In a large heavy roasting tin, scatter the onions and thyme, pour in the stock and wine, then sit the turkey on top.
Dot the turkey in butter and season.
Cover the whole tin in baking paper and then very tightly in foil.
Place in the oven for 1 hour and 30minutes, remove foil and cook for a further 30 minutes. Pierce the thigh with a skewer – if the juices run clear, it’s cooked, if they’re pink return to the oven for another 15 minutes and keep checking until done.
Place the turkey onto a warm plate and rest for 30 minutes.
To make the gravy: Drain all juices from the turkey roasting tray into a clean saucepan.
Add 1 tbsp of Bovril or Marmite yeast extract.
Bring to the boil and reduce.
To thicken add 25g softened butter to another pan with 25g plain flour and mix together to form a paste. Then whisk into the gravy.
The day before: Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.
Blanch each type of veg individually for 3-6mins, depending on the size. Remove with a slotted spoon, plunge into ice-cold water, then drain. Put the veg on a tray and store in the fridge.
On the day: Just before it's time to serve the main course, bring a large pan of water to the boil, add the veg and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Drain and dot with the butter. Serve in a large dish.
Brussels sprouts with pancetta and chestnuts
Ingredients
600g Brussels sprouts
180g Asda Extra Special Smoked Pancetta
1 tbsp olive oil
200g vacuum-packed chestnuts
25g butter
Method
Trim the Brussels sprouts and add to a large pan of boiling water. Return to the boil and simmer for 4 minutes.
Drain a colander and rinse under cold running water. Cut in half.
Cut the pancetta into small pieces and cook in a wok with the olive oil until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon.
Add the chestnuts and the sprouts to the wok and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes. Return the pancetta to the pan with the butter and heat through.
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There'll be recipes for prawn co*cktail, roast chicken, salmon mousse and smoked mackerel pate and James will be serving up the ultimate Christmas cheeseboard. There'll also be dishes from chefs Galton Blackiston and Paul Ainsworth, mulled cider courtesy of Merlin Griffiths and a musical surprise at the end of the show.
Easy-to-follow time plans for Christmas Day and New Years Day will take the stress out of preparing meals for your family and friends, and James guides you carefully through the seasons trickiest techniques, such as icing the Christmas cake.
Melt the lard in a deep flameproof roasting tray on a high heat and fry the potatoes on each side until they begin to brown. Sprinkle with salt and roast for 30 minutes, or until starting to colour. Turn the potatoes and return to the oven for a further 20-30 minutes, or until golden-brown and crisp.
In a large heavy roasting tin, scatter the onions and thyme, pour in the stock and wine, then sit the turkey on top. Dot the turkey in butter and season. Cover the whole tin in baking paper and then very tightly in foil. Place in the oven for 1 hour and 30minutes, remove foil and cook for a further 30 minutes.
James trained as a chef at Scarborough Technical College, where he won Student of the Year for three years running. His first cooking jobs were in London in 1991, where he worked at multiple high-end restaurants.
As a result, back in 2021, Celebrity Net Worth estimated that James is worth a huge £3.6 million. However, it's reportedly been boosted significantly since then. Fast-forward two years, add on a couple of cookbooks and new TV series, and best estimates are that the Yorkshire lad is now worth a reported £5m.
He made history by becoming the first person with Down syndrome to become part an Academy Award winning team, after the Northern Ireland short in which he starred, An Irish Goodbye, was awarded best live action short film.
Despite their long relationship the couple never married or had children, with James ruling it out in the past. The restauranteur, who owns a restaurant, four bakery branches and a cookery school, previously explained how he had devoted his life to his hugely successful career, 'giving up everything.
Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes.
Russet potatoes will produce crisper crusts and fluffier centers. Yukon Golds will be slightly less crisp and have creamier centers, with a darker color and deeper flavor. You can also use a mix of the two. The potatoes should be cut into very large chunks, at least 2 to 3 inches or so.
Boiling your potatoes for a little bit before roasting helps make sure that you get that beautiful crisp crust on the outside. If you don't parboil your spuds, the outside skin will remain quite tough, meaning that whatever fat you use will not be able to get inside the cracks.
Preparation. With the phrase “you should cook your turkey on Christmas Eve” often suggested, we're here to tell you that you should cook your whole turkey (or crown) on the day itself – where possible of course! The extra ingredients are so simple, you're sure to have them already in your kitchen cupboards.
During his time on the throne, King Henry VIII decided to swap out his traditional goose for a turkey on Christmas day. After this, King Edward VII took to the delicacy and popularised having turkeys for Christmas.
Roast 1 hour, then baste every 30 minutes with pan liquids, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh (avoiding bone) registers 125°F, about 3 hours. Remove foil; raise oven heat to 400°F. Continue roasting, basting occasionally, until thigh reaches 180°F, 45 to 60 minutes more.
Atul Kochhar is the pioneering Indian chef whose talents have seen him awarded twice with Michelin Stars. At the forefront of the culinary industry for over 25 years, Atul is an admired restaurateur, television personality, book author, a charity ambassador and an entrepreneur.
Introduction: My name is Chrissy Homenick, I am a tender, funny, determined, tender, glorious, fancy, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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