Can you talk Turkey to me please

[BucksFizz]

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Do you have a good local butcher? Otherwise jsu order one through the supermarket, but you may already be too late.

Size wise the smallest you can get, with only 3 of you your next thread should be asking for recipes to use left over turkey

Stuffing wise, there are loads of different recipes, depending on what flavours you like. Personally I do the stuffin seperatley so it goes crunchy (can't stand soggy stuffing)

Don't need to do anything the night before.

Bread sauce

no idea about what size you should get sorry.

i normally buy mine from sainsburys and get a free range bronze. they are very tasty.

you don't HAVE to stuff the turkey-i never do. i make stuffing seperately. i make it by opening a packet of stuffing, mixing with hot water and then adding sausagemeat.

cooking the turkey-get it out of the packet, give it a really good wipe all over and inside with kitchen paper.
i normally shove a big onion and some bay leaves and peppercorns inside it. then smear loads of butter all over it. then put some strips of streaky over the breast so it's toattaly covered. salt and papper of course. then make like a small tent out of foil for the turkey-making sure there is loads of roomat the top-then bung it in the oven.

bread sauce is like having a small vomit on the side of your plate so i don't make it.

i would strongly reccommend that yo buy delias christmas book. it has step by step guide to cooking the dinner and getting everything prepared-i follow it every year-really helpful. it also tells you waht kind of size to buy-how long it will take to cook etc

I've ordered ours from the local butcher who is able to advise on size.

You may be better off with a turkey crown (deboned and the breast rolled so you just have meat to cook instead of a whole carcass) if it is just for the three of you. Turkeys need to be a certain size and weight to be at their best and for three people you are looking at a very small turkey.

I actually buy fresh stuffing and cook it in a seperate dish instead of putting it in the turkey.

I have a fab bread sauce recipe if you want it. It needs to be made on Xmas morning but ooohhh its legendary. Any leftovers I freeze in freezer bags and we have it with chicken on sundays.

Can't really help you with cooking side but here's some guidelines on defrosting, preparing and cooking a turkey

Btw, Delia's bread sauce is really good

gobblgoooobbblllee gobblegobble

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I do Delia. Never fails.

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thats the one buckfizz-you'll get it in tesco for a bout 6 pound. her countodown is fantastic.

I do indeed! It is well worn and totally loved. It was Delia who first introduced me to bread sauce! I love Delia!

damn lovelydecmorations got there first

In fact... I may make some bread sauce tonight! Yum!!!!!!!!!!

Alternatively, just buy it all ready prepared from Waitrose (at HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE expense) and lob it all in the oven/microwave as required.

I never do this obviously

I recommend that you get yourself a copy of Delia Smith's Christmas book, or the Nigella equivalent (I have not seen the Christmas one but do have Feast).

Delia gives you an idiot proof guide to preparing the full monty and the meals either side.

I don't use the Delia turkey method now (I prefer Nigella's upside down method). But it is fairly foolproof.

Gobble! Gobble!

Tried so hard to resist it, sorry

Hi, if you've got the basics sorted, a couple of nice things you can do to improve moisture are shoving grapes or dried apricots under the skin with your butter.

I also sometimes take off the legs, de-bone them, fill them with stuffing and sew up with string (look a bit like pasties!) and pop them back in place to cook. Make them very tasty.

I'm thinking of only putting stuffing in the neck end and filling the main cavity with orange quarters and half an onion. Anybody else done this - does it make the turkey too orangey?

Also, any more opinions on cooking right way up vs upside down?

sounds like it will make a nice steamy and quicker cooking turkey, orange is a festive flavour too.

yes, I'm hoping a lot of orange steam will be the result...

BucksFizz, there's a website called the British Turkey Information Service (seriously) at
www.britishturkey.co.uk. It's pretty exhaustive. My favourite question in the FAQ is:

'How do I cook turkey in a microwave?'
'We would not recommend this for whole birds'.