by Jamie Oliver
PLUS COOLING & DEFROSTING
2 onions
2 carrots
2 stalks of celery
2 rashers of smoked bacon
2 fresh bay leaves
2 sprigs of fresh sage
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 star anise
10 chicken wings
olive oil
optional: ¼ cup sherry or port
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Cranberry sauce (see here)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Peel the onions, wash the carrots, then roughly chop with the celery and bacon. Put the veg, bay leaves, sage, rosemary, and star anise into a sturdy high-sided roasting pan, then scatter the chopped bacon on top. Break the chicken wings open, bash with a rolling pin to help release extra flavor as they cook, then add to the pan. Drizzle with oil, season with sea salt and black pepper, toss, then cook for 1 hour, or until tender.
Remove the pan from the oven and transfer to a low heat on the stove. Really grind and mash everything with a potato masher, scraping up all the goodness from the base of the pan (the longer you let it fry, the darker your gravy will be). If you want to add sherry or port, now’s the time to do so; just leave it to cook away for a few minutes. Gradually stir in the flour, then pour in 8 cups of boiling kettle water. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until thickened and reduced, stirring occasionally.
When the gravy is the consistency of your liking, pour it through a coarse sieve into a large bowl, pushing all the goodness through with the back of a spoon. Taste and season to perfection, cool to room temperature, then pour into containers or bags and pop into the fridge or freezer, ready to finish off on Christmas Day.
If frozen, take the gravy out to defrost when your turkey goes into the oven. When the turkey’s perfectly cooked, remove it to a platter to rest for up to 2 hours, covered with a double layer of aluminum foil and a clean kitchen towel. Skim away most of the fat from the pan, cool, and place into a jar in the fridge for tasty cooking another day. Pour your Get-ahead gravy into the pan with the rest of the turkey juices. Bring to a boil over the stove and scrape up all those sticky bits from the base. Have a taste, then stir in the Cranberry sauce to balance the flavors.
Once your gravy is piping hot, carefully strain through a coarse sieve into a pan, then leave it on the lowest heat until you’re ready to serve. Skim away any fat that rises to the top, and add any extra resting juices from the turkey before serving.
VEGAN GRAVY
RICH, DELICIOUS, SILKY, & SMOOTH
Achieving big flavor by slowly frying veg with dried porcini for added depth, we’re drawing on our favorite pantry condiments and port here to ensure we deliver an epic gravy for our veggie and vegan friends.
MAKES APPROX. 31⁄3 CUPS
1 HOUR
2 onions
2 carrots
2 stalks of celery
1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
olive oil
2 fresh bay leaves
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 tablespoons port
2 teaspoons quality blackcurrant jam
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons Marmite
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 cups veg stock
Peel the onions, wash the carrots, then roughly chop with the celery and porcini, and place in a large pan on a medium heat with 1 tablespoon of oil, the bay, and thyme. Fry for around 25 minutes, or until turning golden, stirring occasionally.
Add the port and jam to the pan and, once reduced, stir in the flour, followed by the Marmite, tomato paste, and vinegar. Pour in the stock, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for around 10 minutes, or until thickened and reduced to the consistency of your liking.
Pass the gravy through a coarse sieve into another pan, pushing all the goodness through with the back of a spoon. Taste and season to perfection, then serve right away or keep warm over the lowest heat until needed.
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GET AHEAD
Make this in advance and simply keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, ready to reheat when needed, loosening with a splash more stock, if required.
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BAKED BREAD SAUCE
SWEET TENDER ONIONS, ENGLISH MUSTARD, CLOVES, BUTTER, & BAY
Well, who would have thought bread sauce could be so extraordinary? Gone are the days of regular bread sauce—this recipe is more like an awesome savoury bread and butter pudding, with sweet onions and the gentle heat of mustard.
SERVES 8
1 HOUR 10 MINUTES
2 onions
6 cups reduced-fat (2%) milk
3 teaspoons English mustard
3 cloves
3 fresh bay leaves
1 whole nutmeg, for grating
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 rustic loaf of white bread (14 oz)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Peel and finely slice the onions. Place them in a large pan with the milk, mustard, cloves, and bay. Simmer on a low heat for 20 minutes, so the flavors infuse and the onions soften, stirring occasionally.
Scoop out and discard the cloves, then season the milk mixture with sea salt and black pepper, finely grate in half the nutmeg, and stir in the butter. Tear the bread into 1-inch chunks and stir into the pan, then transfer it all to a baking dish (12 × 8 inches). Press it down into the dish and bake for around 40 minutes, or until golden and crispy at the edges but smooth and silky in the middle.
Serve hot or warm. It’s the ultimate accompaniment to your roast turkey on Christmas Day, of course, but it also goes really well with roasted chicken and all game birds, and, to be honest, pretty much anything else you care to pair it with!
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GET AHEAD
This can be put together on Christmas Eve, ready to bake on the big day.
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CRANBERRY SAUCE
BURNT BUTTER, MAPLE SYRUP, APPLE, THYME, & SPICED RUM
Cranberry sauce is a great thing to make at this time of year. It’s not only good with roasted meats but can be used in gravies, stews, or even a sweet dessert, like my Frangipane tart here—leftovers need never go to waste!
SERVES 8–10
20 MINUTES
4 eating apples
1⁄3 cup unsalted butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
10 oz fresh or frozen cranberries
3 tablespoons quality spiced rum
Peel and core the apples, then roughly chop and put aside. Melt the butter in a large pan on a medium heat until golden and bubbling. Stir in the maple syrup and when it’s just beginning to lightly caramelize, strip in the thyme leaves and add the apples, cranberries, and spiced rum. Leave to cook and reduce with the lid on for around 15 minutes, or until the apples have softened and the sauce is nice and thick. Keep an eye on it and stir occasionally, adding a splash of water to loosen or removing the lid for the last few minutes to let it thicken up—it’s your responsibility to get it to the consistency of your liking.
Have a little taste—I like the balance between natural sweetness and acidity, as it really helps to cut through the richness of the meat you’re serving it with, but add a touch more maple syrup, if you want to. Transfer it to a serving bowl, let it cool to room temperature, then cover and chill in the fridge, until needed.
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GET GIFTING
Cranberry sauce makes a great gift—feel free to double or triple the recipe, decant while hot into sterilized jars (see here), and give to family and friends. It’s delicious and will save them a job, too. It keeps happily in the fridge for a good few weeks.
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HORSERADISH SAUCE
FIERY FRESH HORSERADISH, VINEGAR, & CRÈME FRAÎCHE
SERVES 12
10 MINUTES
Finely grate 3½ oz of fresh horseradish onto a plate. Add 7 oz of half-fat crème fraîche. Season really well with
sea salt, add a splash of red wine vinegar, and mix together well. Taste, adjust the seasoning and the fieriness, then spoon across the plate to cover. Finely grate over a little more fresh horseradish, drizzle with good extra virgin olive oil, and serve.
MINT SAUCE
FRAGRANT FRESH MINT, RED WINE VINEGAR, SALT, & SUGAR
SERVES 12
10 MINUTES
Pick the leaves from 3 bunches of fresh mint (1 oz each) into a blender. Add 2 good pinches of sea salt and 2 teaspoons of superfine sugar, pour over 6 tablespoons of boiling kettle water, and leave for 1 minute. Add 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, then blitz to the consistency of your liking. Taste and season to perfection, adding good extra virgin olive oil to taste.
PIGS IN BLANKETS
GONE CRAZY …
Pigs in blankets are genius, but lots of clever combos, when wrapped in bacon, are equally delicious. Why don’t you mix it up this year and get people talking? I’ve given you lots of ideas here, so pick your favorites and have fun with them.
EACH COMBO MAKES
1 PARCEL
30 MINUTES
Lay 1 rasher of smoked bacon—and it must be smoked—on a board and run the side of your knife along it to flatten it out, meaning you can chop it in the middle and use half a rasher for each blanket. Place your filling on top, then roll and wrap it up, lining them up in an oiled roasting pan as you go. Cook in a preheated oven at 350°F for around 20 minutes, or until golden and cooked through, then serve.
TEAM ½ A RASHER OF BACON WITH …
• 1 knob of Brie-style cheese—1 shelled walnut half—1 fresh thyme tip
• ½ a cleaned chicken liver—1 fresh sage leaf—½ a dried apricot
• 1 freshly shucked oyster—1 slice of pickled onion—1 pinch of dried red chili flakes
• 1 pitted dried prune—a crumbling of blue cheese—2 chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 fresh sage leaf—1 small slice of black pudding
• 1 fresh sage leaf—1 cocktail sausage
• 1 cube of crustless bread—2 fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 pitted date—2 crumbled blanched hazelnuts—1 drizzle of liquid honey
• 1 piece of torn ricotta or firm goat’s cheese—slices of fresh red chile
• 1 wedge of ripe pear—a few dried cranberries—1 fresh thyme tip
• ½ a torn ripe fig stuffed with pine nuts—1 drizzle of liquid honey
• 1 little quenelle or ball of stuffing—2 scrapings of nutmeg
MEAT STUFFING
SWEET ONIONS, LEEKS, SAGE, SMOKY BACON, CHESTNUTS, & PORK SHOULDER
Everyone loves a good stuffing. The flavor from free-range pork shoulder is far more delicious than sausage meat—any good butcher will be able to grind this up for you—and with the slow-cooked onions and leeks, it’s a total joy to eat.
SERVES 10
1 HOUR 15 MINUTES
PLUS COOLING
2 onions
2 leeks
1 bunch of fresh sage (1 oz)
olive oil
¼ cup unsalted butter
4 rashers of smoked bacon
1 whole nutmeg, for grating
14 oz stale bread
7 oz vac-packed chestnuts
2 lbs ground pork shoulder
1 × 15-oz can of peaches, in juice
1 clementine
Peel the onions, wash and trim the leeks, then finely chop them (saving the green leek tops for soup or stew). Pick the sage leaves, keep 2 nice big ones aside, then finely slice the rest. Place a large frying pan on a medium heat with 1 tablespoon of oil and the butter. Finely slice and add the bacon, fry until lightly golden, then stir in the sliced sage, followed by the onions and leeks. Finely grate in half the nutmeg, add a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper, and cook for 15 minutes, or until soft, stirring occasionally. Leave to cool.
Toast the bread, then whiz it to crumbs in a food processor with the chestnuts and tip into a large bowl. Add the cooled onion mixture, the ground pork shoulder, and drained peaches. Using your hands, really squash and squidge everything until well mixed. Put 8 oz of the stuffing mixture aside to stuff the neck of your turkey (see here), then pack the rest into an appropriately sized oiled baking dish. Flatten it down and use your hands to almost tuck the stuffing into the dish, so it mounds up in the middle. Halve the clementine, then push the halves into the top of the stuffing, cut-side up, placing 1 reserved sage leaf on each half. Drizzle with 1 more tablespoon of oil and, when needed, bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 50 minutes, or until golden, gnarly, and cooked through.
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MIX IT UP
Feel free to add some ground game to this story, or even a handful of chopped chicken livers, for a nice variation.
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LOVE YOUR LEFTOVERS
Use them in my epic Toad in the hole (see here), or slice almost like a terrine and serve with cheese, bread, and pickles.
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VEGGIE STUFFING
CARAMELIZED SQUASH, RED ONIONS, SAGE, CRANBERRIES, & PISTACHIOS
I love baking this beautiful veggie stuffing in a pudding bowl—it looks amazing and will get everyone really excited when you bring it to the table. It’s open to the introduction of different nuts and dried fruits, so feel free to mix it up.
SERVES 8
2 HOURS
PLUS COOLING
1 small butternut squash (2 lbs)
2 red onions
olive oil
1 pinch of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 whole nutmeg, for grating
1 bunch of fresh sage (1 oz)
1¾ oz unsweetened dried cranberries
1¾ oz unsalted shelled pistachios
1 lb stale bread
1¼ cups reduced-fat (2%) milk
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash the squash, then carefully quarter it lengthways and remove the seeds, placing the squash in a roasting pan, skin-side down. Peel, quarter, and scatter over the onions, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil, add the cinnamon, ground coriander, and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, finely grate over half the nutmeg, then toss together. Roast for 40 minutes, then remove from the oven. Pick and roughly chop the sage leaves with the cranberries and pistachios, toss with a light drizzle of oil, then scatter over the squash and onions. Roast for another 5 minutes, then remove and leave to cool.
Tear the bread into a bowl, pour over the milk, and leave to soak for a few minutes. Squeeze out any excess milk, then pinch and tear the bread into the pan of cooled veg. Using your hands, really squash and squidge everything together with another pinch of sea salt and black pepper until well mixed.
Line a 6-cup pudding bowl with a scrunched-up sheet of wet, oiled parchment paper (or you can use a baking dish to give you a greater surface area for a crispy top, if you prefer). Pack in the stuffing and drizzle with 1 more tablespoon of oil, then cover with parchment paper, tying it in place with string. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, or until golden and gnarly. Use the parchment paper to help you lift it out of the bowl, then confidently flip it onto a plate and serve.
* * *
GET AHEAD
Make this in advance up to the stage where it’s ready to bake. You can use 8 oz of this stuffing in your turkey, should you so wish.
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YORKSHIRE PUDS
LIGHT, CRISPY, FLUFFY, AIRY PILLOWS OF JOY
I love making Yorkshire puddings—they’re fantastic with any roast dinner, especially good stuffed with smoked salmon, watercress, and horseradish sauce, and you can even serve them with jam as a fun breakfast element or a naughty treat.
MAKES 12
30 MINUTES
PLUS RESTING
2⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 cup reduced-fat (2%) milk
sunflower oil
Put the flour into a large bowl with a good pinch of sea salt. Crack and beat in the
eggs, then gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. I find Yorkshire puds work well if you let the batter sit a little before cooking, so pour the mixture into a pitcher to make your life easier later, and put aside for up to 2 hours. You can even leave the batter covered in the fridge overnight—just whisk it up well before you use it.
Preheat the oven to full whack (475°F). Pour just under ½ inch of sunflower oil into each compartment of a 12-cup muffin pan—this may seem like a lot of oil, but you’ll leave most of it behind after cooking; this volume is essential to ensure you get a good rise. Pop the pan on a baking sheet to catch any overspill later, then place in the oven for 10 minutes to heat up.
Carefully pull the baking sheet out of the oven with one oven-gloved hand, then, quickly and confidently, pour the batter into the muffin pan compartments—try to avoid dribbling batter between the compartments, as this will only hinder the rise. Slide the baking sheet back into the oven and cook for 16 minutes, or until the puds are dark golden and beautifully risen. Whatever you do, do not open the oven door. Once cooked, drain on paper towel for a moment, then serve right away.
* * *
GET AHEAD
Cook these in advance and they’ll sit really well. If it’s the big-day meal, just after your turkey comes out and before your spuds go in is the best time to cook them, then simply pop the whole baking sheet back into the oven for a couple of minutes to reheat just before serving.
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Incredible
LEFTOVERS
TURKEY RISOTTO
SWEET LEEKS, PARMESAN, PROSECCO, CRISPY TURKEY SKIN, & GRAVY
Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to one of the very nicest risottos on planet earth—it’s oozy, delicate, and super-comforting, with wafer-thin crispy turkey skin, and a well in the middle for your steaming leftover gravy. Amen.