OMFG oven broken, can't be fixed until after Christmas day

[wildbillhickok]

So it's emergency plans into action.

Admittedly I still have the smaller top oven but even so the turkey won't fit in it.

I have had to jettison my turkey order and will be making those turkey/sausagemeat/bacon rolls from Delia's newer Christmas book.

I usually roast meat in the main oven and do the roasties in the top oven, but have no clue how to do nice roasties at the same time as other stuff, they usually turn out rubbish.

Any tips please?

Or should I use MILs time honoured ploy of slapping her forehead at serving up time and saying "Oh no I forgot to do the roast potatoes!" She does this every year. She always remembers the mash

[pinkhebe]

can you borrow someones oven on the 24th and cook the meat then, and have it cold on the 25th? then you don't have to worry about roastie timings :)

[DooinMeCleanin]

This happened to us last year. However our oven was irrerpairable so my lovely, lovely Mil bought us another one which was delovered on x-mas eve.

What sort of microwave do you have? Some have an oven feature that do nice roasties.

[DontLetTinselDragOnTheFloor]

MIL used to cook the turkey on Christmas eve and then reheat it, sliced I think, on Christmas Day. It was always absolutely fine.

[wildbillhickok]

Oooh some interesting ideas...thanks

[Xmasfairy7cakes]

could you cook the roast potatoes xmas eve and then just re-heat xmas day?

When i worked in a elderly care home, the head cook used to fry the roast potatoes in the deep fryer to reheat them, and the parsnips too

[RubberDuck]

Where are you? If in the Midlands I might know a guy who's out doing repairs today.

[minipie]

How about sauteed potatoes done in a pan on the hob? Not roast, but similar effect.

Or you could do roast new potatoes with skins on (lovely with herbs and garlic) - these can be done at a much lower temp than proper roast potatoes.

[teenyweenytadpole]

Is it possible to spatchcock a turkey? That's where you cut the backbone out using hefty poultry scissors and then sort of flatten out the carcasse. It's a great way to cook chicken or duck, you end up with lovely crispy skin. Dunno if it would work with a turkey! Maybe butcher could do it for you? That way it might fit in your top oven.

I always take my turkey out of the oven and rest it (wrapped in foil/tea towels) for an hour, which gives me time to put the roasties and parsnips etc in the oven - small oven here! So not necessary to have both cooking at the same time.

[gregssausageroll]

Yep. Cook your turkey on Christmas eve and slice it. Put it in a roasting tin and then on Christmas Day add gravy over top and put the whole tray back in the oven to warm through.

[headfairy]

Have you got a kettle barbeque? My mum swears by cooking roast chicken on theirs, even in winter. A bit chilly for the person cooking, but you don't have to stand over it, just keep going out to check on it.

[headfairy]

barbequeing a turkey

[BaroqinAroundTheChristmasTree]

We once had a turkey too big for our proper oven (it was the biggest bloody Turkey I have seen in my life - a gift from my FIL for our first Christmas together after we got married).

It was so big my mum had to helped me joint it to roast - was lovely even though it was roasted in bits.

[HarlotOTara]

Was going to suggest barbecue too - I have used ours in an emergency - 'tis a kettle one tho'

[headfairy]

One year my mum bought a turkey too big to fit in our oven (well done mum ) so we persuaded our local to cook it for us. My dad must have spent a blimmin' fortune in there over the past few years so it was only fair...

[ANTagony]

Crown the turkey (cut off legs and thighs) use scissors to cut off bottom half of carcase.

Bone and stuff legs/ thighs with the stuffing, roll in foil so its like a big sausage.

Roast stuffed turkey sausages along with turkey crown on a bed of chopped route veg, to finish cooking just over an hour before you need to serve it. Cover with foil and then put on side with a couple of towels over the top.

Roast veg etc as normal in smaller oven. I'm guessing even in a small top oven you can get two trays in so you can fit in your roasts and a tray of stuffings/ pigs in blankets.

About 15 mins before serving lift turkey off veg, blitz or mash the veg and juices add stock or gravy power and boiling water.

[alfabetty]

If you have a cast-iron frying pan you can crisp off the potatoes by shallow frying them after they've been par-boiled. Comes out OK, as you can get a really high heat with a cast-iron pan.

Or cook the turkey, cover in foil to keep warm for 40 mins while the roasties cook, then by the time you've carved it, the potatoes will be ready.

[wildbillhickok]

I'm going to bone and stuff the turkey into sausage shapes and leave it to rest while I whack the heat up for the roasties.

Thanks