Christmas Cooking
Whether you are cooking for two this Christmas or cooking for twenty-two, it’s always a dinner that seems daunting to take on. Between getting the timing of meat correct to not overcooking those vegetables and perfecting the crispiness of those delicious roast potatoes it just sounds so complicated. But not to worry, here at Connect we have brought on board some of the top Chef’s in Kerry to get their trade secrets to cooking the perfect Christmas dinner that will leave everyone looking for seconds!
Noel Keane is both Owner and Head Chef in the beloved Croi. Here are his top tips this festive season.
1.Organisation! This is number one on our list
2.Brine your Turkey on Christmas Eve: As turkey is a lean meat, it can become dry
3.Have you got the right equipment for the job? Make sure you’ve got plenty of oven trays, pots and pans and serving dishes
4.Prep your veg the night before: Peel potatoes, carrots, parsnips and any other veg
5.Get your timings for the big day sorted: Plan exactly how long everything takes to cook and make yourself a to-do list
6.it fun, get the family involved: Christmas is all about seeing family and friends
7.Buying a dessert makes it much easier on the day
8.Wash as you go and save the stress of who’s going to wash up!
Well known Chef and Owner of the
Just Cooking Cookery School
Mark Doe swears by these fail safe tips!
1.Don’t cook anything else until your turkey is cooked. Once your turkey is cooked, plate on a large platter, wrap loosely in foil and leave
to rest for at least 45 minutes.
This will not only give you the moistest and easy to carve turkey, but it also frees up your oven for the roast potatoes and vegetables.
2. Don’t Kill anyone! Cook your turkey until it reaches a core temperature of 75c in the thickest part of the breast and leg. Remember 75=staying alive. Buy a digital meat thermometer to check this.
3. Prepare you vegetables on Christmas eve and leave in the fridge
4. Remove your turkey from the fridge 1 hour before cooking so that it isn’t stone cold going into the oven.
5. Don’t stuff the cavity of the turkey. By the time the stuffing in the cavity has reached 75c or above, your turkey is over cooked.
6. Serve your vegetables in big bowls in the middle of your table, for your guests to help themselves. This makes your Christmas dinner easier to serve and less stressful.
Kevin Mooney is a very popular and sought after Chef de Partie in Manor West Hotel. Used to cooking for large numbers, these are his tips!
Sumptuous sides to jazz up your Christmas Dinner! Sides are often overlooked but, in my opinion, are just as important as the Turkey and Ham. These sides
can be done in advance, relieving
some of the pressure on Christmas Day and ensuring a tasty and wholesome meal!
1. Baked Brussel Sprouts with Stilton Cheese and Bacon Lardons Sprouts get a bad rap, but this recipe will have all the family coming back for seconds. Par-boil your sprouts for 20 minutes in salted water. Transfer sprouts to a casserole dish. Fry up some bacon lardons and place in the dish with sprouts. Add some Stilton Cheese on top of the sprouts and bacon lardons and bake for 15 minutes at 180℃.
2. Glazed Roasted Parsnips. Turn your parsnips into the star of the show with this simple recipe. Peel and cut parsnips into chunky sized chips. Par-boil for 10 minutes. Transfer to a baking tray and drizzle with honey and a sprinkling of brown sugar to caramelise. Bake for 10 minutes at 180℃.
3. Winter Carrot Puree is
a lighter choice and an homage to the great chef Raymond Blanc. Melt 100grams of real butter. Add 5 pieces of Star Anise. Keep mixture at room temperature for 6 hours. After 6 hours remove the Star Anise pieces from the infused butter. Boil and mash carrots. Add the infused butter to the mashed carrots. Season with Salt and Pepper to taste.
Head Chef Colin Cole at Meadowlands Hotel Tralee
Plan
Write your shopping list now and plan exactly what you are having for dinner. No need to leave everything to the last minute.
You can pick up the goose fat for the roast potatoes, cranberries for homemade sauce, dried herbs and freezer fillers from now on.
Gravy
The last minute jobs on Christmas Day can be the most stressful so having gravy ready to go is a real time saver on the day. This can be prepared up to 3 days in advance or from now on and frozen. Less mess on the day!
Make-Ahead Gravy
Ingredients
• 2 onions
• 2 carrots
• 2 sticks of celery
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs of fresh sage
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1lb free-range Irish chicken wings
• Olive oil
• Salt & Pepper
• 3 tablespoons plain flour
• 2 litres chicken stock or water
• 2 tablespoons cranberry sauce or red currant jelly
Method
STEP 1 Preheat the oven to 200°C or gas 6. Put the chopped vegetables in a large roasting tin, then scatter over the thyme, rosemary and sage. Arrange the chicken wings on top, then drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven for 1 hour.
STEP 2 Once cooked, make sure you scrape all the bits off the bottom of the roasting tin. Mash everything with a potato masher. Place the tin on a high heat on the hob and let it brown for 3-4 mins. Stir in the flour and cook for another 1-2 mins to thicken.
STEP 3 Pour in the chicken stock or water and add the bay leaves, and stir well. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat, then simmer gently for 30 mins or until it has reduced to your preferred consistency. Check for seasoning.
STEP 4 At this point you can add the redcurrant jelly or cranberry sauce if you like a sweeter gravy. Pass the mixture through a sieve into a jug, pressing down with a spoon to push all the liquid through from the chicken and vegetables.
STEP 5 Set aside to cool, then chill in the fridge until the gravy is like a jelly. A layer of fat may form on the top of the jelly, which can be scrapped of and thrown away.
STEP 6 Spoon the chilled gravy into a freezer-safe container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months
STEP 7 On Christmas Eve take it from the freezer and defrost in the fridge overnight. Transfer the gravy to a pan and heat through until boiling before serving. Add the Turkey roasting juices for extra flavour.
Brine
Brine your Turkey on Christmas Eve. Turkey is a lean meat and it can become dry quickly, so brine your bird for around 12 hours before putting it in the oven to cook. During this process, it’ll absorb extra moisture, which in turn helps it stay moist and juicy, and the brining liquor will also help to season the meat. To do this you’ll need a large pot or bucket, filled with a 10% salt water mix, 2 tbsp of sugar and lots of aromats (black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, a couple of bay leaves, thyme and orange & lemon peel). Make sure to rest the Turkey for at least 30 minutes before carving.
Prepare Vegetables
Vegetables can be peeled & prepared the day before. Roast Potatoes can be par-boiled, coated in goose fat & polenta and stored in the fridge until the day. Brussels sprouts can be peeled and ready to go. Carrots & parsnips mashed with a
little butter & orange zest ready to be warmed in the oven. Stuffing made & ready to go. Get everyone
involved Christmas Eve to ensure a relaxed lead up to the meal.
The main points to remember are planning, preparation and delegation. Enjoy the Christmas Day Feast without the stress. Nollaig Shona from The Meadowlands Hotel.
Irish Cream Tiramisu
Ingredients
• 4 eggs
• 100g golden caster sugar
• 500g tub mascarpone
• 100ml Irish cream liqueur (we used Baileys coffee flavour)
• 300ml strong coffee, made with 2 tbsp. coffee granules and
• 300ml boiling water
• 175g sponge fingers
• 25g dark chocolate
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
Method
STEP 1 Separate the egg whites and yolks into two large bowls. Whisk the whites until stiff. Add the sugar to the yolks and whisk again (no need to clean first) until thick and foamy – this will take about 5 mins. Whisk the mascarpone and cream liqueur into the egg yolks until you can’t see any streaks of cheese. Carefully fold the whites into the mascarpone mixture with a large metal spoon to keep in as much air as possible.
STEP 2 Get your serving dish ready (ours was 20 x 15 cm). Pour the coffee into a shallow dish and dip in a few sponge fingers at a time, turning them for a few seconds until they are nicely soaked, but not soggy. Layer these into the dish until you have used half the biscuits, then evenly spread over half of the creamy mixture. Using the coarse side of the grater, grate over most of the chocolate, then repeat the sponge and cream layers (you should use up all the coffee). If you want a pretty finish, you can pipe on the final cream layer.
STEP 3 Cover and chill for a few hours or overnight. This can now be kept in the fridge for up to two days. To serve, dust with cocoa powder and grate over the remaining chocolate.
Chocolate Chestnut Refrigerator Cake
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
500 grams sweetened chestnut puree
175 grams soft unsalted butter
300 grams’ dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
3 tablespoons dark rum
TO SERVE
crème fraiche
crystallised violets
METHOD
STEP 1 Beat the puree in a bowl until it’s smooth, and then add the butter, beating again to make a well-blended mixture.
STEP 2 Melt the chocolate and let it cool slightly, before adding it to the chestnut and butter in the bowl. Beat in the rum, and spoon the chocolate mixture into a 23 x 10cm / 9 x 4 inches’ loaf tin, lined with cling film, in two batches, making sure the first layer reaches the corners and sides of the bottom of the tin before you smooth over the rest. Wrap the overhanging cling film over the cake so that it is completely covered, and put it in the fridge to set for at least four hours, but a day or so in advance if you want.
STEP 3 Don’t take the loaf tin out of the fridge until you want to eat it, when you just unmould the cake, cut it into thin slices and serve with crème fraiche or sour cream.
