成人快手

The key to it all is the preparation! Cooking a Christmas meal for the first time or even 20th time can be a doughty process as not only are the in-laws floating around, but it is probably the biggest meal you will cook for the whole year!

Here are Mark's suggestions to make your lunch as stress free and perfect as possible for six people:

PERFECT ROAST TURKEY

1 turkey approx 5kg in size, 250g Smoked back bacon, 100g unsalted butter, 20g Fresh sage, 20g Fresh thyme, 5 Fresh bay leaves, 10g Fresh rosemary, freshly ground salt and white pepper

• All the herbs are to be placed inside the cavity of the bird, the bacon is to be wrapped over the breasts, rubbed with the butter and season with the fresh salt and pepper
• If you work on 20 minutes for every 500g at a temperature of 180 C, you will not be far wrong! What is important is to cover the turkey in foil, 30 minutes before the end of the cooking, remove the foil, baste and get a good colour on the skin.

• Remember: All turkeys vary in size and domestic ovens have different strengths, the best way to check your turkey is cooked is in the usual way, by checking the juice or the flesh of the legs at the end of the cooking.

PERFECT ROAST POTATOES

1kg Red skinned potatoes, 150g Goose fat, 5g Fresh thyme, 5g fresh Rosemary, 2g Coarse sea salt, 25g Peeled Fresh garlic

• Pre head the oven to 180 C with your tray inside. Peel and halve the potatoes, put in a pan with cold salted water bring to the boil and cook for approximately 10 minutes, drain from the water and leave on a cloth to air dry.
• Place a suitable tray in the oven with the goose fat to heat for approx 5 minutes once the tray and fat are hot then add the potatoes top it, season with the rock salt and put in the oven for approx 20 minutes to start developing a crust, after the lovely golden crust starts to form, turn the potatoes 180 degrees so they colour evenly on both sides this should take approximately another 20 minutes.
• After the colour and crusts are good then now is the time to add the fresh herbs and garlic, put back in the oven for approx 10 minutes to allow the herbs and garlic flavours to cook into the potatoes. Once this has been achieved take the potatoes out of the oven and and drain off the fat but allow to cool slightly to allow the flavour to keep being absorbed by the potatoes.

SAUSAGE MEAT STUFFING

25g unsalted butter, 125g onion, chopped, 850g sausage meat, 10g garlic, chopped, 10g fresh sage, chopped, 2g fresh thyme chopped, 2 egg yolks, 100g fresh breadcrumbs, salt & pepper

• Heat the butter in a pan and gently cook the onions until soft and transparent, then leave to cool. Mix the onions and all the other ingredients together then shape the mixture into a sausage. Roll this in parchment paper, followed by foil then steam for 25 minutes. When cooked take off the foil and paper and slice. Serve and enjoy!

CHRISTMAS PUDDING

450g raisins听, 450g currents, 450g sultanas, 225g white breadcrumbs, 225g flour, 60g mixed peel, 225g brown sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, 450g beef suet, 30g chopped nuts (optional), 6g salt, 录 tsp ground ginger, grated nutmeg, 3 eggs, 40ml sherry, 40ml brandy, milk to bind, juice of 1 lemon

• Mix together all the dry ingredients then stir in the beaten eggs, sherry, brandy and lemon juice. Add enough milk to make the mixture a fairly stiff consistency. Place the mixture into a greased basin, put a piece of greaseproof paper on the top and then cover with some more greaseproof paper and secure with an elastic band. Steam for 8 hours and leave to cool and then store.
• 听Re-boil/steam the pudding several hours before it is eaten.

Good luck!