Christmas lunch

I am dreading the day i have to be the 'House Wife' and cook up the Christmas dinner :eek:

I struggle with just a simple roast on my own :confused: its the whole timings of each food that i struggle with, luckily both my bf and i get on very well in the kitchen together so im sure it will be a joint effort with no arguments or squabbling :lol:
 
MiniMarc said:
Can someone tell me how to make gravy please! Will be doing most of the cooking this year even tho just me n me dad will be the meat eaters
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Strain the juices from the turkey.

Separate the fat.

Measure the amount of juices you have left.

Add the same amount of vegetable stock to the juices.

Either add Bisto, reduce, or make a rue to thicken to your liking.

Takes no more than 10mins.
 
MiniMarc said:
Can someone tell me how to make gravy please! Will be doing most of the cooking this year even tho just me n me dad will be the meat eaters
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Would honestly consider going out !! We're down to 4-6 this year (all adults) and no way I'm getting landed with the cooking this year after laying on a big meal last year and getting no help in the kitchen from the lazy guests. Have booked a table at a nice local restaurant instead.

I did the rough sums and by the time you've bought decent meat and all the extras for a good nosh-up you may as well pay to go out somewhere nice, where a dear sweet soul is going to sort the washing up and you get to relax over a drink and a game of cards after pudding rather than slaving in the kitchen !!
 
MiniMarc said:
might sound stupid but doesnt the fat look the same as the juices?
how do you make a rue?
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I believe he is referring to a Roux

you just melt butter in a pan then spoon in flour and whisk it together for a few minutes. You then add it to the gravy juices.
 
How I'd make gravy -

Take the bird out the pan. Pour off the juices into a bowl. The fat will seperate out on to the top. You can skim most of this off.

Assuming you've cooked in a pan that can take direct heat from a hob, deglaze (i.e. heat and scrape about) all the burnt and sticky stuff with a little wine. If you have a potato masher, mash down any veggies, bits of garlic, etc in the pan to get all the juices (& flavour) out of them. Put the resulting mush in a sieve, pressing it down to squash every last bit of juice out.

Add the liquid below the sieve and the cooking juices from the bird (and any carving juices) to a saucepan and heat. Boil away or add water to get the desired concentration of flavour. Add cornflour to thicken if you like. Prefer this sort of natural gravy to Bisto, but others will probably disagree!
 
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MiniMarc said:
might sound stupid but doesnt the fat look the same as the juices?
how do you make a rue?
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When you pour the juices into a see through jug you will notice that the fat will settle at the top it will look thicker. Just separate the two. You will need the fat to make the rue. Easiest thing to use is bisto which is a basic rue itself.

Here is a recepie to make a home rue if you have the time Happy Christmas :)

To make a basic roux, use equal weights of fat and flour. Four ounces of fat and four ounces of flour equal about 8 ounces of roux (moisture will evaporate). If you don't own a kitchen scale, one tablespoon of flour equals about ¼ ounce. One tablespoon butter = ½ ounce. Butter is the most commonly used form of fat; other fats can be used, but will have a different flavor. Melt the butter over medium heat; slowly add the flour to the butter, whisking constantly. Within 2 to 3 minutes the roux will have a consistency of a cake frosting. A white roux is done when the flour loses its "raw" smell and begins to develop a toasty aroma. Darker roux are cooked, stirring constantly, until the desired color. If you're not adding liquid, immediately remove the pan from the heat and transfer the roux to another container to cool. Be very careful: the hot fat-flour mixture can cause painful burns. Refrigerated or frozen roux will keep well for up to two months and can be added directly to soups or sauces for quick thickening.
 
Robbie G said:
I believe he is referring to a Roux

you just melt butter in a pan then spoon in flour and whisk it together for a few minutes. You then add it to the gravy juices.
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Yes excuse my spelling Rob is correct:)

Johnny Vodka said:
How I'd make gravy -

Take the bird out the pan. Pour off the juices into a bowl. The fat will seperate out on to the top. You can skim most of this off.

Assuming you've cooked in a pan that can take direct heat from a hob, deglaze (i.e. heat and scrape about) all the burnt and sticky stuff with a little wine. If you have a potato masher, mash down any veggies, bits of garlic, etc in the pan to get all the juices (& flavour) out of them. Put the resulting mush in a sieve, pressing it down to squash every last bit of juice out.

Add the liquid below the sieve and the cooking juices from the bird (and any carving juices) to a saucepan and heat. Boil away or add water to get the desired concentration of flavour. Add cornflour to thicken if you like. Prefer this sort of natural gravy to Bisto, but others will probably disagree!
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Thats another good option and will taste like a real gravy.

Also make sure you have some Cranberry Sauce for the Turkey!!!
 
Johnny Vodka said:
How I'd make gravy -

Take the bird out the pan. Pour off the juices into a bowl. The fat will seperate out on to the top. You can skim most of this off.

Assuming you've cooked in a pan that can take direct heat from a hob, deglaze (i.e. heat and scrape about) all the burnt and sticky stuff with a little wine. If you have a potato masher, mash down any veggies, bits of garlic, etc in the pan to get all the juices (& flavour) out of them. Put the resulting mush in a sieve, pressing it down to squash every last bit of juice out.

Add the liquid below the sieve and the cooking juices from the bird (and any carving juices) to a saucepan and heat. Boil away or add water to get the desired concentration of flavour. Add cornflour to thicken if you like. Prefer this sort of natural gravy to Bisto, but others will probably disagree!
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Thats pretty much how i make gravy at home. I use stock instead of water and normal flour then add a dash of wine, ale or balsamic vinegar to the mix too then let it simmer for as long as i can.
 
Gravy

This is what I do.

I take the turkey drippings 3/4 cup (all of the liquid) pour it into a pan

add cream (or milk) 6 cups

flour 3/4 cup

Bring to a boil stir in all purpose flour ( add flour slowly and stir constantly to keep from lumping)

reduce heat simmer until gravy is as thick as you want.
 
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If im at my Mum's for Christmas then my Mum normally cooks the Turkey and ill do the trimmings.

If We are at my Wife's family I offer to help out how ever i can.
 
Do ppl cover their turkey in foil when they cook it?
We always have i think apart from at the end but when ppl are talking bout deglazing the pan we dont have anything in the pan as everything is in the foil....
 
MiniMarc said:
Do ppl cover their turkey in foil when they cook it?
We always have i think apart from at the end but when ppl are talking bout deglazing the pan we dont have anything in the pan as everything is in the foil....
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I never cover the turkey and don't rap it in foil. I let the juices drip into the bottom of the pan.
 
MiniMarc said:
does it not get dry?
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A tip for extra juicy Turkey or Chicken is to rub butter in under the skin from the wishbone end before cooking.

Beckiboo said:
Nobody uses Bisto then :oops: :lol:

Do I need a proper gravy separator? Or will putting it in any jug do?
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I use Bisto.....nothing wrong with it.

Any Jug will do. Just stick it in the fridge to cool and the fat will congeal making it easy to scoop out leaving you with the juices.
 
the more i read the more questions i have!
How long do ppl rest their turkey for? Presumeably def as long as it takes to make the gravy.Jamie Oliver was saying an hour!
 
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