With the countdown to Christmas day in single digits, our mind is firmly on the most anticipated part of the big day – tucking into a delicious dinner fit for a royal banquet.
There’s something so special about the tradition of Christmas dinner and having the whole family gathered round the table together – a once-a-year rarity that deserves all the hype is gets!
Whether you’re the host, or contributing to a pot luck dinner table laden with dishes from different members of the family, we know how important it is to find mouth-watering recipes that are guaranteed to please all those grumbling tummies.
That’s why we’re teamed up with culinary maestros and former owners of the Michelin starred restaurant L’Ecrivian, Derry and Sallyanne Clarke, and NEFF home appliances to bring you a very special festive cooking series called A Very Derry Christmas.
A Very Derry Christmas with NEFF. Pic: Tom Honan
Filmed in the NEFF inspiration kitchen, this three-part series focuses on all the main elements of Christmas dinner – starters, main course, dessert, and of course, wines (what is Christmas without a little tipple!) and is packed with tips on how to make the perfect dinner.
On today’s menu – the turkey, ham and accompanying sides!
Derry and Sallyanne have broken down the recipes into shopping lists, exact ingredients and method, so even the most reluctant cooks amongst us can serve up an unforgettable five-star meal.
Roast Turkey, Orange & Sage Stuffing
A Very Derry Christmas with NEFF. Pic: Tom Honan
The Shopping List
Whole Turkey
Onion
Butter
Fresh or Dried Sage
Oranges
Fresh Breadcrumbs
Garlic
Carrots
Thyme
Lemons
Ingredients
6/7kg hen turkey
1 onion peeled and diced
300g butter
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh sage
1 orange zest & juice
4 cups fresh white breadcrumbs
1 bulb of garlic cut in half
1 onion sliced in four
2 carrots cut lengthways
2 springs of thyme
1 lemon cut in half
1 litre of water
The Stuffing
1. Melt butter, add the diced onion and slowly cook for 10 min.
2. Add sage, orange and season with salt and pepper, add bread crumbs and remove to cool.
3. Put the stuffing under the breast skin or in tin foil and place in cavity.
4. Put the sliced onion, carrot, orange, lemon, garlic, thyme and water in a roasting tray, place turkey on top.
5. Push skin with some melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Cover tightly with tin foil and place in oven at 160ºC for approximately 3hrs.
6. Remove tin foil, baste turkey and turn oven up to 200ºC or very high for 30 min until turkey is golden brown.
7. Remove turkey from tray, pour off juices and keep.
8. Add a tablespoon of flour and a couple of knobs of butter to roasting pan and stir with a wooden spoon for 1 min to cook the flour, add a glass of red wine or port wine and the cooking juices. Stir until thickened and strain into pot.
Tips
1. Let turkey rest for 20 mins before carving.
2. Baste turkey as often as possible, the more you baste the juicier the meat.
3. Instead of sage in the stuffing you could add chives, thyme or chopped parsley etc.
Honey Glazed Ham
A Very Derry Christmas with NEFF. Pic: Tom Honan
The Shopping List
Ham
Carrots
Celery
Onion
Bay Leaves
Cardamom
Star Anise
Honey
Brown Sugar
Cloves
English Mustard
Ingredients
1 4/5kg center cut ham
2 large carrots peeled and chopped
2 stick of celery chopped
1 large onion peeled and cut in half
4 bay leaves
5g cardamoms
5g star anise
75ml honey
60g brown sugar
20g cloves
20g English mustard
The Method
1. Place ham joint into a large pot and cover with cold water.
2. Add carrots, celery, onion, bay leaves, star anise & cardamoms. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer always making sure the ham is covered with water. Cooking times are 30 minutes per kilo approx. Therefore a 4kg joint should take 2 hours.
3. Remove ham from pot when cooked. Place on a roasting tray. Cut string/twine from around the ham. Trim back the fat to about 1cm and score – i.e. criss-cross the fat evenly to make a nice pattern. Insert cloves into the squares on the fat.
4. Gently brush the mustard over the ham and cloves. Drizzle honey over entire ham and sprinkle with brown sugar.
5. Place Ham in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes basting every 5 minutes until the ham has a golden glaze. If needed keep in the oven until the ham turns golden brown. Remove and leave to cool.
6. You can strain the liquid the ham was cooked in as it makes a great base for soups, stews, etc. and freeze for future use.
As for sides, no Christmas dinner table is complete without brussels sprouts and cranberry sauce so here’s how to make your own from scratch (note, you can work ahead and prepare the sprouts two days before Christmas!)
Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts
A Very Derry Christmas with NEFF. Pic: Tom Honan
Shopping List
Brussell Sprouts
Butter
Tinned Chestnuts
Ingredients
600g brussels sprouts (trimmed and halved)
100g butter
150g chestnuts chopped (tinned or packet)
Bowl of water filled with ice cubes (water bath)
To Prepare
1. Cook the sprouts in salted boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes (do not overcook).
2. Strain and plunge into ice bath. Strain and place in the fridge.
To Serve
1. Melt the butter on a pan. Add the sprouts and chestnuts.
2. Toss regularly until warmed through.
3. Season with salt & pepper. Serve in a serving dish or individually.
Shopping List
Cranberries
Castor Sugar
Star Anise
Cinnamon Stick
Orange
Port
Cloves
Ingredients
500g cranberries
150g castor sugar
2 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
Zest and juice of an orange
100ml port
5 cloves
To Prepare
1. Add sugar to a sauce pot and heat gently. Sugar will slowly caramelise.
2. Add star anise, cinnamon and cloves, orange zest and juice and oort. Reduce slowly until syrupy.
3. Add cranberries and simmer for a further 2-3 minutes until cranberries are soft and popping.
4. Remove cloves, star anise and cinnamon sticks. Pour contents of the pot into a jar and allow it to cool where it will thicken up. Then put a cap on the jar and refrigerate
Want to know which NEFF appliances are best for your kitchen? Book a product consultation at NEFF’s Dublin showroom or visit neff-home.com/ie