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The Tyranny of the Turkey !

RogerS

RogerS

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Day One - what size bird to get? Is Auntie Mabel coming or not? She's always one for the turkey. Do we get a 'crown' or a whole bird? Organic? Bernard Matthews...bootiful. Fresh or frozen? Decisions...decisions.

Some days later - decision made and fresh turkey ordered from Waitrose for collection the morning Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve - early. Decide to get to Waitrose for 8am. Early bird and all that. On arrival discover that half of Malvern has had the same idea. With military precision, divi up the shopping list and get in the queue for the turkey. And wait. And wait while watching a disorganised scrum develop. No rhyme nor reason to process or logic. Eventually get turkey.

There then follows the eternal debate. Is it big enough ? Is it too big?

Christmas Day - which recipe to follow ? Argument develops between those traditionalists who favour 'breast-down' or the New Age 'breast-up' - or is it the other way round ? Pausing to discuss the merits of 'breast-down-then-up-then-down'. In a roasting bag or not? Arterial-hardening goose fat, sir?

Boxing Day - cold turkey

Boxing Day +1 - more cold turkey

Boxing Day +2 - Turkey Zhivago

Boxing Day + 3 - cold Turkey Zhivago

.......

On the other hand, John Dory sounds perfect.


Roger
 
M & S free range turkey crowns (x2) already bought and in the freezer. The reduced stickers made her do it :)

We tried goose one year and didn't like it so Turkey and 'something else (beef or pork)' as per usual this year. Its the various stuffings, cranberry sauce and bacon wrapped sausages etc. that make it christmas dinner...
 
We normally feed 12 on the day and try to vary it a bit.
A Goose is far too small so we buy a 4bird stuffed one from Seldom Seen Farm which is all meat and you just slice through it.
This year a large free range Turkey Crown with Stuffing and as an accompaniment a 4bird roast from Aldi (£9.99!)
All the usual trimmings: pigs in blankets, stuffing, roast veggies, red cabbage, sprouts with chestnuts, bread sauce, cranberry sauce, and yummy gravy.
Generally do some Yorkshires for the little ones.

Birds Cooked breast side up with a bacon covering and foil for a time.

For the vegetarians there's a mushroom and nut Wellington. Sadly cannot use goose fat for the roast spuds [emoji20]

Christmas Pud made by elder daughter to my Mums recipe using vegetarian suet and flamed with brandy.

The only time I've had a real disaster was when they was only 6 of us and I forgot how much fat a goose produces - spilled some on the floor which I slipped on, resulting in a goose fat kitchen skating rink[emoji3].
Didn't drop the bird though!

Rod
 
I do remember many years ago when I was a mere sprog...there was a gnashing of teeth on Christmas morning the parents had forgotten to take out the frozen turkey :lol:

I think Christmas is for kids, TBH. We have none and so it really is a non-event for us and something to be got over ASAP. The best Christmas we had was in Norway one year doing cross-country skiing. Refreshingly uncommercial.

I do have fond memories of Christmas as a kid. Usually ten of us (my parents and sister, my aunt, uncle and their two children and then one pair of grandparents) and the adults took it in turn to hold it at one of the three houses.
 
Roger, if the prep work was your job, I hope you gently rubbed oil into the breasts and legs, and I trust you removed any jewellery before stuffing the bird. :text-lol:
 
Pinch":6f4284jz said:
Roger, if the prep work was your job, I hope you gently rubbed oil into the breasts and legs, and I trust you removed any jewellery before stuffing the bird. :text-lol:
Click to expand...


LOL.....Hmmmmph...chance would be a fine thing :(
 
Not seen smoked turkey over here except perhaps in small slices. Hickory smoke is nice.
And not deep fried ones either - must need an awfully large fryer?
People North of the border do deep fry Mars bars (chocolate covered toffee based confection) - cannot say that appeals to me - yuck!

Rod
 
Belt n braces in my house.....works every time with seriously juicy turkey meat. Here's the procedure:

Kelly bronze free range turkey, picked from local farm day or 2 before the day.
Xmas morning make up herby butter and carefully push under the skin and rub over both breasts (ie under the skin).
Wrap breasts with overlapping streaky.
Make a foil tent in the baking tray and place bird therein (a cross which you crimp like a pasty leaving an air gap above the bird...breast up)
Stuff the neck and skewer and place a little stuffing up its jacksy but don't fill the cavity or it wont cook properly.
Wack in and last 30-40 mins take the foil off and baste at least 4 times till breast golden brown.
Take out and grab the juices for gravy. Stick foil over followed by tea towels and then bath towels and rest for at least an hour and even as much as two hours is quite acceptable. Now you've got your oven back to deal with the veg etc while all the juices are busily re-entering the turkey to keep it moist.

Result...ruddy delicious. Sure, it's some extra work but it is the highlight meal of the year and I figure it's worth the fuss myself.
 
We have just got a crown the last few years - easier to cook and less faffing.

As far as Xmas goes we have kids still at home and you're right its only enjoyable for us because they have such a good time. Personally the best Xmas I had was in Kitzbuhl, got up and went to get breakfast in a lovely room with it snowing outside and great views of the mountains.
 
Organic turkey from Waitrose and then whatever Delia does, but first of all a walk round the cathedral in town - Rob
 
We've order some prime filet for Xmas may make it into a pasty like David, or just eat it raw. All the usual trimmings. Xmas pud and bouche de noel for afters.

I'll be up before the first sparrow fart to make the bread in the morning. Walnut and beer from River Cottage.
 
Whenever we host christmas, we buy a goose, some venison, or a big salmon. The primary reason is that these are all traditional English christmas meals, whereas turkey is an American import, but the nice little secondary reason is that it just ever-so-slightly annoys my brother in law, who huffs and puffs about turkey being traditional. We're at their place this year, so turkey it will be. Ho hum.....
 
I was quite surprised to read that Henry VIII had turkey but they didn't become popular until Victorian times and then really took off in the 20thC
As a boy we generally had a large roasted joint and occasionally a chicken - very rarely a turkey.
I much prefer goose but they don't go very far and some of my family are "squeamish" about venison - I love it.
One of my SIL's goes beating and is always bringing home pheasants, partridges etc but they take a lot of messing about if catering for largish numbers. He also has a good source of venison too.
We usually have salmon cold on Boxing Day with other cold meats.
The stuffed goose works well as its stuffed with other birds and is very tasty - also quite expensive at £120 but it is all meat and will feed 15 generously.
The much smaller Aldi and Lidl ones cost £9.99!
Turkey's ok as long as you have lots of trimmings and sauces to go with it.

Rod
 
Rod, I rarely bother with pheasant legs preferring the breast. I can get the breasts off a pheasant in under five minutes. If anyone is interested I'll post up how.
 
RogerS":1bsr7ixx said:
Rod, I rarely bother with pheasant legs preferring the breast. I can get the breasts off a pheasant in under five minutes. If anyone is interested I'll post up how.
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Roger, do you pluck your pheasants too. I'd like to see pics of Roger, the pheasant plucker. :D
 
Andyp":1vzfuy5i said:
RogerS":1vzfuy5i said:
Rod, I rarely bother with pheasant legs preferring the breast. I can get the breasts off a pheasant in under five minutes. If anyone is interested I'll post up how.
Click to expand...

Roger, do you pluck your pheasants too. I'd like to see pics of Roger, the pheasant plucker. :D
Click to expand...

No way! Cut off the head and neck. Cut off the tail. Cut off the legs and wings. Rip off the skin including feathers. Slice off breasts. Discard the rest.
 
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