oFESTIVE FOODo Preparation is key
Head chef at the BristolMarriott Royal, MartynWatkins offers some expert advice on cooking for all the family this Christmas.
Plan The key ingredient to a stress-free Christmasmeal is to plan it in detail. Create andwrite down amenu that allows you to prepare lots of dishes before the big day. Make sure you have all the right ingredients and equipment (does your turkey fit in your roasting tin?).Organise the shelves in your oven so that everything fits. Bring out your inner Vorderman andwrite yourself a countdown timing plan for the day. Pin it up, tick it off.
Prepare in advance Peel potatoes the evening before and leave overnight coveredwith cold saltedwater. Par cook sprouts – cook themuntil they’re three quarters done and then plunge into icedwater to keep themfresh. Theywill keep perfectly until the next day,when all the sproutswill need is twominutes in boilingwater to finish themoff. Parboil parsnips the day before and then roast themfor 30minutes on the day (brush them with a bit of honey for the last 10minutes of cooking for a great flavour). If you’re serving a starter, get it ready asmuch as possible before you start cooking themain course.
Don’t try to do it by yourself If you knowsomeonewell enough to spend Christmas Daywith them, then you know themwell enough to ask themfor some help. If you tell one of your guests that you think their gravy is the best, then they are likely to be only too happy tomake it.
Space-saving Roast rather than boil asmany of the veg as you can in the same dish in the oven. To createmore roomin your oven, you can also cook potatoes formeat eaters in the same pan as the turkey but, as themeat is resting, put themback in a high oven on a wire rack to crisp themup. Be sure to include family favourites If there is a dish that folks love, try to incorporate it. Christmaswouldn’t be Christmas formy auntwithout cauliflower cheese on the side.
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What about goose? Ianwill be sticking to turkey as usual this Christmas day, but if you like rich flavours youmight like to try a goose instead – although it depends how many you are cooking for, as the yield isn’t as good. If youwant the best goose or turkey
on the table this year your best bet is to order in advance fromyour local
butcher.As an indicator ofwhen to order, PhilipWarrens started taking orders from1stNovember, and the latest date to guaranteewhat you want is 15thDecember.
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MARY BERRY’S ROAST GOOSE
Mary says: “Traditionally, goose used to be the favoured bird to roast at Christmas rather than turkey. Turkey certainly offersmore scope for eating up on Boxing Day, but for a small family gathering a roast goose is a treat not to bemissed. It has a very special flavour. Aswith turkey, youmay need to order a fresh goose in advance.”
1 x4.5–5.5kg oven-ready goose,with giblets reserved for stock
Apple peelings (reserved from making the apple sauce)
Lemon rind and sprigs of sage etc. for the cavity
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the gravy: 25g plain flour 600ml giblet stock
1 Preheat the oven to 220C/Fan 200C/Gas 7.
2 To remove feather stubs fromthe skin of the goose, use the tip of a sharp knife or tweezers. Pull any surplus fat fromthe cavity of the goose and put the apple peelings, lemon rind and sprigs of sage into the cavity. Seasonwith salt and pepper and rub the outside of the goose withmore seasoning.
12 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER
3 Place the goose, breast-side down, on awire rack set in a large roasting tin and roast in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes until brown.
4 Turn the goose so that it is breast-side up, and cook for a further 20minutes until the breast skin is brown. Pour the fat fromthe roasting tin into a heatproof bowl and save for roasting the potatoes. (The easiestway to do this is to lift the rack and goose on to a board, then pour the fat fromthe tin into a bowl. Also check once or twice during the remaining cooking time to see if anymore needs pouring off. )
5 Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/Fan 160C/ Gas 4, and cook for a
SERVES 8
Recipes big day
FOR THE
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