Even the best home cooks may get overwhelmed by Christmas.
It can be difficult to create the perfect meal, whether you’re cooking for fussy relatives, serving a larger crowd, or working with a dry turkey.
FEMAIL spoke to top British chefs who shared their best Christmas cooking tips with FEMAIL. These included covering the turkey in pineapple juice and cooking i.In a salt brine of 10%, place t.
Meanwhile, Yasuda Akinori of Japanese restaurant SUMI said that adding soy sauce to gravy gives it a meat umami flavour, while Daniel Mertl, Head Chef at Ganymede, recommended turning your roasties every 20 minutes to ensure perfect crispness.
FEMAIL has spoken to some top UK chefs to share their best Christmas cooking secrets, including how to cover the turkey in pineapple juice or cook it in a salt brine (10%)
To turkey brine, add a teaspoon of pineapple juice: Sameer Taneja (Executive Chef at Michelin-starred Benares).
“To get a juicy and tender roast for Christmas this year, you can add one tablespoon of pineapple juice to your turkey while it is marinating. It will give the turkey a sweet taste, soften the meat, as well as retain good moisture.
Yasuda Akinori, Head Chef at SUMI, suggests adding soy sauce to gravy.
Add a few drops of soy sauce to your gravy while you simmer it.
“Soy sauce adds depth and richness to dishes by adding umami flavor.
“It is also very meaty and can be used to make a vegetable gravy more flavorful.”
The Hunter’s Moon’s Owner Chef Director Oliver Marlowe recommends a 10% salt-to-water ratio
“To ensure you do not end up with dry turkeys on your big day, brine your bird overnight in 10 percent salt to water mixture before cooking.
Salt disintegrates some muscle proteins. The result is that the meat shrinks while baking, and therefore loses less moisture.
This gives it a great depth of flavor, which makes it difficult to overcook.
On Christmas Eve, boil your roasties Jonas Karlsson is the Head Chef of Aquavit London
“It is not secret that supply chain problems can lead to a shortage in turkeys.
While fresh is best, it’s a good idea to buy your turkey as soon as possible and then freeze it. Once the time has passed, take the turkey out of the freezer and place in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
“You can also half-boil your potatoes for Christmas Eve.
It will give you one less thing to worry, and it’ll be extra crispy double-roasted potatoes to show off!
Make your Yorkshire pudding batter 24 hours in advance: Callum Graham, Head Chef of Bohemia at The Club Hotel & Spa
“Preparation is key to Christmas, and you need to prepare for it ahead of time.
“Instead of peeling and cutting vegetables at Christmas Eve, make cauliflower cheese the day before.
“My number one tip for Yorkshire pudding batter is to let it rest 24 hours before you need it. It will give your Yorkshire pudding batter plenty of time to rise.
Roasties should be turned every 20 minutes by Daniel Mertl (Head Chef, Ganymede)
Maris Piper is a good choice for the best roast potatoes. Cut into small pieces. Boil in salted water for about 10 minutes. Drain and steam the potatoes.
Now, heat the duck fat or goose fat to cook the potatoes at high temperatures (around 190 degrees), flipping every twenty minutes.
“For an extra flavor, you can add half of a garlic bulb and some thyme sprigs halfway through. Cook until crispy and golden brown.
Matthew Whitfield, executive chef at The Terrace At The Montagu Arms, vac-packs turkeys and cooks them at 70C
‘For the best flavour and texture, always buy free-range – we buy from Owton Butchers in Southampton.
“For moist meats, take the breast off and butterfly it. Then stuff the breast with chestnut stuffing, then roll it into a log.
Then, we vacuum pack the item and bake it for three hours at 70°C. Once it is cooked, remove it and roast it until it becomes crispy.
“The meat was succulent, and the stuffing is delicious.” Delicious!’
You can save yourself the stress of Christmas morning and just put your bird in the freezer the night before. This is the consensus among the chegs
Henry Brosi Executive Chef, Four Seasons Hotel London Park Lane, brine turkey for 24 Hours
“My best tip for turkey roasting is to marinate it in chicken stock at least 24 hours before baking. This will help keep it moist.
‘I’d also recommend buying a turkey crown with the legs removed (boned and rolled) as this will save you two hours on the cooking time of the turkey – you can always ask your local butcher to do this!’
For vegans, make curry cauliflower steak: Michael Carr is Head Chef at Fenchurch Restaurant. London’s Sky Garden
‘A great vegan alternative on Christmas Day is a cauliflower steak – it’s an absolute winner when done right! The cauliflower’s thick middle is removed. Next, you can add the various herbs and spices.
“I like to rub a masala powder all over the cauliflower before I cook it in very hot oil. Then, you can serve with crème fraiche or herby-basil tomato sauce.
Cooking turkey is a favorite of Waitrose’s chefs
Martyn Lee, Executive Chef at WaitrosePlace it on your barbecue
“I make my Christmas turkey from scratch every year on the grill.” This recipe never fails to please and I expect many others will do the same. The process is quick and easy. It’s not only the turkey that you can grill; there are also other Christmas favorites, such as trimmings, sweets, and more.
“I like to grill the entire bird because it allows everyone to choose between white and dark meat. However, I remove the legs and thighs from the meat and make sure they are cooked separately. Dark meat is better if the cooking time is longer and more slow. The white breast meat can overcook faster than the legs and thighs, which will result in a dry turkey. If you prefer to focus on the turkey crown – or are planning for a smaller gathering – then this will cook beautifully too. This is why the Waitrose Medium Turkey Breast Crown and Prime Wing are so great.
‘Barbecuing a turkey calls for indirect heat – it’s very different to grilling a steak over hot coals. This is best done by placing the coals on one side and the meat the other. Use foil to deflect heat when necessary.
Zoe Simons: Waitrose Senior Development chef: Make the crown of smoked demerara sugar
“I prefer to make my Christmas turkey in advance. This saves me time and allows me to spend more quality time with my family. A few days prior to Christmas, I remove the legs of my turkey and cook them in duck fat with herbs.
‘Then on Christmas Day, the turkey crown takes less time to cook and the leg meat is rich and full of flavour – the legs just need a quick reheat in the oven for about 25 minutes. The fat left over from confiting turkey legs is used to cook my potatoes. This way, you can get the full flavour of confiting turkey legs without wasting anything.
“When brining my turkey crown last year, I used smoked demerara sugar which added a wonderful flavour. This was a great recipe that my guests loved, and I will definitely do it again.
Paul Gamble Senior Development Cook at Waitrose: Apply thyme oil under your skin
“I love to do everything at Christmas. I take the ‘cheffy” option with my turkey. After removing the legs and stuffing them with Christmas stuffing, I tie them and roast them separately. For the crown, I brine it for 12 hours – submerging it in a solution of water, salt and sugar with plenty of herbs and garlic. It helps retain moisture while cooking turkeys, which I recommend.
I then roast the turkey crown in thyme butter underneath the skin and basting occasionally. Because the turkey crown and legs take different amounts of time, it is important to separate them. This will allow you to prevent breast meat drying out and overcooking. To determine when the bird has reached ‘just’ cooking, I recommend purchasing a thermometer.
Will Torrent Consultant Pastry Chef at Waitrose – Cover it up Maple syrup and bacon
“While my Christmas Day is usually spent cooking for 40-50 people at the church, I will spend Christmas Day with our family at home this Christmas because we are expecting a baby in January.
“I normally love to make a Thanksgiving turkey, but this Christmas we will opt for something different and choose the Waitrose Easy Carve Duck, with Pear and Chestnut and Rum.
“If I were to make a turkey, I would top it with some smoked streaky bacon. Then I would add a generous amount of maple syrup for sweetness. The ultimate combination of bacon and maple syrup is unbeatable!