Camden New Journal - Recipe for Chestnut Stuffing by Clare Latimer

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The Review - FOOD AND DRINK - Cooking with CLARE
Published: 29th August 2008

Cook up the perfect turkey this Christmas

Clare Latimer offers some great tips to make sure your Christmas dinner is cooked to perfection

WELL, it is here again. We have arrived at Christmas once more and this year it seems to have crept up without warning due to the warm weather and late autumn.
I am going to give you the traditional turkey plan for the big day and also I will cost and talk about a meal for one as I know many people in Camden will be on their own and this is barely ever mentioned.
Due to space I will give a plan and then how to cook and stuff the turkey, as this is the hardest thing to get right.
Make a list of all the shopping you need for the day – remember the foil for the turkey and the brandy.
Remember to buy a packet of frozen peas for the people who do not like sprouts and chestnuts – there are always a few.
On December 23 make the bread sauce and cranberry sauce and keep covered in the fridge. Peel the fresh chestnuts if using and store in plastic bag in the fridge. Make the brandy butter and store in fridge. Make the stuffing for the turkey and keep covered in the fridge.
On December 24 if you are short of oven space then do mashed potatoes rather than roast ones. At this point, peel the potatoes and cut up. If roasting, then put into boiling water for five minutes and then drain. Put back into the saucepan and toss with the lid on to rough up the edges.
Cover and leave in cool place until tomorrow. They will not turn brown. If mashing them just leave them covered in cold water with a slice of lemon in a cool place.
Prepare the sprouts and store in a plastic bag and keep in a cool place. If possible, lay and prepare the table as much as possible or at least get all the trimmings ready.

Chestnut Stuffing
50g butter.
125g of streaky bacon, cut into strips.
Two red onions, peeled and chopped finely.
One tin of unsweetened chestnuts, chop up roughly.
Three sticks of celery, wiped and chopped.
One teaspoon thyme.
Little grated nutmeg.
225g sausage meat.
50g of porridge oats.
Salt and freshly ground. Black pepper.

Method
Put the butter and bacon into a frying pan and cook for one minute. Add the onion and fry gently for five minutes to release all the flavour and soften. Put the rest of the ingredients in to a bowl and using your hand (use a rubber glove if you want) and squidge all together mixing well including the onion mix. Put into a bowl, cover and keep chilled.

Cooking the Turkey
Serves 8-12
One five kilogram fresh free range turkey.

Method
Preheat the oven 200°C 400°F Gas Mark six. Stuff the turkey in the neck end and then fold over the flap of skin to hold in the stuffing.
Put a few sprigs of parsley and rosemary in the main cavity and a lemon cut in half. Season with salt and pepper and then place in a large roasting tin.
Cover the breast with bacon rashers and then wrap the whole tin in foil making sure it is airtight. Cook in the oven for four hours and then check to see if the bird is cooked by piercing the inner thigh with a skewer to see if the juices run clear. If it is not, then cook for a further 20 minutes and check again.
When cooked, put the turkey onto a carving plate and keep in a warm place for up to an hour. This resting time is important as it makes the flesh very tender. Make the gravy from the juices and then serve.
If you are on your own, I have found the perfect solution. I went to Morrisons and had a very helpful chat with Mark the manager and after walking round the store we found a turkey breast slice for £1.26 (that could be used the next day as well) and a baby Christmas pudding for 56p.
Then they had brandy butter and cranberry sauce. He explained that you can buy just a handful of sprouts and one potato and then there was either a bottle of Bucks Fizz for £1.79 or a small bottle red wine for £1.50. That all means that you could have a lovely fresh Christmas dinner for under £5 including your booze. If you want to flame your Christmas pudding you could always go to the pub and just get one shot of brandy and that would set your day alight. Enjoy and just think – no family arguments!
However many of you, have a very very Happy Christmas.

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