homegrown and produced.



The FOOD&WINE Magazine Christmas Show is not only for food enthusiasts, but is fun for all of the family. Children under 12 go free and our guest of honour for the whole weekend is the man in red himself, Santa Claus, who kids can visit for free and get a free gift.

Browse the Kitchen Zone, which will be offering everything required by everyday committed cooks and enthusiastic amateurs. Pick up essential kitchenware, quirky gadgets or those must haves for busy bakers and innovative cooks. Take a break in the relaxing lounge area and enjoy a festive beverage and something tasty to eat before continuing on your foodie journey around the hall.

TV Chef Richard Corrigan

Richard Corrigan, TV chef and patron of Corrigan’s in Mayfair and Bentley’s will be gracing the Chefs’ Stage at the FOOD&WINE Magazine Christmas Show on Friday 25 November. Richard will be sharing his top cooking tips and proving his star rating when he takes to the stage on the opening evening of the Show.



Flying in from London especially to appear at the Christmas Show Friday launch will be food enthusiasts only opportunity to see Richard in person demonstrating his skills. Not only does he have a much coveted Michelin star he has been awarded many other culinary accolades, including Outstanding London Chef at the London Restaurant Awards. He also has his own food programs on Channel 4, Cookery School and RTE’s ‘Corrigan Knows Food’.

Richard Corrigan will be taking to the Chef’s Stage at 7pm on Friday 25 November at the FOOD&WINE Magazine Christmas Show, Main Hall, RDS.

The three-day FOOD&WINE Magazine Christmas Show is paradise for Foodies and families alike with each day packed full of shows, master classes, demos, tastings and special show bargains designed to help visitors stage their own festive gathering, big or small!

Tickets for only €15 to the FOOD&WINE Magazine Christmas Show, 25-27 Nov, RDS. Logon to www.ticketmaster.ie and use the promotional Code FOODWINE05. Kids under 12 go FREE.

The FOOD & WINE Magazine Christmas Show takes place on 25 – 27 November 2011 at the Main Hall, RDS, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. The Timetable for the show & full details can be found here at: http://www.foodandwineshow.ie/?page_id=1089

Don't forget to Feed the Fish at the bottom of this Post!

Zack

Making a Piping Bag with Greaseproof Paper

Making and baking and decorating and filling! In common these jobs all use, at some stage, 

a Piping Bag!

These useful catering bags come in all shapes and sizes and are made from a variety of materials. There is a massive selection of nozzels available to buy depending on the type of job you're doing. They are used for cake decorating, making choux eclairs or swans etc, piping potato dishes, making biscuits and hundreds of other uses.

There are times when a small pointed piping bag is required for a simple wee job like writing a name on a birthday cake or such and you are only going to use a little bit of cream or icing.

That is when you need to be able to fold together a quick little Greaseproof-Paper Piping Bag.

Well... here is how you do just that!

Fold a sheet of greaseproof paper corner to corner. It doesn't matter if it's a square or rectangle piece to start with as long as you fold it corner to corner, giving you a long fold in the centre

Keep the fold smooth and straight as you cut it with a sharp knife

The general stating position is to point the right-angled corner to your elbow, letting the smallest corner drop

Catch this bottom corner and fold it around your hand

Do not let go of the inside corner and complete the wrap around to look like this

Moving your two hands, slide the two corners gently up and down to tighten and sharpen the point of the cone  

Don't worry if it doesn't seem to be working, first time, as this part will take a little practice!

When you have a sharp point on the piping bag pinch the two top ends of the paper cone together and hold them tight - nearly there!

Fold the ends of the cone back on themselves, to tie the ends of the bag together and stop it from falling apart

It is now ready for use. It's a good idea to make a few of these in advance - they will sit inside each other for storage and you can keep them ready in a little plastic tub for easy access. Like many things in life....practice makes perfect on this one!

Fill the piping bag with your cream or icing and snip off the point to the desired piping size. Use a new bag if you need to. Don't try to re-fill the first one,  it doesn't work!

You can also go to the website http://www.irishfoodguide.ie/

and check out the Best Irish Food Guides, our Blog, IFG Daily News or chat on Twitter

all from the one place!

Don't forget to Feed the Fish at the end of this post!
zack