Stocking up for Christmas: Talking turkey

When it comes to Santa's helpers, Nigel Crane, Dorchester trained chef and managing director of professional stock and gravy maker Essential Cuisine, is one of the heavy hitters. Essential is sponsor of this year's Sunday Lunch Pub of the Year Award at The Publican Food & Drink Awards, and Nigel understandably has strong views on the need to treat a roast dinner with respect, especially at Christmas.

"It is still one of the most important meals of the year and woe-betide humbugs who disagree," he says.

"There's nothing worse than a bland, miserable looking Christmas roast with watery, tasteless veg, which can, in all honesty, put customers off eating in pubs over the festive period."

Nigel offered pubs his inside track on producing the perfect Christmas meal>

The bird: Cooking a turkey must be done with great care and attention. I remember mum - or was it dad? - putting the turkey in the oven at around 1am and cooking it overnight for about 10-12hrs, getting up in the middle of the night to baste the bird, which was as big as the oven.

Needless to say, when I went off to catering college, I realised my parents' error. With the new combi ovens and following the standard cooking instructions, a chef's aim should be to achieve minimum weight loss, whilst maximising taste and texture.

Cooking the bird on each of its breasts and finally on its back now comes down to pure preference. However, in a standard oven, it is still advisable as it keeps the breast meat moist. Stuffing the bird with oranges, lemons and the like seems a bit wasteful to me as I'm not convinced of the benefits, but if it makes you feel good, stuff away.

The stuffing: Unless you are going to make a big song and dance about it and present the bird at the table, filling the bird's neck cavity with stuffing is not to be recommended.

Use a good, pork sausage meat and then start adding your festive ingredients. Sweat off the onions, lemon zest and garlic in butter with sage, rosemary and thyme. Add fresh breadcrumbs and mix well. Allow to cool before adding the sausage meat and, if necessary, an egg to bind. Finish off with chopped apricots, perhaps some nuts.

The best way to achieve perfect portion control is to make big, chunky stuffing sausages in well-buttered double tin foil. Roast in the oven, turning regularly. If you make your stuffing slightly sharp and zesty, it works so much better with the turkey.

The sprouts: As with most large dinners, the veg is going to be cooked in advance so, once prepared, cook your Brussels in well-salted boiling water until just done. Refresh in ice cold water, but do not leave them in there - just enough time so that the Brussels are cold. Drain well and arrange in a suitable dish, season and clingfilm.

For something a little special, saute your Brussels in butter, cinnamon and nutmeg just before serving.

The tatties: The type of potato you use for your Christmas roast is important. King Edward and Maris Pipers are my favourites as they have a light, floury texture, perfect for roasties. Remember, fluffy, light and crispy roast potatoes need blanching before roasting and, once blanched, drain well and return to the saucepan, making sure all water has gone.

Put a lid on the pan and give it a brisk shake to fluff the outsides of the potatoes and add the roasting oil from the turkey. If you haven't got any, vegetable oil will do. Put the lid back on and give them another shake. This is a much better way of coating the potatoes with oil rather than adding the potatoes to a hot roasting tray, then trying to turn the potatoes as they slide up and down. Finally, empty tatties into a suitable roasting tray, season and roast in a hot oven until beautifully golden brown.

The gravy: Cranberry sauce is not my thing, so no comment. However, gravy is ingrained in me as part of the glorious Christmas experience, and must be made with the juices from the turkey. Try to remember, however, that while there is always plenty of juice to go around, you must separate the fat from the tray, as you need that for your potatoes.

Simply deglace the tray with water, adding any roasted giblets or carcass trimmings, and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Strain off into a suitable saucepan and thicken with either flour or a gravy mix for the best finish to a skyscraper of a Christmas feast, groaning with suculent turkey, chipolatas and bacon rolls, veg and all the trimmings. Don't forget to use deep plates as, gravy on you best frock will never do. Merry Christmas!

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