Plans for the turkey, ham or something else.

Toots wrote: »

It's the Scarlet Heiffer in Leopardstown (Ballyogan)

I haven't ordered this year's turkey yet so I hope he still does it!

I was in there today and the girl told me it's not available anymore. All their bundles seemed to have boned and rolled turkey, which I don't want. Ordered a 6kg turkey and half ham but I'd say it's going to come in at over €100 this year. They do seem to have the deal online, so might be better off looking there.

Graces7

Posy wrote: »

Does cooking it breast down not make it flat? :pac:

er no lol!

You cook it bottoms up for maybe an hour, then flip it right way up for the rest of the time. It works very well indeed and ensures it is cooked all through. With a big bird, especially if stuffed, it can be hard to be sure it is safely done all through. A great idea. Done it many times with total success.

I'm always surprised how few people seem to like the turkey legs! If I had my way I'd be getting some sort of mutant octo-turkey - the more legs the better! The white meat makes nice sambos but for the dinner I definitely prefer the dark meat.

Calibos

We're sick of the same old Turkey and Ham and Stuffing we have once a year so this year we have decided to........

.......LOL.......only kidding.

Never ceases to amaze me hearing that line from others though. Whatever about other Fowl instead of Turkey at Christmas, the folks who moan about the same ol Turkey,Ham & Stuffing they have once a year and instead cook a Roast of Beef or Lamb instead just to be different that they probably have every bloody Sunday (hence why its often called Sunday Roast). I'm convinced they are just incapable of cooking Turkey, Ham and Stuffing well and resort to something they know they can cook decently because they do it the other 51 weeks of the year, and just make pretentious excuses for not doing Turkey.

Graces7

freshpopcorn wrote: »

We generally get a large 6kg - 7kg smoked ham.

We're really unsure about the turkey this year. We might get two crowns and have one cold or one hot.
We went for the free range bronze turkey last year and it was nothing special.
We might try a Supervalu turkey this year using turkey tokens.(I don't think it's a great offer tough). However I think you pre order it and they just hand you one and you might get stuck with something you don't like the look of.

Plans for the turkey, ham or something else.

I only have access to Supervalu now and am deeply impressed with the quality of meat etc these days. They have really risen to the challenge of the "big 4" and are no longer "superbadvalu"!

I was offered a fresh turkey E20 half price
Boned and rolled. but I have cats who love turkey raw..

. Cannot accept it as they do nto get them in until 21st and no one will be going over that near Christmas. Except one neighbour who has to get her turkey cooked ( small oven!) and gets a taxi from the ferry!

But I would not worry re the quality and ask re choice? They have really moved forward of late.

Previously I have bought a frozen one in Dunnes late November; cut it up and used the breast for me.

The kind manager at SV is trying to get me a frozen bird for my last shopping, ie 19th so we shall see.. else PLAN B; extract the turkey and ham from a ready meal I have in the freezer! I do have a ham hock frozen also so variations on a theme,

My preferred is to make a kind of breast meat "sandwich" with stuffing, cranberry, apple, foil then roast. mmmmmm! Open for the last half hour

Posy wrote: »

Does cooking it breast down not make it flat? :pac:

Don't think anyone asked him that however hope not as planning to try it

Posy

Does cooking it breast down not make it flat? :pac:

CheerLouth wrote: »

Went into my butchers last night & he has convinced me to forgo a full turkey and just go with the breast. Hoping it doesn't go terribly wrong!

Was at a turkey demo in a high street butchers (fund raiser for school) and he recommended a bronze turkey. Said it was tastier (subjective I know) and cooked quicker. Also said to cook it upside down, i.e. breast down. He also showed how they take the legs off, clean them out and wrap them round some stuff to cook separately.

My Mum orders the meats so have suggested all the above to her so will see what she goes with!

Went into my butchers last night & he has convinced me to forgo a full turkey and just go with the breast. Hoping it doesn't go terribly wrong!

SusieBlue

Princess Calla wrote: »

I eat about 5% of all that but I still kinda want to come to yours for dinner sounds absolutely delish!

TRS30 wrote: »

Room for one more??

CheerLouth wrote: »

Sounds like an amazing dinner! Love a good yorkshire pudding!

I find that we always end up doing the dishes and then have dessert - time to allow the dinner to start digesting first!

Thanks gang! I can't take credit for the meats as I won't be cooking them, but I'll be doing the potatos and sides.
I eat a clean diet all year round, and I'd have brocolli/asparagus etc. twice a day during a normal week.
Thats why I have to make the veggies differently and more decadently for the big day, otherwise it feels like the bog standard lunch/dinner I have 5 days a week!
The greens with parmesan in particular are divine, my mouth is already watering thinking about it

CheerLouth wrote: »

Sounds like an amazing dinner! Love a good yorkshire pudding!

I find that we always end up doing the dishes and then have dessert - time to allow the dinner to start digesting first!

Last year we had about 45 minutes between courses. Tidied up a bit, opened presents etc. Seemed to go down well so will most likely do the same this year.

SusieBlue wrote: »

We are a family of turkey haters, so we're having boned and rolled chicken with sage, onion and sausage stuffing, honey & mustard baked ham & of course, the non-negotiable spiced beef.

It'll be served with creamed mash, golden roasties cooked in goose fat, & potato gratin. Veggies will be asparagus, brocolli & green beans in a very light pesto oil with parmesan flakes, mashed carrott & parsnip, brussels sprouts with a balsamic glaze, yorkshire puddings, buttered baby carrots, & cranberry sauce.

Not sure what we're doing for dessert yet, we may well not bother because everyone was too full for it last year.

Sounds like an amazing dinner! Love a good yorkshire pudding!

I find that we always end up doing the dishes and then have dessert - time to allow the dinner to start digesting first!

SusieBlue wrote: »

We are a family of turkey haters, so we're having boned and rolled chicken with sage, onion and sausage stuffing, honey & mustard baked ham & of course, the non-negotiable spiced beef.

It'll be served with creamed mash, golden roasties cooked in goose fat, & potato gratin. Veggies will be asparagus, brocolli & green beans in a very light pesto oil with parmesan flakes, mashed carrott & parsnip, brussels sprouts with a balsamic glaze, yorkshire puddings, buttered baby carrots, & cranberry sauce.

Not sure what we're doing for dessert yet, we may well not bother because everyone was too full for it last year.

Room for one more??

Princess Calla

SusieBlue wrote: »

We are a family of turkey haters, so we're having boned and rolled chicken with sage, onion and sausage stuffing, honey & mustard baked ham & of course, the non-negotiable spiced beef.

It'll be served with creamed mash, golden roasties cooked in goose fat, & potato gratin. Veggies will be asparagus, brocolli & green beans in a very light pesto oil with parmesan flakes, mashed carrott & parsnip, brussels sprouts with a balsamic glaze, yorkshire puddings, buttered baby carrots, & cranberry sauce.

Not sure what we're doing for dessert yet, we may well not bother because everyone was too full for it last year.

I eat about 5% of all that but I still kinda want to come to yours for dinner sounds absolutely delish!

SusieBlue

We are a family of turkey haters, so we're having boned and rolled chicken with sage, onion and sausage stuffing, honey & mustard baked ham & of course, the non-negotiable spiced beef.

It'll be served with creamed mash, golden roasties cooked in goose fat, & potato gratin. Veggies will be asparagus, brocolli & green beans in a very light pesto oil with parmesan flakes, mashed carrott & parsnip, brussels sprouts with a balsamic glaze, yorkshire puddings, buttered baby carrots, & cranberry sauce.

Not sure what we're doing for dessert yet, we may well not bother because everyone was too full for it last year.

VW 1

Just myself the wife and 6 year old, so we go with turkey crown as herself doesn't feel it's Xmas without it and I'm not too pushed either way. Then a leg of lamb which is the real treat and we all love it. Plenty leftover to share when family visit for Stephens day dinner.

Love this time of year

Doctors room ghost

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Load of blx. Have what you like. Turkey leaves me cold, and I do understand that there is knack to cooking it that involves hours of cooking and resting and all that. But I do not like it much. It is just tradition for the sake of it. As for ham, well yes it is nice and juicy and that's all it is.

For a big family gathering OK, the T and H are probably obligatory.

But for a small gathering it is poached salmon with Hollandaise (bought) sauce, and all the usual shyte apart from the stuffing and wind inducing Brussels Sprouts too!

Each to their own. Enjoy anyway.

It’s not traditional though.
Old turkey burkey is a yanky invader.
They’re fierce delicate fcukers to rear aswell,always finding new ways to die.
You can intensive rear them indoors and medicate them but free range they are a disaster.
Goose is the traditional Irish Christmas dinner and I’ll be having it here until the day I keel over and die.
Geese are fierce easy to rear.you can’t beat a good embden.

Spanish Eyes

Load of blx. Have what you like. Turkey leaves me cold, and I do understand that there is knack to cooking it that involves hours of cooking and resting and all that. But I do not like it much. It is just tradition for the sake of it. As for ham, well yes it is nice and juicy and that's all it is.

For a big family gathering OK, the T and H are probably obligatory.

But for a small gathering it is poached salmon with Hollandaise (bought) sauce, and all the usual shyte apart from the stuffing and wind inducing Brussels Sprouts too!

Each to their own. Enjoy anyway.

Princess Calla

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I take the turkey out of the freezer Christmas Eve and leave it defrost in the sink. A Turkey crown might suit you. It should fit into a freezer with drawers.

Oh that brings back memories

Yeah I usually get the Crown. I'm hosting Christmas and Stephens day so not the year to chance it really

[Deleted User]

Princess Calla wrote: »

Oh maryanne, I might try pineapples this yr. Like you I cook the ham on Christmas eve....it used to be tradition to have ham sandwiches after midnight mass that was in my mams.

I know it depends on weight. But for frozen turkey what would the ballpark time for defrosting be?

For the price alone I'd love to get a frozen one, but we don't have a big freezer to store it and I'm a nervous nelly wouldn't risk leaving it until last minute to buy it....though I have been in dunnes on the 27th and they still had turkeys left.

I take the turkey out of the freezer Christmas Eve and leave it defrost in the sink. A Turkey crown might suit you. It should fit into a freezer with drawers.

Princess Calla

Oh maryanne, I might try pineapples this yr. Like you I cook the ham on Christmas eve....it used to be tradition to have ham sandwiches after midnight mass

that was in my mams.

I know it depends on weight. But for frozen turkey what would the ballpark time for defrosting be?

For the price alone I'd love to get a frozen one, but we don't have a big freezer to store it and I'm a nervous nelly wouldn't risk leaving it until last minute to buy it....though I have been in dunnes on the 27th and they still had turkeys left.

CheerLouth wrote: »

Where is this butcher - that's a cracking deal! Last year, my butcher wanted over 100euro for half a ham, an average size turkey & a few rolls of sausage meat. I had to cancel the turkey - couldn't justify the cost of it even though I would have preferred to get it off him.

It's the Scarlet Heiffer in Leopardstown (Ballyogan)

I haven't ordered this year's turkey yet so I hope he still does it!

Doctors room ghost

Goose here.this year it will be full goose and stuffing and a small turkey boned and rolled with a small ham.
Carving knife will be left plugged in and let people take what they want.
A feed of floury golden wonders and a lock of carrots.
And gravy.

Toots wrote: »

Our local butcher does a "small turkey and half ham" deal for about €50, so we get that. Half ham is plenty big for us, and his definition of a "small" turkey is something akin to an ostrich. Last year's was 17lb!!

Where is this butcher - that's a cracking deal! Last year, my butcher wanted over 100euro for half a ham, an average size turkey & a few rolls of sausage meat. I had to cancel the turkey - couldn't justify the cost of it even though I would have preferred to get it off him.

Our local butcher does a "small turkey and half ham" deal for about €50, so we get that. Half ham is plenty big for us, and his definition of a "small" turkey is something akin to an ostrich. Last year's was 17lb!!

I brine mine for 24 hours, then cook in the oven upside down and turn it right side up for the last hour. It always turns out perfectly juicy, I do think the brining/upside down combo is the best way to keep it from going dry.

This is the recipe I use for the brine:

https://youtu.be/OxXLzNlG1hM

I use ground cinnamon and the sticks as well, same with the all spice and I use dried sage because it's hard to get fresh. Oh and the knorr stock pots instead of veg concentrate paste.

I soak the ham overnight to get the salt out, and I'd stick a few veg and herbs in the soak water too, just for flavour. Then it's done in the oven with cloves and a honey mustard glaze. I'm not crazy about ham, but I love cloves!

Outkast_IRE

I get a small whole turkey in Aldi each year. I slow cook it very low overnight till lunchtime and turn it up for its final 30 mins to crisp it. Using this method only a few spoons of liquid come out of the turkey during cooking. I usually push a little butter and thyme under the skin of the breasts.

Meat thermometer required to do this method safely, and you can't stuff the cavity either . But the end result is a perfectly cooked turkey that's moist and full of flavour . Another big advantage of this method is that there is very little chance of over cooking and you don't need to watch it closely at all.