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Turkey and gravy
Sage and onion stuffing
Cranberry sauce and bread sauce
Roast potatoes and Brussels sprouts
Mince pies and brandy butter
Turkey and gravy
1 turkey, with giblets
170g butter
½ an onion
Bay leaf
1 large piece of cook's muslin
For the gravy:
1 tbsp plain flour
4 tbsp Madeira
568ml hot poultry stock or water
1. Take the turkey out of the fridge a couple of hours before cooking. Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Weigh the turkey, and calculate the cooking time: 20 minutes per 450g, plus an extra 20 minutes.
2. Melt the butter in a large bowl, and soak the muslin in it; it should all be absorbed. Season the turkey liberally with salt and pepper, and put it in a large roasting tin with the turkey neck, giblets (except the liver) onion, bay leaf and 300ml water. Cover the turkey completely with the folded muslin and put it into the hot oven.
3. Check the turkey is cooked by piercing the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer – the juices should run clear. Remove the muslin, take out of the tin and put in a warm place to rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.
4. Pour the juices and fat from the roasting tin into a gravy separator, or skim off as much as the fat as possible from the top and discard. Mix the flour to a smooth paste with 2 tbsp of the meat juices, and pour the rest of the juices back into the tin on a medium heat, stirring to dislodge any bits on the bottom. Stir in the flour paste, the Madeira, and a ladleful of stock, mix well, and then add the rest of the stock. Bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring, until it has reached your desired thickness. Season to taste and serve with the turkey.
Makes about 14 balls
Knob of butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
75g white breadcrumbs
Small bunch of sage leaves, finely chopped
Grated zest of ½ lemon
450g pork sausagemeat
Nutmeg, to grate
1. Melt the butter in a frying pan over a gentle heat, and soften the onion. Turn the heat up to medium, and add half the breadcrumbs. Fry until golden.
2. Mix the onion and toasted breadcrumbs with the rest of the crumbs, the sage and lemon zest, then add the sausagemeat and mix well with your hands. Season and grate over a little nutmeg and mix again.
3. Form into walnut-sized balls, put into a greased baking dish, and bake for half an hour at 200C while the turkey is resting.
Serves 8
Juice of 1 orange, plus zest of ½ orange
210g caster sugar
450g fresh cranberries
2 tbsp port
2. Stir in the port and orange zest, and serve, or put into sterilised jars.
1 small onion
5 cloves
A bay leaf
500ml whole milk
115g white breadcrumbs
1 tbsp clotted cream (optional)
Nutmeg, to grate
Cayenne pepper, to serve
1. Cut the onion in half, and stud with the cloves. Put into a small pan with the bay leaf and the milk, and bring very gently to a simmer. Turn off the heat and leave to infuse for at least half an hour, but longer if possible.
2. Remove the onion, cloves and bay leaf, and gently heat the milk. Whisk in the breadcrumbs and heat, stirring, until you have your preferred texture. Stir in cream, if using. Season with salt and white pepper, and grate in nutmeg to taste. Serve warm.
This recipe also works for 450g parsnips – blanch for 3 minutes instead, and cook for about 45 minutes
1.2kg floury potatoes, e.g. Desiree, King Edward, Maris Piper
Jar of goose fat or 4 tbsp olive oil
1. Pre-heat the oven to 190C. Wash and peel the potatoes, reserving the peel. Cut them in half or quarters, depending on their size. Put them in a large pan of salted boiling water, along with the peel – it's easiest if you can put this in a muslin infusing bag. Parboil for 8 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, put 2 tbsp of goose fat, or 3 tbsp olive oil in a roasting tin and put it into the oven to heat. Drain the potatoes and discard the peel, then put them back in the pan and shake gently to rough up the edges. Take the roasting tin out of the oven and put on the hob over a gentle heat. Put the potatoes in one by one – they should sizzle as they hit the pan – and baste all over. Season.
3. Roast for about an hour until golden and crunchy, keeping an eye on them and basting with a little more fat if they begin to look dry.
500g Brussels sprouts, washed and trimmed
Large knob of butter
100g flaked almonds
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large frying pan, and add the nuts. Toast until lightly browned. Drain the sprouts, add to the pan and toss well to coat. Season and serve immediately.
50g each sultanas, raisins, currants, mixed peel
50g each dried figs and glace cherries, chopped
1 piece stem ginger, finely chopped, plus 1tbsp of its syrup
25g each almonds and pecans, chopped
½ tsp mixed spice
3 tbsp whisky
2 tbsp suet or cold grated butter
Zest of 1 lemon
1 small unpeeled cooking apple, grated
For the pastry:
340g plain flour
225g cold butter
85g ground almonds
100g golden caster sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp orange blossom water
Beaten egg or milk, to glaze
Icing sugar, to dust
1. Mix together the mincemeat ingredients and taste. Add more whisky, or spice to taste. If not using immediately, put into sterilised jars for up to a year.
2. To make the pastry, sieve the flour into a mixing bowl with a pinch of salt. Grate in the butter, and rub into the mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in the almonds and sugar.
3. Mix the egg yolks with orange blossom water, and 1½ tbsp of ice-cold water. Add enough to the mixture to bring it together into a firm, but not wet dough when stirred with a knife. Shape into a ball by hand, wrap in clingfilm, and chill for half an hour.
4. Pre-heat the oven to 190C. Grease your tartlet tins with butter, and roll out half the pastry on a floured surface until about 3mm thick. Cut out bases to line the tartlet tins. Fill each ¾ full with mincemeat, then roll out the other half of the pastry and cut out lids. Dampen the edge with a little water or milk, and press down lightly on the pies to seal. Brush the tops with water or beaten egg, and prick the tops with a fork. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden, then cool on a rack and dust with icing sugar.
55g icing or caster sugar, if you like a more granular texture
55g soft light brown sugar
3 tbsp brandy
Squeeze of lemon juice
2 tbsp clotted cream
Zest of ½ orange, to serve
1. Put the butter into a large bowl, and beat with a wooden spoon or electric beater until soft. Gradually add the sugars, beating well with a wooden spoon or your hands between each addition, then gradually drizzle in the brandy and lemon juice incorporate in the same way, being careful not to go too fast, or it will separate. Mix in the clotted cream.
2. Grate over nutmeg to taste, then store in the fridge, and top with orange zest just before serving.
