The weekend before Christmas is upon us and it’s two days stuffed with last-minute shopping, the obligatory family visits and arguably most importantly, deciding what the plan of attack is for Christmas dinner.
After the who, what, where and when is decided, the next to consider is the how. How to cook the turkey and ham this year? Look no further than this week’s recipes to take away some of the festive stress with our easy to follow, trusty and delicious recipes for the perfect turkey, ham and roasties.
Be careful though, your Christmas dinner will be tasting so good, they will be asking you to do it every year...
Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas.
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Classic Turkey
Ingredients
(Serves 6)
4kg Turkey
1 onion
2 sprigs of thyme
2 sprigs of sage
1 garlic bulb
8 bacon rashers
Salt and pepper
Method
Begin by placing the turkey into a roasting tin, seasoning it with salt and pepper.
Cut the onion and garlic in half, placing them in the cavity along with the thyme and sage.
Next, place in the oven at 200C for 15 minutes before reducing the heat to 180C.
Then lay bacon on top of the turkey and roast for two hours, basting with the juices occasionally.
To check the turkey is cooked, place a knife between the leg and breast, and the juice should run clear.
Once this is the case, remove from the oven, cover in tinfoil and let rest for 30 minute.
Cooking times for turkey:
| Weight | Serves | Cooking time |
|---|---|---|
| 4kg | 6 | 15 minutes plus 2 hours |
| 5kg | 8 | 15 minutes plus 2 ½ hours |
| 6kg | 10 | 20 minutes plus 3 hours |
| 7kg | 12 | 20 minutes plus 3 ½ hours |
| 8kg | 14 | 30 minutes plus 4 hours |
Read more: Get festive with Niall McKenna’s Christmas pudding and chutney: Two delicious holiday crowd-pleasers
Slow Baked Ham
Ingredients
(Serves 8)
1tbsp black peppercorns
2 onions, sliced
5kg unsmoked ham
10 cloves
For the Mustard Glaze
2tbsp Dijon mustard
2tbsp American mustard
4tbsp honey
2tbsp ground all spice
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Spread the black peppercorns, sliced onions and cloves evenly on the bottom of a large roasting tray. Add 2cm of water.
Place the ham on a rack or directly on top of the onions and peppercorns in the tray.
Cover the ham loosely with foil and bake for 2 hours.
For the glaze, combine the Dijon mustard, American mustard, honey and ground allspice in a saucepan.
Heat gently, stirring until smooth. Add a splash of water if needed to reach a pourable consistency. Bring to a simmer, then set aside.
To prepare the ham for glazing, remove from the oven and increase temperature to 220C. Carefully remove the skin, leaving a thick layer of fat. Score the fat in a diamond pattern.
Brush the glaze generously over the scored fat.
Return the ham to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, reglazing as needed. Monitor closely to prevent the glaze from over-darkening.
Remove the ham from the oven and tent with foil. Let it rest for 20 minutes before carving.
Use the removed skin to make crackling. Place the skin in the oven at 220C for 15 minutes, or until crisp. Serve alongside the ham.
Read more: Niall McKenna makes Christmas easy with his festive stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce recipes
Roast potatoes
Ingredients
(Serves 4-6)
1kg potatoes
100g goose fat
2 sprigs rosemary
4 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper
Method
Peel and halve the potatoes, then bring to boil in salted water.
Once the water is boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and return to the saucepan. Then, with the lid back on, give the potatoes a good shake, this will ensure the goose fat gets into the potato rather than runs off.
Heat the goose fat in a roasting tin and once it starts to smoke, add in the potatoes, tossing to ensure all are coated in fat. Next, add in the cloves of garlic and rosemary. Place roasting tray in oven at 220C for 45 minutes.
