Does anyone cook the turkey the day before..?

[NettleMania]

This is probably sacrilege, but it would make my life so much easier. There would be more room in the fridge and more room in the oven. And I'd have more down time.

Does anyone else do this?

p.s. I am a turkey virgin as we usually have goose which I always do the day before. I have reluctantly been persuaded by misguided 'traditionalists' to do turkey this year...

I don't eat meat but DS2 always complains turkey is too dry and chicken is much nicer. Maybe the turkey he is having is cooked the day before. We will have turkey if go to MIL, or chicken if DH cooks.

No, it doesn’t taste as good. I’d just do it earlier in the morning, it can rest for a good while as long as gravy and plates are hot.

I always cook it on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day it gets put into an oven proof dish, then covered with gravy and warmed up in the oven. I've never yet had dry turkey or food poisoning.

Slices of turkey, not the whole thing obviously.

Yuk no. I don’t want it cold or reheated.

How does it save fridge space if you cook it the day before?

Yep.

We always cook any meat either the day before or in the morning. It means the fat sets and can be removed from the meat juices. Most of us also prefer the meat cold. No idea why, just how DM always did it I suppose. Those that like it hot get it heated up in a little gravy before serving.

If you go out to any restaurant they will have cooked the meat in advance so it’s no different.

@Bagamoyo1

How does it save fridge space if you cook it the day before?

Because it can be sliced and wrapped, like any cold meat.

Yeuk best meal of the year and I don't want a "leftovers" meal of reheated day before food.

I’ll cook day before I think slow cook for about 8 hours then walk up oven for crispy skin, perfect.

I cook on Christmas eve but in the evening/ night. My mum and nanna also do the same.

Oven space and a big part of dinner done and dusted. No brainer!

I also don't faff with brining/ bacon etc etc. I either put a bit of butter on or a bit of olive oil on the skin. Job jobbed.

I acclimatise the meat so it's not fridge cold on the plate. Leftovers stay in the fridge unless wanted.

I never have and probably wouldn't but Gordon Ramsay on This Morning recently recommended doing it and said adding the gravy the next day would heat it up. Not sure I agree that it would heat it up sufficiently. It would need to be piping hot not just warmed up

Mine is already cooked and in the freezer....as is the bread sauce, roasts, red cabbage and bread sauce!

Wow cooked and in the feeezer. Kind of impressed ina weird way

@MajorCarolDanvers can I ask how your store the potatoes overnight? So par boil for 8 mins or so and then just store in the fridge in a container? Do the go brown or anything? Thanks!

I have done. Just heated it up in the gravy on the hob the next day. Or you can stick it on cold. I don't think anyone notices.

Always always always cook turkey and gammon on Christmas Eve it's my little ritual. Gammon in the slow cooker all day with a tin of pineapple and carton of apple juice. Turkey in the oven around 4pm Christmas Eve.

We have it cold on Christmas Day with gravy on top. No one notices as the gravy is hot. Sometimes I put gravy and turkey in a dish and heat through in the oven though!

I always cook it on Xmas eve!!!

@DirtyDancing

can I ask how your store the potatoes overnight? So par boil for 8 mins or so and then just store in the fridge in a container? Do the go brown or anything? Thanks

When they finish par boiling I just remove from heat and put a lid on the pot and leave overnight. As long as they are covered with water and a lid they keep fine.

Next day I take some out to roast and then heat the rest for mashing.

I think Ina Garten suggests cooking and carving the day before, then you put the meat in an ovenproof tray on a layer of gravy and possibly reheat in the oven? It was on her Instagram just before Thanksgiving. She's good for entertaining tips that make your life easier.

I always cook our turkey on Christmas Eve and then reheat the slices in gravy on the hob until they are piping hot. No one has ever had food poisoning from this in our house!

I don't like the idea of slices heated in gravy!

I like my meat with some gravy on it rather than all over one side.

i cook mine on the day but i get a boneless turkey crown so its easy slap loads of butter on it cover and put in the oven i do peel the spuds and veg the day before and leave them in pans overnight in cold water on the day all i have to do is par boil the potatoes and then bang them in the top oven with the parsnips and the pigs in blankets and stuffing go in the bottom oven with the turkey, instant gravy with granules

I actually do like cold sliced turkey, and I’m the queen of well-treated leftovers, so I’ve got nothing against re-heated turkey! But I’m going to be eating plenty of that after Christmas, which is why I want to have it freshly cooked, at its best, on Christmas Day.

@Justwhy123

I always cook our turkey on Christmas Eve and then reheat the slices in gravy on the hob until they are piping hot. No one has ever had food poisoning from this in our house!

Well yes, it’s not going to cause food poisoning as it’s perfectly fine to re-heat meat.