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Originally, the traditional British Christmas Dinner was based around either beef or rabbit for the less wealthy and goose for those who could afford it.  Turkey became popular in the Victorian period, as imports became cheaper, and the popularity of the meat ensured that British turkey farms started appearing.  The size of a turkey meant it was the perfect blend of being easy to farm but would also feed a large family easily in one sitting.

Although overcooked turkey easily becomes dry, when it’s done right, the meat is superb, succulent and delicious.  One of the most fun things after Christmas in our family is trying to come up with new dinner ideas and dinner recipes using the leftovers, incorporating them into Ramen, curries, laabs and more!

Here we have focussed on creating the ultimate guide to cooking the perfect Xmas turkey dinner.

Christmas Turkey Dinner

There are a number of key elements that go into the planning of a great Xmas dinner.  Alongside planning when to prep the roast potatoes or vegetable dishes, building a time plan is essential. Understanding how to cook for the right number of guests for dinner is crucial.  Below we have a number of key tips when deciding on which turkey to choose and how much to spend:

How to choose the right turkey for Xmas

Find out early how many people you are cooking for and then plan accordingly.  Aim for 450g per adult.

How do you cook a turkey without drying it out?

Let the turkey rise slowly to room temperature if removing from the freezer and ensure it is fully defrosted.  This often means taking it out of the freezer the day before cooking.

Covering the turkey breasts with streaky bacon rashers (see video) retains the moisture and provides fat for cooking, which benefits the bird and means everyone has delicious crispy bacon with their dinner!

Make sure you give time for the meat to rest once you’ve removed it from the oven.  This allows the meat to relax and guarantees a moist turkey. This stops the white meat from going dry.

Add a little cold water to the roasting tin before placing it in the oven. This will create steam that will baste the bird for a beautifully juicy piece of meat.

Don’t throw the cooking juices from the pan away when you remove the turkey from the oven, as this is crucial for a really delicious homemade gravy.

What is the right temperature to perfectly cook a turkey?

We start cooking our turkey at 190 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes per 400g of weight.  This crisps up the skin and provides an even cook ensuring a moist turkey.

Christmas Dinner Timings – how to calculate your turkey cooking time

No one likes a dry turkey at any time of year, let alone during the festive season!  Follow this easy guide below to calculate the cooking time for your bird to guarantee juicy breast meat:

1. Weigh the turkey after it has defrosted (a frozen turkey is heavier)

2. For every 400g that your turkey weighs add 20 minutes of cooking time

3. Add another 20 minutes of time on top of your calculated cooking time

4. Roast at an oven temperature of 190 Celsius and prepare the rest of dinner. You can use a meat thermometer if you want to check the temperature in the centre of the turkey.

As an example,

• Our turkey weighed 3kg (6-8 people 1 medium turkey)

• Therefore, its total cooking time was 2 hours and 50 minutes

• 2.5 hours plus 20 minutes = 2 hours 50 minutes

Easy!

Xmas Dinner Essentials

You will absolutely need the following essential products for the ultimate turkey dinner!

Le Creuset Toughened Non-Stick Rectangular Roaster

This roasting tin is good and deep, so it will hold your large turkey perfectly.  It has easy carry handles and will wash up afterwards in double quick time! A good oven tray is essential at Christmas and Le Creuset is always a great investment.

Joseph Joseph 2 in 1 Whisk

This whisk from innovative brand Joseph Joseph has a cool 2 in 1 function.  It’s silicone so it can be used on non-stick and coated cookware and it has both a flat and balloon whisk setting, perfect for whisking your flour into the turkey cooking juices for the perfect gravy! This is a great stocking filler for your cooking fanatics!

A Ninja Air Fryer

Perfect for all the delicious roasted sides next to your turkey, Ninja Air Fryers can make the perfect crispy roast potatoes and exceptional roast carrots and parsnips.  It’s a fantastic tool to prepare the rest of dinner. Plus, after Xmas you will find yourself using it all the time!  Go on – treat yourself

The Perfect Carving Knife from Richardson Sheffield

We have tried numerous knives over the years, from Japanese hand made artisan knives through to standard budget Sabatier style.  Our best brand by far is from Richardson Sheffield.  Well balanced, so easy to sharpen and long lasting, these knives are made in Britain by experts. This knife will glide through juicy breast meat!

A Smart Meat Thermometer

This is a wifi enabled, app controlled meat thermometer - perfect for the technogeek cook. Use it to check the internal temperature of the roast turkey. Avoid inserting the probe in just the turkey breast, as meat probes are most accurate when they are near the bone.

Ingredients for Christmas Dinner

Cooking the perfect Christmas turkey is easy.  All you need is:

• 1 x Whole Turkey, uncooked (if you are cooking for a small number of guests then a turkey crown is a perfect option)

• 8 x rashers of streaky bacon (or 2 per person)

• 1 x Onion

• Salt and Black Pepper for seasoning

How to cook Christmas Dinner

1. Let your turkey (or turkey crown) defrost and come up to room temperature

2. Preheat your oven to 190 Degrees Celsius

3. Wipe any moisture off the outside of the turkey and place in a deep roasting tray

4. Check the cavity of the turkey and remove any giblets or gizzards

5. Peel an onion and place in the cavity of the turkey

6. Layer the streaky bacon rashers in a lattice on top of the turkey until the breasts are covered

7. Season the turkey with a pinch of salt and a turn of black pepper

8. Cover the bird with foil

9. Pour a small ramekin of cold water into the roasting tray around the bird

10. Place in the hot oven for the calculated length of time (see above)

11. When cooked, remove from the roast turkey from the oven and transfer from the roasting dish to a warmed carving dish.  Insert a skewer or meat thermometer into the meat (check other areas than just the turkey breast) and check the juice runs clear

12. Leave to rest while you prepare the hot gravy, and everyone comes to the table

13. Share out the bacon covering. Carve and serve!