Christmas dinner is arguably one of the best bits of the holiday season, which is why many families will splash out on making it the perfect occasion. However, it’s forecast to be more expensive than it has been in recent years, with data from the website VoucherCodes predicting that the average UK household will spend £290 each on seasonal food and drink, a 30% increase from the previous year.
Pair this with the increased energy cost, and dinner could be even more expensive than ever. And let’s be honest, once we’ve had a roast turkey once, we’ve had it a million times. But, with enough planning and a little bit of experimentation, you can completely revolutionise your courses this Christmas.
Here are a few unconventional ideas you could try and incorporate into dinner
BBQ’d bird – venture outdoors over the flames
“While the idea of cooking outdoors when the temperature drops might not appeal to you, or you may think barbecuing is solely saved for summer, cooking a turkey over the flame of a barbecue grill could open you up to a different way of thinking”, says Stephen Talbot, barbeque lover and Sales Director at dry logs business, Logs Direct.
The best thing about the barbecue is that depending on your style, which might run on gas or need dry logs for fuel, it can be a truly unique cooking experience. You can add loads of flavour through the cooking method on top of your choice of seasoning to get creative with the flavour profiles of your meat.
To keep your bird juicy, it’s important to lock in the flavour with an overnight brine, which can be as simple as heavily salted water (emphasis on the heavy, you’re looking at 800g per 100 litres) but can include aromatics like peppercorns or lemons. On the day you take out your turkey, pat it as dry as possible before generously seasoning and stuffing (if required), placing it on the grill, and remembering to check on it and turn it every 30 to 45 minutes.
The key rule for cooking any meat is to let it rest, allowing it to finish cooking off direct heat. This can range anywhere from an hour to the full cooking time of the bird, but it guarantees a juicy and fully cooked turkey for your dinner. Your guests and tastebuds will thank you!
Barry Fallon, head chef and co-owner at Tin Can Kitchen said: “BBQ-ing meat adds a depth and richness that can’t be replicated in a conventional oven. When it comes to BBQ-ing a Christmas turkey, for the best results we recommend brining the turkey overnight in a mixture of water, lemon, fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme and parsley), salt and honey.
“When it comes to cooking the turkey, ensure the meat is well seasoned and covered in a thin layer of olive oil, then cook until the meat registers 75 degrees Celsius in its thickest part.”
Deep-fried – dangerous but delicious
When foods are deep fried, they’re cooked evenly because they are fully submerged within the hot fat that hits the entire surface area. In recent years, deep-fried turkey has become a popular trend in America that has extended over the pond to us here in the UK and can offer a flavourful and fast cooking alternative to the traditional slow roast.
However, there are a lot of safety concerns with this method, which can range from spills of frying oil to fires that can harm you and damage your property. This can be caused by frozen turkeys that have not been appropriately thawed or those with a lot of moisture that reacts with the oil, causing spitting, excessive bubbling, and overflowing.
It is possible to cook safely using this method, but it requires the correct equipment and safety precautions. Firstly, while it can be done indoors, it is far safer to conduct the cooking outside, away from anything flammable. Next, keeping yourself safe is paramount, including having safety equipment like protective gloves and fire extinguishers nearby, as well as not exceeding the maximum fill line on your cooking vessel of choice.
While cooking using this method, you should never leave the turkey unattended. This is more than just reducing the chance of the bird burning. It also means you can keep an eye on the temperature and avoid overflowing and fires.
Spatchcocking and breaking it down – guaranteed even cooking
For many Christmas cooks, the main concern may not just be how much you’re using your oven but also the timings associated with getting everything onto the table at the same time. There are plenty of methods that you can try out to cook indoors and make sure everything’s cooked perfectly in time for your guests to sit and eat.
Spatchcocking is a method of spreading your bird’s surface area to make it flatter so that it cooks more evenly when it’s in the oven. This is done by removing the backbone and the wishbone of the turkey with either kitchen shears or a good sharp knife before pressing down on the breastbone until you hear some pops or snaps, and it lies flatter than before. It will cook more evenly and yield some unbelievably crispy skin, one of the best bits about turkey.
Another option for not only faster cooking but perfectly cooked turkey is utilising a bit of clever butchery and breaking down the bird into each distinct part. Not only will you end up with the breast, thigh, and leg meat separate so you can cook them to their required doneness, but you’ll also have the rest of the errant meat you can use to make stock and gravy.
This is just an entry-level guide to introduce you to the alternatives to classic turkey cooking, which you can use as a base to experiment or research to find your new perfect cooking method.
Full credit to Logs Direct
