Tis the season…
Feasting forms an essential part of Christmas celebrations. Whether you’re in Puerto Rico dining on roast suckling pig (lechón); in Portugal serving up codfish and boiled potatoes (Consoada), or in the UK looking forward to turkey and mince pies, festive food brings us all together with a satisfying feeling of familiarity, comfort and home.
Turkey brine
makes 10 litres
Peel of 2 lemons
Peel of 2 oranges
2 tbsp black peppercorns
5 large garlic cloves, crushed
Handful of bay leaves
Handful of rosemary
Handful of sage
200g muscovado sugar
750g salt
10 litres water
Method
1. The ratio of the brining solution we use is 75g salt and 20g sugar per litre of water.
2. Boil 2 litres of the water and dissolve the salt and sugar in the liquid. Allow to cool before adding the further 8 litres.
3. Combine the rest of the brine ingredients in a container large enough to hold your turkey. Gently submerge the turkey into the brine, ensuring the whole bird is immersed in the liquid. Refrigerate and leave for at least 24 hours.
4. Remove from the brine, pat dry, and prepare for roasting; lightly oil and season the skin. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh and cook in a pellet grill (we used the Traeger Timberline 1300) at 180°C until meat probe temp reaches 74°C.
Tip: Do not discard the lemons and oranges. Cut them in half, place on the grill flesh side down, char and use as decoration for your finished turkey.
Pigs in blankets
8 good quality chipolatas
8 rashers smoked streaky bacon
Serves 4
Method
1. Wrap 1 rasher of bacon around the entire length of 1 chipolata and repeat the process for the remainder.
2. Grill over indirect heat or in your pellet grill for approximately 20 minutes, turning frequently, until the bacon is browned and the internal temp of the sausage is 72°C.
Roast potatoes
1kg floury potatoes such as Maris Piper, peeled
5 tbsp goose or duck fat
Maldon Sea Salt to serve
Method
1. Cut the potatoes into large chunks.
2. Boil in a large pan of salted water for 10 minutes or just until the outside of the potato begins to soften. Drain well and allow to dry for 5 minutes. Return to the saucepan and shake to roughen up the outsides.
3. Preheat your chosen grill (we used Primo Grill XL) to 200°C indirect.
4. Put the fat in a shallow roasting tin and place in the preheated grill. Allow to heat up until the fat sizzles when a small cube of bread is dropped into the hot oil.
5. Add the potatoes to the hot fat, turning them so they are well coated.
6. Cook until browned and crispy (approx 40 minutes).
Note: We found the ceramic grill very forgiving and opened it several times to turn the potatoes with no detrimental effect, resulting in perfectly fluffy crispy roast potatoes.
Roast parsnips
500g parsnips, peeled and cut into batons
30g butter
1 tbsp maple syrup
Method
1. Boil the parsnips in salted water for 5 minutes, then drain well.
2. Arrange in a baking tray a drizzle over melted butter and maple syrup. Turn in the melted butter so they are well coated.
3. Roast in the grill for 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned.
4. Serve with an extra drizzle of maple syrup, and, if you like, chopped toasted pecans for an extra crunch.
5. These were cooked at the same time as the roast potatoes, indirect.
Brussels sprouts, bacon and chestnut mash up
400g Brussels sprouts
1 onion, finely diced
Handful of cooked chestnuts (such as Merchant Gourmet), chopped
100g streaky bacon, chopped
Serves 4
Method
1. Boil the Brussels in salted water until cooked through. Drain and lightly crush with a fork.
2. Sauté the onion and bacon on the grill over direct heat until the bacon is crispy.
3. Add the Brussels and chestnuts to your pan, stirring until throughly heated.
Roasted rainbow carrots with garlic and honey
400g carrots
Few cloves of garlic, unpeeled
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of honey
1. Toss the carrots and several whole unpeeled cloves of garlic in olive oil in a roasting pan and season. Place onto the grill, indirect heat, at 200°C, turning often until lightly charred and soft.
2. To serve, squeeze the soft middles from the garlic cloves onto the carrots, mix well and drizzle with a little honey.
Cranberry sauce with Cointreau
200g fresh cranberries
100g sugar
150ml water
Good glug of Cointreau
1. Place a cast iron skillet on the grill, direct heat (we used the Hellrazr Yama; it works perfectly for this sauce).
2. Add the cranberries, sugar and water to the pan and simmer gently until the berries start to break down. It is very easy to see the perfect consistency of the sauce.
3. Finish off with a good glug of Cointreau and simmer for a couple more minutes. Allow to cool before serving.
Sausagemeat, sage and onion stuffing
1 onion, diced
15g butter
1 small apple, finely diced
70g wholemeal breadcrumbs
400g sausagemeat
Small bunch fresh sage, finely chopped
Method
1. In a cast iron pan direct on the grill soften the onion and apple in the butter, add the sage and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the grill and allow to cool.
2. Lightly toast slices of bread on the grill; allow to cool. Whizz into crumbs in a food processor.
3. In a large bowl combine the sausagemeat, onion mix and breadcrumbs, mixing well and season with salt and pepper.
4. Transfer the stuffing to a lightly oiled, heatproof dish in a layer, or, alternatively, shape into balls. Cook at 200°C indirect heat for 30-40 minutes.
Tip: Stages 1-3 can be made the day before and placed in the fridge.
All of the cookware supplied by genware.co.uk | Grills – Traeger timberline 1300 | Primo Grills XL | Hellrazr Yama