Karen's Christmas Kitchen
In association with Waitrose. Photography By Heather Tait.
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; except for mum peeling the sprouts that was.
If you've got the masses descending upon you this year, there's no need to panic, Karen is here to help. With tips from how to get that perfectly moist turkey to the crispiest of roast potatoes, Christmas dinner has never been so tasty and you never know, the mother-in-law may even approve.
Roast turkey with chestnut and apple stuffing.
Turkey.
5.4kg (12lb) turkey with giblets
225g (8oz) streaky bacon
1 pack unsalted butter
1 roll of kitchen foil
Stuffing.
30ml (2 tbsp) sunflower oil
1 red onion, chopped
50g (2oz) diced apple
zest and juice 1 lemon
175g (6oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
200g (7oz) ready cooked and peeled chestnuts, chopped
60ml (4 tbsp) each chopped fresh sage and parsley
225g (8oz) sausagemeat
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Kilted Sausages.
6 chipolata sausages, twisted in half to make 12
12 pitted no soak prunes
12 slices of pancetta
Gravy.
50g (2oz) butter
30ml (2tbsp) plain flour
900ml (1.5 pt) turkey stock
Bouquet garnie
Make Stuffing.
Heat oil in a pan and fry onions for 4 minutes.
Add diced apple, lemon zest, and juice; remove from the heat. In a large bowl, mix remaining stuffing ingredients together along with the onions; season.
Sausages.
Cut your chipolatas in half. Wrap prune and piece of pancetta around each sausage. Place seam side down in a roasting tray, cover and chill until they're required.
Preparing the Turkey.
The size of the turkey is entirely up to you depending on how many guests you are having or the amount of left over turkey meals you like. Allow 20 minutes per kg plus 90 minutes.
Remove the giblets and neck and place in a medium saucepan with 1.5 pts of water, add a bouquet garne (bundle of herbs) and season. Bring to the boil then simmer for 30 minutes, removing scum from the top, strain and keep warm for later.
Loosen the turkey skin by gently pushing your hand underneath it, starting at the breast and working your way down into the legs. Take your pack of softened butter and spread evenly under the skin and all over the bird, smooth the skin down. Spoon the stuffing into the neck cavity pack it in tight, then tuck the skin flap underneath. Roll remaining stuffing into balls and roast with sausages later on.
Cover the turkey with streaky bacon slightly overlapping. Lightly season.
Roasting.
Preheat the oven to 190oC/fan 170oC/375oF/Gas mark 5.
Line a large roasting tin with tin foil, one strip going across the length of the tray the other across the width long enough to go over the bird. Sit the turkey in the middle of the tray and cover loosely with the foil seal tightly all round leaving enough room for the air to circulate. Place in the middle of the oven, basting every half hour with the pan juices. Remove the foil and bacon for the final 45 minutes, to crisp skin; roast the stuffing balls and bacon rolls above the turkey for the last 20 minutes. Check the turkey is cooked – pierce thigh with a skewer – juices should run clear. If not, leave for another 10 minutes and try again. Transfer turkey to a warm serving plate, cover with the foil and rest for 20 minutes – this makes carving easier.
Gravy.
Spoon off excess fat from juices in the roasting tin. Place tin on a low heat; add flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the warm stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally; strain into a warm gravy boat.
Accompaniment.
Serve with a good cranberry sauce you can make your own but a quality shop bought one is fine.
Winter Vegetables.
Honey roasted parsnips:
Serves 8
6 large parsnips trimmed
3 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp runny honey
Peel the parsnips cut into 4 lengthways and core, parboil for 5 minutes and drain. Place into a hot roasting tray, pour over the honey, season and place into a hot oven 220oC/Gas mark 7 for approx. 15 minutes until golden brown and sticky.
Brussels sprouts with hazelnuts and brown butter:
Serves 8
750g (1.5lb) small Brussels sprouts trimmed
50g (2oz) butter
50g (2oz) blanched hazelnuts roughly chopped
Seasoning
Trim the sprouts, put a small cut in the base, cook in boiling salty water
anything from 5 – 10 minutes depending on your personal taste, drain and keep warm, melt the butter in a frying pan add the hazelnuts, cook until they start to turn brown, the butter will turn deep brown and start to smell nutty it's now ready to pour over your hot sprouts, grind a little pepper on top and serve.
Carrot and apricot puree:
900g (2lbs) carrots peeled and chopped
150g (6oz) apricots cut into quarters
30ml (2tbsp) thick double cream or crème freche
Salt and black pepper to taste
Peel the carrots top and tailing them, place in boiling water with the apricots, cook for about 20 minutes or until the carrots are soft. Place in a blender and mix until smooth tip into your serving dish stir in the cream and seasoning. Garnish with chopped parsley and take to the table. It's delicious.
Perfect Roast Potatoes:
1kg (2.5lb) floury potatoes such as Maris piper
Olive oil or goose fat depending if vegetarian
Seasoning
Preheat oven 220oC/425oF/Gas mark 7.
Peel the potatoes and cut into medium chunks, parboil in salted water for 8 minutes.
Drain and toss in a pan to roughen the edges. Put a generous amount of oil or fat in a roasting tin place in the oven until smoking, remove the pan, add the potatoes and baste all over, put back in the oven. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour until they are crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle, turning from time to time to give an even colour. Sprinkle with sea salt and enjoy.
Scallops and Tiger Prawns with a hot hazelnut butter
12 Scallops
8 Tiger Prawns
50/60g (2/3oz) unsalted butter
1.5 tspns of fresh thyme
4 shallots finely chopped
50g (2oz) hazelnuts ground or finely chopped
1 tblspn white wine vinegar
4 tblspn extra virgin olive oil
1 small bunch of watercress
1 small bunch of rocket
1. Dry scallops and prawns on paper towel.
2. Place a little of the butter into hot pan, season the seafood with salt and add one at a time to the hot pan.
3. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes then flip over and cook on the other side for 30 seconds or until just cooked, the prawns may need a little longer they will turn pink when cooked.
4. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
5. Place the rest of the butter, shallots, thyme and hazelnuts into the pan and sauté until golden brown.
6. Meanwhile dress the salad leaves with the vinaigrette and plate.
7. Arrange the prawns and scallops and drizzle with hot butter.
8. Serve with good brown bread and a crisp white wine.
Pecan and Chestnut casserole in red wine
Serves 4
100g (4oz) dried chestnuts
1.5 pt water
8 button onions
1 carrot
175g (6oz) small Brussels sprouts
175g (6oz) button mushrooms
2tbspn olive oil
Half tsp each chopped fresh Sage, Rosemary and Thyme
300ml (half pt) red wine
50g (2oz) unroasted buckwheat
40g (1.5oz) gram flour
1tbsp soy sauce
100g (4oz) pecan nuts, shelled
Salt and pepper
1. Heat the oven to 190oC/375oF/Gas mark 5.
Put the chestnuts and water into a pan and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until almost tender. Drain, reserving the liquid.
2. Prepare the vegetables. Peel the onions but leave whole; peel the carrot and cut in diagonal slices then chop the onions. Trim the Brussels sprouts and wipe the mushrooms.
3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a pan and stir fry the buckwheat for 3 minutes, add the mushrooms for a further 2 minutes, pour in the remaining wine and bring to the boil. Whisk the flour, simmer for about 1 minute or until the mixture thickens; add the soy sauce.
4. Remove the casserole from the oven, add the thickened buckwheat mixture, sprouts and pecan nuts, mix well. Cover and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes.
Taste, adjusting the seasoning if necessary.
5. Serve on warm plates with a sprinkling of chopped sage and Christmas vegetables.
I guarantee your vegetarian guests will not be disappointed.
Serve with a rich bodied red.
Rich vanilla panacotta topped with a cranberry and Grand Marnier sauce.
Serves 4 to 6
Panacotta:
1/2 cup milk – full fat
1/2 ounce gelatine envelope
2 cups of double cream
2 tbsp vanilla extract
6 tblespns white sugar
1. In a medium saucepan pour the milk and sprinkle the gelatine allow to stand for 5 minutes.
2. Stir over a low heat until the gelatine has dissolved, add the sugar and vanilla, stir again until all the sugar has dissolved.
3. Wipe the inside of your serving bowl or ramekins with vegetable oil.
4. Ladle in the mixture leave to stand until cool, then refrigerate for at least 5 hours.
Sauce:
125g fresh cranberries
75g sugar
Grated zest and juice of
1 orange
2 tbspns Grand Marnier
1. Place the cranberries, sugar, orange zest and juice into a medium pan, heat through gently until the sugar dissolves.
2. Simmer for 5 minutes until the cranberries pop and the sauce thickens.
3. Stir in the Grand Marnier then check for sweetness.
4. Leave to cool slightly.
5. Turn the Panacotta onto a serving dish or individual plates pour over the sauce and serve.
Your guests will be more than impressed with this delicious alternative to Christmas pudding. Serve with a good dessert wine.
All the ingredients used in this feature were provided by Waitrose in Lichfield.
The wines featured are:
Cabernet Sauvignon (Chile)
Viña Valdivieso Cabernet
Sauvignon Reserve
Maipo Valley 2005.
Ripe cassis aromas with hints of menthol and spicy oak. It works well with red meat. £8.99
Sauvignon Blanc (Chile)
Viña Valdivieso Casablanca Valley 2007. Made from fruit sourced from a premium Chilean Sauvignon Blanc growing valley. This wine has a true mark of provenance and vibrancy stamped all over it. £7.99
Campbells Rutherglen
Muscat, Australia Bin 86790;
This fortified dessert wine is the perfect answer to a table full of cheese, chocolate and friends looking to try something different. Made from Muscat grapes ripened and raisined in Australia's hot Rutherglen region, it is intensely sweet, yet surprisingly fresh. You can look forward to an incredibly complex mix of pure, silky dried fruit, toffee and
Middle Eastern spice. £7.99/37.5cl
Karen lives in Hammerwich with her husband John and three daughters: Hayley 16, Amy 11 and Molly 6.
She has worked as a chef in numerous kitchens in the Midlands and now cooks purely for pleasure.
