Recipes & Tips
How we roast our turkey at Maryfield on Christmas day.
Check the weight of the turkey. It should be on the label on the bag your turkey comes in.
Heat the oven to 220C Gas mark 7
Place turkey, on its back, in a large roasting tray and season with salt and pepper. Slice some butter and rub onto the breast and legs and place a slice inside the cavity of the bird. Place strips of smoked streaky bacon over the breast and legs on top of the butter. Cover with tin foil making a tent over the bird and not wrapping it tightly. This allows the air to circulate, roasting the turkey rather than steaming it.
Cook at the high temperature for 40minutes and then reduce the temperature to 180C Gas mark 4
We have always worked on the total time being 20minutes per pound and 20 minutes for luck which would translate into approx 40minutes per Kilo and 20 minutes for luck.
All ovens differ and its worth referring to the manual for your cooker. The only way to be sure your turkey is cooked is to pierce the leg with a skewer and if the juices of the turkey run clear it is ready. If not it needs longer in the oven.
Other tips
Roasting bags are said to be great for cooking turkeys and keep them moist.
Some customers have said that roasting the turkey on its breast makes for a delicious succulent meal however make sure you remember to turn it over before you carve it.
If you do stuff your bird make sure you include the weight of your stuffing in the total weight when working out the cooking time.
Boxing Day
Ingredients
Comfortable chair or settee
A roaring fire in the fireplace
Cold sliced Turkey
Left over vegetables or fresh if preferred
Glass of your favourite tipple
Method; The turkey will still taste delicious the following day with little or no slaving in the kitchen, so relax in a comfortable chair by a warm fire with your favourite drink – spoil yourself, its Christmas.
Thereafter try our leftover recipes or strip the bird and freeze the meat and try these recipes at a later date.
Balti Turkey
500g diced turkey
Oil
2 medium onions
3 medium tomatoes halved and sliced
Cinnamon stick
2 black cardamom pods
4 black pepper corns
½ teaspoon black cumin seeds
Garlic paste
Ginger paste
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon salt
2 table spoons natural yogurt
4 table spoons lemon juice
Fresh coriander
2 fresh green chillies chopped with the seeds in or out depending on how hot you like it!
Heat the oil and fry onions until golden brown. Add tomatoes and stir well. Add cinnamon stick, cardamoms, peppercorns, black cumin seeds ginger paste, garlic paste, garam masala, chilli powder and salt. Lower the heat and stir fry for 5 minutes.
Add diced turkey and stir fry for 5-10 minutes until the spices are mixed in well. Add yogurt and mix well.
Lower the heat again and cover the pan. Cook gently for 15 minutes stirring every so often to prevent sticking.
Finally add lemon juice, fresh coriander and green chillies.
Serve with rice.
Turkey and Rice with Rosemary and Thyme.
500g diced turkey
½ cup uncooked long grain rice
200g sliced mushrooms
75g slivered almonds
¼ teaspoon Rosemary
¼ teaspoon Thyme
½ teaspoon salt
2
500ml turkey stock
Place all above ingredients into a buttered casserole dish. Stir. Bake in the oven 180C/Gas mark 4 for 50 minutes or until the rice is tender and the turkey cooked through. The top should brown slightly.
Serve with salad or vegetables.
