Couple of xmas dinner questions!

[FlosstyTheSnowman]

Hi, just wondering how long I should leave the turkey out of the fridge for? I was hoping I could get it out late tonight so I could have some room in my fridge for the veg I plan to chop up tonight? Worried that would be too long, don't want to make everyone ill!

Also I have a ham that I plan to boil later, but I don't know how long to boil it for, does anyone have any ideas how long per pound/kilogram! Thank you and merry xmas.

I don't know about the turkey - but my ham recipe is as follows (for an 8-9lb ham):

Cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Discard and repalce with fresh cold water. Bring to the boil again and simmer gently (180-190 degrees - just the odd bubble popping) for 4-5 hours.

Remove (and I then let it cool down a bit - it makes it easier), then cut of the rind and the outer layer of fat, leaving a thin layer of fat. Run a dry mustard powder/brown sugar mix over the fat, socre it and decorate with cloves.

Put it into a roasting pan, pour some coke over it and bake for an hour at 375 degrees, basting occasionally.

It does take a long time, but the result is worth it! I do 2 every year - one for us and one for my FIL.

The left over cooking water makes a great ham stock - I've started putting in an onion, carrot etc at the start of the second boiling to improve it, and then boil it down a bit to concentrate it, once the ham is out.

"Socre it" = "score it (into diamonds). really should preview!

I was just wanting to boil it in coke on the hob, not got enough time/motivation to make a fancy ham! My DS is 6 weeks so finding it hard enough to get in the kitchen. I'll do it for 5-6hrs then that sounds from your recipe that it should be enough! Thank you.

I don't think I would want to leave a turkey out of the fridge overnight. Is there anywhere like a porch that you could put it overnight where it will be cold, but safe from animals etc.?

It's recommended that you cook turkeys from room temp nowadays, Kate, thus you have to leave it out of the fridge for several hours beforehand. I assume it's something to do with hygiene but I haven't actually seen why advice has been changed. The temp is only just above freezing here in Scotland today so it's probably warmer in the fridge than in the garage!!

Turkey needs to be brought to room temperature 18 hours before putting in teh oven - so defo needs to come out now! It won't cook properly in the recommended times if you don;t do this!

The ham needs to be boiled for 55 mins per kilo - plus 30 mins over. If baking it is 65 mins per kilo and 45 mins over.

I boil mine for 1/2 the cooking time and then roast it for half the time - I find this makes it moist but you still get the lovely baked glaze look from baking!

Good luck

I stand corrected.

But I've never heard that advice over here. This website in fact says not to take it out of the fridge until an hour before putting it in the oven. Room temperature is the temp at which bacteria multiply, so personally I would still be very uncomfortable having it out for so long.

my sister, a vet who did "foodhygiene"during her course, would get a stroke if I would mention the 18 hours! I suppose however that all the bacteria would die in the oven...

I'd leave it in the frig till an hour or two before cooking. Leave the chopped veggies somewhere cool. front porch?

Surely if you leave it out in the kitchen overnight, it will be fine - unless you have your heating on during the night?

If you are putting the turkey in the oven first thing Christmas morning, then it's usually OK to take it out of the fridge just before you go to bed.

We won't be putting ours in the oven till early afternoon, so we'll just take it out first thing in the morning.

Once the turkey is out of the fridge, there's plenty of room for booze!

Does this explain the disputes over cooking times on the other thread?

Anyway, thanks gals! From a first time turkey cooker, here.

i'm a first time turkey cooker too. I have a 6kg turkey to cook tomorrow and actually have no idea what I should do!!! Not very organised I know but I have been reading on MN so I should be ok. Also MIL will be here so I might just let her take charge. I already let her clean it and stuff it!

Kate, this is the first year I've heard the room temp advice in the UK. I've no idea who decided we should do it this way!! But the cooking times are also different. They now recommend a higher temp for a shorter period. I don't know that anyone's ever had food poisoning from the turkeys I've cooked over the years so I don't suppose it will matter which method I use, really.

Well the ham has survived and dosen't seem dry. The turkey is squashed into the firdge along with chopped veg, mashed swede and a plate of pigs in blankets. The gravy is tesco's ready made (big gravy disaster last year, don't ask, lunch was nearly off!). The turkey is going to stay in the fridge untill sometime tomorrow morning, as it is only a crown so I figure shouldn't need as long as a whole turkey to get up to room temp. So he will spend 3-4 hours with a lovely view of my kitchen, which I hope is enough to warm him up but not long enough to harbour any nasties! Merry christmas everyone and thanks for you help!