Make your own Turkey

DUBAI: All over the city, as Christmas dawns, the one thought on everyone's mind will be food. Stuffed turkey, roasted vegetables, cranberry and bread sauces, pies, cakes, sweets, candy, chestnuts… yes, it's the thought of Christmas meals with all the family gathered around that we remember best as the years go by.

But this year may be a little different. For one, as an expat reading this, you're probably not back home with the family where it's up to mum and grandma to take care of the culinary extravaganza. This time around, the apron strings are tied tight around your waist and there's no escape.

If you're playing host this Christmas, or even just whipping up an intimate meal for two, you have to learn the ropes, and you have to learn them fast.

The turkey is your mountain this year, and unless you've kept a watchful eye on the turkey-making process in all the years gone by, chances are you'll be twiddling your thumbs in despair on Christmas eve, wondering where to find the extra Dh1,000 to splash out on a pre-prepared festive meal from a gourmet or five-star establishment.

But in a year where we've had to cut more corners than we'd like to, DIY meals may be your best bet. Not only will you end up saving close to 80 or 90 per cent, you can go haywire on the originality scales and make yours a festive meal no one will ever forget.

To play Santa's elf for your Christmas lunch is The Palace Hotel's Chef Samson.

"Traditional Christmas turkeys only look intimidating. In reality, all it takes is time, not skills, to nail this dish to perfection," he says. "The key is to shop in advance so that you have all the ingredients at your disposal when you don those festive aprons."

Early start

Chef Samson suggests an early morning start on Christmas day. "You'll need close to six hours to get it right. If 5am seems a little too early, why not make the stuffing the previous night?"

As mammoth a task as this upcoming meal sounds, it's not. It's a structured process that, if followed to a tee, will make you the toast of Christmas.

"First off, butter and season your bird and set it to rest while you tackle your stuffing if you haven't already done so the previous evening," says the chef.

"For the stuffing, sauté a mix of onion, leek, celery, salt and pepper, until soft. Add dried apricots, raisins and diced green apples. Take sliced white bread and soak in one litre of milk until it's easy to crumble with your hands. Mix in the crumbled bread to the fruit and vegetable stuffing and allow it to rest."

Next up is the fun bit: Stuffing the turkey as you would a goodie bag. "There's really no other way to do it than to get your hands dirty," says Chef Samson. "Take large handfuls of the stuffing and carefully fill up the cavity of the turkey. Once you're sure the bird has been stuffed to the brim, you're ready to start cooking your masterpiece. An average 5kg of turkey should be cooked at 130 degrees in the oven for 3 hours and 30 mins. While your turkey cooks, roast the potatoes, boil the Brussels sprouts and honey glaze your carrots. A bread sauce and cranberry sauce (which you can buy bottled from any supermarket), rounds off this festive odyssey."

So, there you go!

CHRISTMAS TURKEY RECIPE

Ingredients:

For the stuffing

Vegetables

METHOD

Trim the edges of the white bread and soak in milk.

Chop onions, celery, leeks and sage.

Sauté the onions with clarified butter until transparent. Then add celery and sauté well; finally, add the leeks and sage and season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the mixture to a plate and allow it to cool.

Dice the apricots.

Peel and dice the apples.

Mix all the ingredients together. Season with salt and pepper.

Dry the turkey with a paper towel.

Pour the clarified butter over the turkey, then sprinkle salt and white pepper powder and rub the turkey until well coated.

Stuff the turkey with the bread stuffing.

Pre-heat the oven at 180°C for 15 minutes.

Place the turkey in the oven and set the temperature at 130°C for three hours and 30 minutes or until the juices run clear from the thigh if you pierce it with a knife.

Remove the turkey from the oven and transfer the tray and cover the turkey with aluminium foil and allow it to rest for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut off the edges of the Brussels sprouts and remove the outer parts, and boil in the salted boiling water. Toss with butter and season with salt and pepper.

Peel and cut the carrots into big chunks.

Boil the orange juice with cinnamon sticks. Boil the carrots. Remove and toss with butter, glaze with honey and season with salt and pepper.

Peel and cut the potatoes into half wedges, season with salt and pepper. Pour the turkey fat over the potatoes and cook in the oven for 20 minutes at 180°C.

For those who wish to purchase the turkey ready to go, The Palace Hotel offers:

TIPS

Use any leftover stuffing and wrap in cling film, covered with aluminium foil and bake for 25 minutes at 180°C. Serve it as a side dish.