Jeremy Lee reveals the chef’s secrets to the main Christmas event: delicious turkey and all the trimmings
Christmas lunch.Photograph: Romas Foord for Observer Food Monthly
The truly great magic of Christmas is where it falls amid
the seasons: the final farewell bid to autumn is made at the close of
November swiftly followed by the mighty push through December to the big
day itself. For sure, there are the presents and the parties and
extraordinary cavorting during the preceding weeks, but it is the
keenness of the cold and the great change in the seasons that so defines
the quite magical reign of winter.
And, oh my, how the appetite is
quickened for Christmas foods so steeped in tradition for, come winter’s
call, the kitchen is the true heart of the house. Here all is warmth
and cheer, so, when the final preparations are made and the food is
carried through to table, all there is to do is sit, fill your plate,
fill your glass and raise your voice to join in the sheer and utter
marvellous joy of good things well done for all.
Potted crab
Potted crab.Photograph: Romas Foord for Observer Food Monthly
This is best done the day before as it’s a delightfully
messy affair. Brilliantly, once done, the dish needs little more than
taking to table with a heap of toast and a riot of ravenous attendees.
It is worth noting that the great flakes achieved by cooking and picking
your own crab make the effort so very worthwhile, unlike those awful
pre-picked alternatives that are no more than a lure to the Dark Side.
Serves 6 cock crab 1.5 kg, alive and kicking coarse sea salt 4 heaped tbsp unsalted butter 100g ground mace ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper ¼ tsp red chilli 1 large, mild lemon juice 1 tsp Manzanilla 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley 1 tbsp, chopped Tabasco a drop or two
Pick a pot that fits the crab most generously. Fill it with
cold water, enough to fully cover the crab and a good bit more. Add in
the salt, set the pot on a moderate heat and slowly bring it to the
boil. Let the crab cook for 5-6 minutes, then remove with care onto a
tray and allow to cool.
Once cooled, pull away the claws, then crack the crabs and remove the upper body shell away from the legs.
Spoon the brown meat into a bowl and reserve, then set to
with a pick to get all the white meat out. Once done, pick through with a
little extra care to remove any adhering shell, tediously unwelcome in
the finished dish.
Choose the handsomest dish at hand. I like very much the way
a dear friend serves this by laying it flat in a thinnish layer on a
large wide serving dish. It suits this very well.
Melt the butter and infuse with the mace and ground pepper.
Check the chilli for heat, as too enthusiastic a kick-start might be
misconstrued. Chop the preferred amount of chilli fine and add this to
the pot.
Put the white crab meat, lemon juice, Manzanilla, chopped
parsley and Tabasco in a bowl and mix very well together. Beat the brown
meat until smooth. Mix all this together retaining a quite coarse
texture. Pour in the butter, mix coarsely and then spoon out on the
dish. Allow to set then cover with cling film and pop in the fridge.
The turkey
Turkey.Photograph: Romas Foord for Observer Food Monthly
Ah, turkey, once a marvel of a brave new world. This rather
wonderful wild bird contributed much to fortify dishes such as
wilderness stew and succotash, which saved many a pilgrim who landed in
Plymouth Bay. Happily, still in the here and now, there remain
pioneering good folk who rear beautiful turkeys of excellent quality to
grace the Christmas table.
The very best weight for a very good turkey is between
5-6kg. Exceed this weight and the cooking becomes perilous, the bird
losing all its goodness as its sojourn in the oven becomes a reign of
terror.
Serves 12-15 For the turkey turkey 5-6kg unsalted butter 250g, softened several large sheets of tin foil large enough to cover the bird comfortably with the inevitable required big scrunchings around the edges
For the stuffing lemons 2, large dried coarse breadcrumbs 250g curly parsley 6 great heaped tbsp, picked, washed, dried and finely chopped thyme leaves 1 tsp marjoram 1 tsp nutmeg a quarter of one, grated sea salt 1 heaped tsp freshly ground black and white peppercorns 1 heaped tsp best hens’ eggs 3 large unsalted butter 250g, softened white wine a large glass
To make the stuffing, grate the zest of both the lemons, then juice just one.
In a big bowl, tumble in the breadcrumbs, chopped parsley,
thyme, marjoram, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix these well, add in the
lemon zest and juice, then the eggs, mix this well, then finally add the
butter and mix thoroughly. Put to one side.
Heat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Clear the decks then sit
the turkey in an appropriate roasting pan. Put the stuffing in the bird
and then sew it up or use skewers to seal the stuffing inside.
Slather the butter all over the bird, then layer the sheets
of foil on top until the bird is fully covered. Lift the tray to the
oven and set the turkey on its way.
After 30 minutes at 180C/gas mark 4, turn the oven down to 150C/gas mark 2. The total cooking time is 2½ to 3 hours.
It is worth taking the bird from the oven every 45 minutes,
lifting the foil and basting it with the deliciousness gathering in the
bottom of the tray. The glass of wine can be poured over the bird on the
final basting.
This is a good moment to check the cooking and also to
remove the foil and return the bird to the oven for a final blast to
ensure the skin browns well, too. Insert a skewer through the thigh and
should the juices flow clear then tis done. A light-pink tinge colouring
the juice is easily rectified should you opt to eat the breast first,
returning the legs to the oven to finish cooking to follow on a second
plateful.
It is worth bearing in mind that a very good rest will
finish cooking the bird under its blanket of foil, say 20 to 25 minutes.
But that is a chef speaking who cannot abide the prospect of a parched
bird, deprived of its goodness.
NB All the deliciousness gathered in the bottom of the tray will be used along with the giblet gravy.
David Williams’s wine match for the turkey Fuligni Ginestreto Rosso di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy 2012 (£20.95, leaandsandeman.co.uk) Competing
strong flavours, sweet and savoury, are the hallmark of the classic
Christmas dinner. This robust but elegant Tuscan red will survive the
assault and lend its cherried acidity to cut through the richness; the
same producer’s Brunello Riserva 2007 is a still more suave choice if
your budget stretches to £66.
Cumberland sauce
A Christmas feast is unthinkable without this accompaniment
to the turkey. It is even better with the leftovers the day after. With
this in mind, make a larger amount. It remains the very best use of
redcurrant jelly.
oranges 4 redcurrant jelly 8 heaped tbsp English mustard 2 heaped tsp ground black pepper a large pinch sea salt a small pinch good port a large glass
Carefully peel as many thinnest strips of peel as you can
from the oranges. Slice these very thinly. Fill a small pan with 750ml
of water, bring this to the boil, add the orange strips and boil for 1
minute, drain them and repeat, this time boiling for 3 minutes.
In a bowl, put in the orange strips, jelly, mustard, pepper and salt.
Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring the
contents all the while until the jelly is melted and consistency quite
smooth. Once done, add the port and continue thus for a further 7 or 8
minutes.
Tip the sauce into a clean bowl and cover until cool, then
cover well and refrigerate. This sauce keeps well, covered, for a
fortnight.
Giblet gravy
As with the Cumberland sauce this gorgeous tradition can be
made the day before. As gravy goes, this is the very, very best and a
great favourite.
Serves 12-15 giblets from the turkey onions 2 small, peeled and chopped coarsely carrot 1 small, peeled and chopped coarsely celery a stick, coarsely chopped a pig’s trotter chicken wings 8 parsley stalks a small bundle bay leaves 2 garlic 1 clove black peppercorns 12 white wine a great big glass mixed with a glug of sherry
The day before, set the oven to 150C/gas mark 2. Remove the
turkey giblets from their natty little baggy hidden inside the turkey.
Take a frying pan and warm over a moderate heat. Pour in
enough light oil to just cover the surface. Place the giblets in the oil
and fry gently until very well coloured.
Turn the giblets with care, then add the vegetables and
colour these well also. Then brown the wings as best you can. Once done,
add these to a pot with the pig’s trotter, parsley stalks, bay leaves,
garlic, peppercorns and wine. Tip the oil in the pan away and then add
some water to lift up any residual delights adhering to the bottom. Add
this result to the pot, then add enough cold water to just cover the
contents. Put on a tight-fitting lid, using a sheet of tin foil to
ensure a good seal, if required. Place this in the oven and reduce the
heat to 140C/gas mark 1.
Let it cook through the night (around 10 hours if at all
possible) and take out at about 9 o’clock in the morning. Have a peek
but the stock should remain undisturbed. If there is a quiet spot on the
cooker where it may continue cooking on the gentlest heat for a while
longer, go ahead and do so.
Just before you take the turkey out of the oven for the last
time, strain the stock into a clean pan, bring it gently to the boil
and skim away any rising matter. The stock can be put to one side.
Strain the gravy from the turkey pan into a large pot and
give this a quick simmer to spoon away any rising detritus. Put the two
gravies together, taste and adjust accordingly.
Roast potatoes
Those who would prefer a goose for Christmas and have wisely
stashed one elsewhere for later in the hols, always a good manoeuvre,
will have bought a good few jars of goose fat. No, not one but a good
few.
There is something about even cold ham in the holidays with
roast potatoes, and the best roast potatoes are made with dripping or
goose fat. We shall assume goose fat for this feast, as the beef will
more likely appear at the new year. And roast potatoes cooked in goose
fat require plenty of it. Brilliantly, much that remains in the bottom
of the pan after use can be strained into a pot and reused several times
thereafter.
Serves 6-8 potatoes 2.5 kg goose fat 350g
As this feast is supposed to be abundant, it is always wise
to pop a few extra potatoes in the pot. Rarely if ever are these left
over.
Peel and wash the potatoes thoroughly until the water runs
clear. Place them in a pan and along with the addition of a pinch of
salt bring them gently to the boil. Simmer the potatoes for 30-35
minutes until they are just cooked through, then lift them carefully
onto a roasting tray that’s big enough to take them all laid out evenly.
Tip enough goose fat into the tray so the fat reaches up the
sides of the potatoes by at least a centimetre. Pop these into a
blasting hot oven – 220C/gas mark 7 to 240C/gas mark 9 – and leave
undisturbed for at least 15 minutes. Start gently moving the potatoes
around if browned well, ensuring each side is crisp and coloured gold.
Turn the oven down to between 180C/gas mark 4 and 190C/gas mark 5 and
turn the potatoes every 10-15 minutes until done. This should take 45-50
minutes.
Lift the potatoes into a handsome great dish and keep warm. Strain the remaining fat into a pot for the next time.
Sprout tops
Sprout tops.Photograph: Romas Foord for Observer Food Monthly
Sprout tops are the beautiful leaves of the more familiar
Brussels sprout and have a wonderful flavour. They do much to dispel the
rather tarnished reputation of Brussels sprouts and, of course, The
Christmas Lunch. They are well worth seeking out.
Serves 6 sprout tops 700g
Their preparation could not be simpler. Separate and remove
the leaves. Cut the heart in half, wash thoroughly, then cook in boiling
water at the last minute until tender, bright and beautiful, ready for
draining and dotting with butter.
Chipolatas
Chipolatas.Photograph: Romas Foord for Observer Food Monthly
I generally find the butcher who sells the best birds
usually has the best chipolatas, and as, frankly, there is enough going
on in the kitchen over the yuletide, a bag of ready-made and, for that
matter, well-made sausages from a butcher who prides himself on his meat
is to be thoroughly applauded.
Serves 6 pearl onions 24 unsalted butter 25g Agen prunes 12 sherry or Madeira 75ml chipolatas 12
A pleasing way to serve these is in the time-honoured
tradition of the sausage, just cooked in a frying pan. As their name
suggests an Italian origin, likely served with onions, then gently cook
the pearl onions in a frying pan with the butter until golden and soft.
Then add the Agen prunes between the onions and let this cook gently
with the sherry. In a separate pan, fry the chipolatas until coloured
well on each side, adding a drop of Madeira or water if they stick.
Tumble the prunes and onions over the sausages and mix well. Add a few
grinds of a peppermill. This will sit happily for a while during the
readying of the rest of lunch.
Clementine sorbet
Clementine sorbet.Photograph: Romas Foord for Observer Food Monthly
Finding the best clementines through December has become
rather a good game. A really good clementine is a most delicious treat,
and to be rewarded by being stuck in the big toe of a Christmas stocking
seems somewhat unjust. Squeezed into a glass of iced Campari perhaps?
Much more the thing. This estimable fruit has several pleasing uses but
not least as a sorbet for such a feast as this. The small nod to St
Clement’s is most pleasant.
Needless to say, enthusiasm can be made more so by the
addition of prosecco and vodka to make a delicious sgroppino, a very
good addition to a Christmas bash.
Serves 6-8 golden caster sugar 200g clementine juice 600ml, freshly squeezed orange 1, juiced lemons 2, juiced
Stir the sugar into the clementine, orange and lemon juice
in a pan over a gentle heat until just warm and the sugar is dissolved.
Cool, then pour this into an ice-cream maker and follow the
manufacturer’s instructions. This sorbet is at its very best churned
only an hour or two before serving.
If an ice-cream maker is not at hand, the sweetened juice can be frozen and then attacked with a fork to make a granita.
To make sgroppino, have everything ready. Pretty glasses in
the freezer give a stroke of dash. Open a chilled bottle of prosecco,
tip one large scoop of sorbet for each person into a cooled
food-processor bowl. Add a good glug of frozen vodka for each person and
then a similar sized measure of prosecco. Whizz for a blink of an eye
and pour into the frozen glasses swiftly, then serve just as fast … for
the second round.
Steamed spiced fruit pudding, custard and cream
Steamed spiced fruit pudding.Photograph: Romas Foord for Observer Food Monthly
There is little point in competing with Mum’s Christmas
Pudding but, should fortune not smile and that pudding not be with you
on Christmas Day, then maybe this rather lovely old recipe might please.
This pudding can be cooked a few days in advance and, indeed, will be
all the better for it.
Serves 4-6 syrup or your favourite marmalade 1 tbsp plain white flour 125g fresh white breadcrumbs 125g suet 125g treacle 75g golden syrup 75g dried apricots 75g, cut into small pieces dried figs 75g, cut into smallish pieces sultanas 80g ground mace 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground allspice 1 tsp crystallised stem ginger 10 pieces, grated ginger syrup 2 tbsp plain flour 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp milk 250ml egg 1 large, organic or free range
Rub a steamed-pudding basin with butter. Cut a disc of
greaseproof paper large enough to fully line the inside of the basin.
Place a generous spoonful of syrup in the middle of the paper or, if you
wish, a spoonful of your favourite marmalade.
Place all the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix all together
thoroughly until the batter has achieved a soft dropping consistency.
Spoon the batter over the pool of syrup or marmalade.
Cut two large discs of greaseproof and two discs of foil and
use these to cover and seal the edges of the pudding bowl. Tie a piece
of string around the bowl to secure the paper and tinfoil. It is vital
that not a whisper of steam be permitted egress to the pudding within.
Place the bowl (foil side up) on a plate in a pan of
simmering water, the water needing to come half way up the side. Let it
cook for 2½ or 3 hours, checking every now and again to ensure that the
water is still halfway up the side of the bowl.
Custard
Now, custard is a wonder that cannot be denied. This lovely
sauce can be made before setting sail with the whole feast, and left to
sit in a suitable, sealed bowl over a pan of warm water, the cook having
a care not to let it be too hot to avoid it splitting.
Serves 4-6 good quality, creamy milk 500ml vanilla pod 1 egg yolks 6 golden caster sugar 1 tbsp double cream 100ml
Warm the milk with the vanilla pod over a gentle heat, then
let it sit and infuse for at least 10 minutes. Stir the egg yolks with
sugar until mixed but not frothing. Slowly pour the warm milk over the
yolks, stirring all the time until smooth, then return to the milk pan
and place on a gentle heat.
Stir the sauce gently until it thickens to the consistency
of cream and remove from the heat. Pour the cream into the custard as
soon as it is off the heat. Pour the custard through a fine sieve into a
bowl and cover with cling film.
Make holes with the tip of a very sharp knife 4 or 5 times
to let any steam whisper through. Place the bowl over a pan of warm
water and put to one side. Come the moment, warm through and stir gently
before serving. The bucket of really naughty thick Jersey cream in the
fridge might be enjoyed by all as well.
Jeremy Lee is head chef at Quo Vadis, London, W1; quovadissoho.co.uk This article was amended on 25 November to include the oven temperatures for the turkey.
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