1lost1
Minion of Mayhem
North Pole
Registered: 10-2006
Posts: 2791
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Share the Holiday Cheer
The Holidays, regardless how each family celebrates, usually makes for a busy time in the kitchen as family and friends gather. We have certain favorites that are part of our gatherings (I need to be digging out the recipes). Granny made a suggestion about exchanging recipes and I thought for those that like to share favorites and those looking for new traditions ~ an exchange forum would be a great idea.
Guess probably is now as good of time as any to mention, I am no Betty Crocker. I love to cook, just wish I was better. Here within the next couple weeks I will be pulling out the holiday recipes I normally make and when I do I will post. In the interim if you would like to share something please do.
--- 
Mayhem of Motherhood
RunBoard Directory Staff |
|
Nov/9/2007, 4:35 pm
|
Send PM to 1lost1
Yahoo
|
suzidfloosey
Registered user
North Pole
Registered: 11-2006
Posts: 437
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
…
These were a couple of things i posted on another site where a person there had been landed with the job of cooking for her boss at xmas - just basics re. turkey and the dreaded brussel sprouts!
Turkey - We always buy a free range fresh turkey - the smallest they come in tho' is 16-18lbs weight as they tend to grow more when given more space. A good free range turkey locally produced needs very little basting, they have enough fat under the skin. You heat the oven to about 200 deg.C then put turkey in large deep pan (to catch all those juices for gravy), stuff the chest area (they don't recommend you stuff the large cavity anymore as if stuffed can lead to uneven cooking which with poultry isn't great - I put a bunch of thyme and a few garlic cloves and a couple of halved raw onions allowing lots of air space. These aren't used after apart from the dog eating them but just give flavour to the meat) with a stuffing you like. We just make breadcrumbs and sweat them in butter, cracked black pepper, shallots, sea salt and lots of thyme. Then stuff chest cavity, use ****tail sticks to pin the skin down so stuffing is coered, cover the bird wtih tin foil and pop in the oven. it will need to cook for 20 mins per pound + 20 mins. I only baste about every 20 mins in the last hour or so of cooking.
Another secret to a juicy bird  is that you allow enough time for the bird to sit for half an hour before carving. Once it's cooked, take it from the oven, give a final basting and then cover with the tin foil and allow it to 'rest'. Doing this means it soaks up more juices.
Brussel Sprouts - this how we do the things so they are tasty unlike the vile things they potentially can be especially at xmas carvery's or work dinners....*shudder*
Buy good quality small sprouts (smaller are sweeter)
Day before the dinner cut the end of stem off and take off outer leaves. cut them in quarters & put in plastic bag in fridge with a sprinkle of water in it and seal it - this gets them crisper.
On the day heat olive oil salt & pepper in a pan and stir fry them (you can add finely chopped onion/shallot if you like and I like to use a little chopped red chilli the colour is nice and i like food with a kick). Keep moving them around as they cook so they don't burn as burned sprouts are just plain evil!
Put some flaked almonds on tinfoil under the grill till toasted (v.quick so watch they don't burn) and when the sprouts are cooked enough (i like a slight crunch to them), turn off heat and stir through the almonds.
This is a v.quick way of cooking them and you have all the prep work done the day before. Also as they are cooked in oil they keep all their vit.c etc! Don't pre-toast the almonds tho' as when they are freshly done and hot the flavours mix better.
As it gets closer i'll post some more. We don't like xmas cake (trad fruit one) or plum pudding here so we do a 'Porter Cake' instead using irish stout - it's really easy and for those who don't like too heavy a fruit cake it's a nice alternative, it has sultana's in it and some almonds but that's it.
---
Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.
Oscar Wilde
|
|
Nov/10/2007, 8:40 am
|
Send PM to suzidfloosey
|
1lost1
Minion of Mayhem
North Pole
Registered: 10-2006
Posts: 2791
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
…
My Grandmother says the whole key to a good bird is letting it rest too prior to carving too. We don't eat fruitcake either ~ Those sprouts sound delicious. We like food with a kick as well.
I am just getting ready to pull out the holiday recipes and when I do I will post too.
---
Mayhem of Motherhood
RunBoard Directory Staff |
|
Nov/10/2007, 10:53 am
|
Send PM to 1lost1
Yahoo
|
1lost1
Minion of Mayhem
North Pole
Registered: 10-2006
Posts: 2791
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Share the Holiday Cheer
Grannies have a great way of thinking :)
---
Mayhem of Motherhood
RunBoard Directory Staff |
|
Nov/13/2007, 8:51 pm
|
Send PM to 1lost1
Yahoo
|
