Got 16 people in total round ours for Xmas day
looking for all your tips/hacks/workarounds etc. that you use to make the Xmas dinner run smoothly
Hoping to do the 6kg turkey on Xmas eve - particularly keen on any tips for keeping it moist for the next day
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-keep it in the shower
My first suggestion would be to do a Turkey + a large ham, that's what I do. Everyone loves the mix of meats, plus you can boil the gammon joint on Christmas Eve and then just let it warm to room temp on Xmas Day, and then finish it with a quick glaze in the oven.
My second suggestion, if you need to do the turkey the night before, is to do a dry brine 24-hours before it's going to be cooked (no more than that). This is basically rubbing salt and pepper under the skin, all over the turkey. Not so much salt as to make it salty - you can probably find the correct ratio of salt-to-turkey-size online, I eyeball it. Through the process of osmosis and reabsorption, the brine means the meat will stay moist through cooking and hold more of its moisture in the fridge.
Then you can cook your Turkey on Xmas Eve (with an oven/meat thermometer hopefully - cook the breast to around 64c, legs 72c - they should continue rising to about 66 & 74 when they're out). Let it cool to room temp, then put in the fridge and wrap thoroughly with cling film, so no air can escape.
On Xmas Day you can take this out and warm in the oven or serve at room temp.
I thought the turkey was noticeably more moist than ever before.
https://www.vickery.tv/phils-perfect-turkey/
To be honest out of all the things to do the night before turkey would be low on my list - can imagine that drying it out loads.
Roasts can be done then chucked back in on the day just to reheat, same with pigs in blankets, Yorkshires if you do them etc if you want to cook bits in advance. Turkey needs to rest after cooking so then the oven is free to chuck that all back in to heat up.
All other meat cook in advance (pigs in blankets and stuffing, gammon) just microwave those at the end before plating.
Put the turkey in the oven. Then eventually Stick all veg in the oven. Potatoes at the top, parsnips, carrots and all that below.
Then once done take the turkey out of there to make room for Yorkshire's if you're having it. Chuck the sprouts or any other greens on the boil.
Carve turkey.
Serve.
This of course done whilst you've been drinking since 9am and we sit to eat at around 3. There has not been a Christmas dinner that I have cooked where I have not forgotten to take out one of veg and find it later on burnt to a crisp.
my many years of pleading to have a curry instead of a roast on Xmas Day, fall of deaf ears every bloody year - so, my Xmas Day lunch is rather limited, with me yearning for the cheese and biscuits
If I post on ‘Rate my Plate’ this year, it won’t be my plate - it will be my wife’s !!!