By Simon Wood
FRETTING over what to cook for Christmas? Worried about whether your turkey will turn out right?
Well, panic no more as the Saddleworth Independent has teamed up with someone who knows a thing or two about producing mouthwatering meals – chef Simon Wood.
A regular sight in the area, he showed his skills in the kitchen by winning TV’s Masterchef in 2015.
Since then, he has established himself as a restauranteur by setting up Manchester’s Wood, as well as Woodkraft in Cheltenham.
Now he is passing on some of what makes his products so spectacular – and where better to start than the main event on December 25.
THE TURKEY
Ingredients: Carrots, celery, garlic, four large potatoes, two large onions, clementine, streaky bacon, sage, rosemary and thyme
The method
If you have stuffed the turkey, you will need to remember to weigh it again and calculate the cooking time (about 20 minutes per 500g/1lb). 20 minutes per pound.
Cook your bird from room temperature, not straight from the fridge.
Cover with tin foil.
Preheat your oven to maximum and as soon as you put your turkey in turn it down to 180c, 350f, Gas 4.
Baste your turkey regularly this will keep the meat succulent.
I like to add sage, rosemary and thyme plus a halved clementine inside the cavity of my turkey.
Always use the giblets in your gravy.
Cover the breast of your bird with smoked streaky bacon and butter this will keep it from drying out.
I like to sit my turkey on some roughly cut vegetables, just to keep it raised from the bottom of the roasting tin and allow the hot air to circulate and cook the bird evenly.
Remove the tin foil for the last 50 minutes basting regularly still.
PERFECT GARLIC AND ROSEMARY ROAST POTATOES
Ingredients: Two kilograms of red skin potatoes, two bulbs of garlic (halved), one bunch of fresh rosemary, one bunch of fresh thyme, 500g goose fat, Maldon Sea Salt, black pepper
The method
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark five. Peel the potatoes, cutting any larger ones so they are all the same size.
Wash the potatoes in cold water to get rid of any extra starch and place a large saucepan on to boil, season with a good amount of sea salt.
Add your goose fat into a large roasting tray, the biggest you have.
This is to make sure there is plenty of room for the potatoes and heat to circulate, heat for 10 minutes while your pan of water comes to the boil.
Now, add the potatoes to the water and parboil for 10 minutes. You want the outside soft and the inside with a little firmness remaining. Once ready, drain in a colander and leave to steam dry for five minutes.
After three minutes, give the colander a shake to help fluff up the potatoes —this will help to help them to crispen up later on.
Carefully remove your roasting tray with the hot fat from the oven and place on a suitable surface, add in half of your herbs and a bulb of your halved garlic and put it back in the oven for five minutes. After five minutes remove the herbs and garlic. You now have a nicely flavoured oil that will make your potatoes taste amazing!
If you leave the herbs in for the whole time it takes to roast your potatoes, they will burn and taste acrid!
We will add in the rest of the herbs with 10 minutes to go to really lift the flavour!
Tip the potatoes into your roasting tray and turn with tongs, slowly coating them in the flavoured hot fat. Take care not to break them before seasoning well with the sea salt and black pepper.
Roast for 45 minutes, before turning each one to coat in more fat and ensure even colouring.
Now add in your remaining herbs and garlic and roast for a further 10 minutes before draining on a little kitchen paper!
As a chef, I find it is always best to do a little test at this point and eat one just to check the seasoning.
Sometimes I must do this three or four times, just to be sure!
THE CRANBERRY SAUCE
Ingredients: Juice of two clementines, 400g cranberries, 200g light muscovado sugar, 100ml port
The method
Add all the ingredients into a saucepan and cook on a medium heat until sticky and delicious, store in sterilised jars in the fridge or give away as Christmas gifts!
THE GRAVY
Ingredients: one kilogram of chicken thighs, wings or a mixture of the two, olive oil, four large carrots, two sticks of celery, three or four bay leaves, one sprig of rosemary, one teaspoon of fresh thyme, one teaspoon fresh sage, three white onions halved, two Maris Piper potatoes quartered, one tablespoon of your cranberry sauce, one teaspoon of celery salt, ground black pepper, three pints of chicken stock, four tablespoons of cornflour
The method
Set the stock and cornflour aside.
Add the remaining ingredients into a roasting tin and cover with olive oil.
Roast until golden and the meat is easy to pinch away from the bone, approximately 75 minutes at 180c, 350f, Gas mark four.
Remove from the oven and shred the meat into the roasting tin and use a fork or a masher to crush all the vegetables.
Place over a flame or on the hob.
Add four tablespoons of the cornflour and mix well cooking the flour out.
Add in the stock, slowly stirring well and crushing all the flavour out of the vegetables and the chicken.
Cook until thickened and dark brown in colour.
Check seasoning and strain through a colander and then again through a sieve to get a refined finish to your sauce.
THE STUFFING
Ingredients: 750g pork mince, 25g sage, chopped, 100g dried cranberries, roughly chopped, 75g Chestnuts, roughly chopped, two apples, grated, two onions, grated, salt and black pepper
The method
In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients.
You can use to stuff the neck of the turkey, or put in an ovenproof dish, cover and bake at gas mark four, 180ºC, for one hour until golden.
POMEGRANATE AND BALSAMIC BRAISED RED CABBAGE
Ingredients: Half a red cabbage, shredded, 75ml balsamic vinegar – the best you have! 250ml pomegranate Juice, one pomegranate, one star anise, salt and pepper, olive oil
The Method
Shred the cabbage and add into a large pan with a little olive oil.
On a medium heat, stir until coated and starting to soften.
Add in 250ml Pomegranate juice and the star anise.
Cook until softened.
Add in 75ml balsamic (adjust to taste).
Cook down until golden and sticky.
Sprinkle with pomegranate pearls and serve.
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