Darina Allen's Christmas recipes - plus tips on how to avoid a dry turkey 

From turkey to stuffing to sides, this is the ultimate festive dinner

Darina Allen brines her turkey to make it extra juicy. 

Traditional Christmas turkey with fresh herb stuffing and gravy

recipe by:Darina Allen

This is my favourite roast stuffed turkey recipe. It may not have exotic ingredients, but it is moist and full of flavour - exactly as a Christmas turkey should be.

Servings

10

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 4 hours 0 mins

Total Time

 4 hours 20 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 x 10-12lb (4.5-5.4kg), free-range and organic, turkey, with neck and giblets

• For the stuffing:

• 175g butter

• 350g chopped onions

• 400-500g soft white breadcrumbs

• 50g freshly chopped herbs eg. parsley, thyme, chives, annual marjoram, lemon balm salt and freshly-ground pepper

• For the stock:

• Turkey giblet, neck, gizzard, heart, wishbone and wingtips of turkey

• 2 sliced carrots

• 2 sliced onions

• 1 stick celery

• Bouquet garni

• 3 or 4 peppercorns

• For basting the turkey:

• 225g butter large square of muslin (optional)

Method

1. Make a turkey stock by covering with cold water the neck, gizzard, heart, wishbone, wingtips, vegetables and bouquet garni.

2. Bring to the boil and simmer while the turkey is being prepared and cooked, 3 hours approx.

3. To make the fresh herb stuffing, sweat the onions gently in the butter until soft, for about 10 minutes, then stir in the crumbs, herbs and a little salt and pepper to taste. Allow it to get quite cold.

4. If necessary wash and dry the cavity of the bird, then season and half-fill with cold stuffing. Put the remainder of the stuffing into the crop at the neck end.

5. Weigh the turkey and calculate the cooking time: Allow 15 minutes approx. per lb and 15 minutes over.

6. Melt the butter and soak a large piece of good quality muslin in the melted butter; cover the turkey completely with the muslin and roast in a preheated moderate oven, 180°C/Gas Mark 4, for 2 ¾ -3 ¼ hours depending on the weight and whether the turkey has been brined. Brined turkey cook considerably faster — be careful not to overcook. There is no need to baste it because of the butter-soaked muslin.

7. The turkey browns beautifully, but if you like it even browner, remove the muslin 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Alternatively, smear the breast, legs and crop well with soft butter, and season with salt and freshly-ground pepper. If the turkey is not covered with butter-soaked muslin then it is a good idea to cover the whole dish with dampened parchment paper. However, your turkey will then be semi-steamed, and not roasted in the traditional sense of the word.

8. The turkey is cooked when the juices run clear.

9. To test, prick the thickest part at the base of the thigh and examine the juices: they should be clear. Remove the turkey to a carving dish, keep it warm and allow it to rest while you make the gravy.

10. To make the gravy, spoon off the surplus fat from the roasting pan.

11. De-glaze the pan juices with fat-free stock from the giblets and bones. Using a whisk, stir and scrape well to dissolve the caramelised meat juices from the roasting pan.

12. Boil it up well, season and thicken with a little roux if you like. Taste and correct the seasoning. Serve in a hot gravy boat.

13. If possible, present the turkey on your largest serving dish, surrounded by crispy roast potatoes, and garnished with large sprigs of parsley or watercress and maybe a sprig of holly. Make sure no one eats the berries.
    
    How to brine
    My top tip is to brine the turkey ahead — it greatly enhances the flavour, and reduces the overall cooking time. For wet brine, you’ll need a large enough container to fully submerge the turkey in the brine for 24 hours. Some people brine the bird in their stainless steel sink. Use 100g salt to every 1 litre of water, stir to fully dissolve. Drain and dry well before stuffing and covering with butter-soaked muslin. If you want to do a dry brine, rub pure salt all over the surface of the turkey. Leave overnight, the next day pat the bird dry and proceed as above. Gutsy herbs like thyme and rosemary can be chopped and added to the salt. I'm not sure why but brining decreases the cooking time so check for doneness at least 30 minutes earlier and allow to rest for a further 30 minutes.

Glazed Christmas ham

recipe by:Darina Allen

You’ll know when the ham is cooked when the rind comes off the fat easily. I like to buy my ham with the bone in but order a boned ham if carving becomes a challenge

Servings

10

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 2 hours 0 mins

Total Time

 2 hours 10 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 x 4.5kg (10lb) fresh or lightly smoked ham (ensure it has a nice layer of sweet fat)

• 30 or more whole cloves, depending on the size of the diamonds

• 1 jar of good quality marmalade

Method

1. If the ham is salty, soak it in cold water overnight and discard the water the next day. Cover the ham with fresh, cold water and bring it slowly to the boil. If the meat is still salty, there will be a white froth on top of the water. In this case, it is preferable to discard this water, cover the ham with fresh cold water again and repeat the process.

2. Finally, cover the ham with hot water, put the lid on the saucepan and simmer until it is almost cooked.

3. When the ham is fully cooked the rind will peel off easily and the small bone at the base of the leg will feel loose.

4. To glaze the ham: preheat the oven to 250ºC/ 500ºF/gas mark 9.

5. While still warm, peel the rind from the cooked ham, score the fat into a diamond pattern and stud each diamond with a whole clove. Heat the marmalade over a gentle heat to loosen. Transfer the ham to a roasting tin just large enough to take the joint.

6. Spread the marmalade over the entire surface of the ham, but not underneath. Bake it in a very hot oven for 20 minutes or until it has caramelised. While it is glazing, baste the ham regularly with the syrup and juices.
   
   Apricot and orange glaze
   Stir together 225ml of apricot jam, 225g (of sifted golden caster sugar, 3 tablespoons of whole grain mustard with honey and the juice of 1 orange. Spoon the glaze over the ham and cook as above, basting at regular intervals.
   Ginger glaze
   Mix together 5 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 dessertspoon mustard powder, 1 teaspoon grated ginger, zest of half an organic orange, 20ml orange juice. Spoon the glaze over the ham and cook as above, basting at regular intervals.

Braised red cabbage

recipe by:Darina Allen

This red cabbage can be made several days ahead or frozen for several weeks.

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 50 mins

Total Time

 55 mins

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• 450g Irish red cabbage

• 450g Irish cooking apples (Bramley’s Seedling)

• 1 tbsp wine vinegar

• 120ml water

• 1 level tsp salt

• 2 heaped tbsp sugar

Method

1. Remove any damaged outer leaves from the cabbage. Examine and clean it if necessary. Cut in quarter, remove the core and slice the cabbage finely across the grain. Put the vinegar, water, salt and sugar into a cast-iron casserole or stainless steel saucepan. Add the cabbage and bring it to the boil.

2. Meanwhile, peel and core the apples and cut into quarters (no smaller). Lay them on top of the cabbage, cover and continue to cook gently until the cabbage is tender, 30-50 minutes approx. Do not overcook or the colour and flavour will be ruined. Taste for seasoning and add more sugar if necessary.

3. Serve in a warm serving dish.

Brussels sprouts with hazelnuts and bacon

recipe by:Darina Allen

Brussels sprouts are the number one most hated vegetable. The poor little sprout has had very bad press, mostly because it can be tough to cook well.

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 35 mins

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• 500g Brussels sprouts, cleaned and trimmed

• 25g butter

• 60ml chicken stock

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 50g hazelnuts

• 6 slices lightly smoked streaky bacon — approximately 110g

• 40g soft pale brown sugar

• To garnish:

• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Toast the hazelnuts on a baking tray in a preheated at 180°C/Gas Mark 4 for 15 minutes, shaking regularly until golden and skin. Allow to cool, then chop coarsely. Cover a baking tray with a sheet of parchment paper.

2. Dip the streaky bacon in pale soft brown sugar so both sides are coated. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the bacon is caramelised on both sides. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for a minute or two and remove to a wire rack to crisp up.

3. Meanwhile, over a medium high heat, melt the butter in a sauté pan. When it foams add the sprouts, toss to coat, add the chicken stock, cover and allow to cook for 4-5 minutes tossing regularly. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. The sprouts should be still fresh and green.

4. Snip the bacon into uneven pieces with scissors. Add most of the coarsely chopped hazelnuts and candied bacon. Toss, taste and correct seasoning.

5. Turn into a hot serving dish. Sprinkle with the remaining hazelnuts, candied bacon and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

Foolproof roast potatoes

recipe by:Darina Allen

A big roasting tin of crusty roast potatoes always invokes a positive response. Everyone loves them. They are easy to achieve but I still get asked over and over for the secret of crunchy golden roasties.

Servings

8

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 60 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 5 mins

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• 2kg large floury potatoes, quartered

• 75ml olive oil or 75g duck or goose fat

Method

1. Carefully place the potatoes into a large pan of boiling salted water and cook for seven minutes. Drain and shake the potatoes in the dry saucepan with the lid on to rough up the edges so the potatoes crisp up well in the oven. Leave them to dry fully.

2. Heat the oil or fat in a roasting tray on the hob. When hot, toss the potatoes in the fat, coating well. Sprinkle with sea salt and put in the oven with the turkey (at 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4) for 30 -60 minutes, depending on the size.

3. For perfection, potatoes should be similar in size and shape.

Cranberry sauce

recipe by:Darina Allen

This sauce will keep in your fridge for several weeks. Add a spoonful of port and a quarter teaspoon of finely grated orange zest for a change — but I love the clean taste of the original.

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 8 mins

Total Time

 18 mins

Course

 Side

Ingredients

• 170g fresh or frozen cranberries

• 60ml water

• 85g granulated sugar

Method

1. Put the fresh cranberries in a heavy-based stainless steel or cast-iron saucepan with the water — don’t add the sugar yet as it tends to toughen the skins. Bring them to the boil, cover and simmer until the cranberries pop and soften, about 7 minutes.

2. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar until dissolved.

3. Serve warm or cold.
   Note: Fresh cranberries keep for weeks on end but also freeze perfectly.