Christmas and how to treat a turkey

Over here BY the Tower, (its popping on its Christmas best) life has changed quite dramatically and the changes are ongoing. Stay tuned for what’s ahead- maybe just maybe, those dreams of living in Normandy and writing that cookbook are looking a little less like an unsurmountable mountain to climb. And more like a distinct possibility.

But whilst I start to nurture my dreams and start to see the fog clearing on the road ahead, there was the staff Christmas party. This annual shindig is like walking a fine line between my cheffie ambitions versus the crowd’s hunger for a festive Christmas spread. The hits and memories of Christmas are after all terrifically important. No turkey or ham would incite mutiny from the 60+ guests aching for the comforting tastes of their collective childhood Christmases.

So I gave into nostalgia and ordered 12kg of turkey ( 2 huge happy birds) and an 8kg ham. Given logistical constraints, I normally just reheat and glaze a precooked ham and chose to do that again this year- highly recommended, it works! Then it was down to choice of vegetables - I went with Brussel sprouts, heirloom carrots and parsnips, roast potatoes, salads and a small touch of Australia with a prawn and mango salad. Oh and gravlax with a fennel and grape salad which had people coming back for more. And asking for the receipe (see below) There was a farandole of desserts including a pavlova (of course), Eton mess presented in a vase, mango and passionfruit trifle, a cherry and chocolate bread and butter pudding and a date and walnut cake. And because it’s Paris, a cheese board.

Growing up in Tasmania, my memories of Christmas and the foods we ate were very different to yesterday’s spread. As the daughter of Dutch immigrants, we had a lot of traditional Dutch dishes, such as huzaren sla, a dutch meat and potato salad, decorated with tinned asparagus,boiled eggs, cornichons and slices of tomato.. It was a 1970’s masterpiece ! Boiled beef is mixed into a roughly mashed potato and lashings of mayonnaise, popped into a serving dish and decorated with the above! Well that is how my Mum made it. I never touched the asparagus, in fact I didn’t eat fresh asparagus until I started cooking professionally, such was life back then in Hobart. My favourite food memory though was my lovely father making my siblings and I breakfast in bed, fried eggs and bacon and a glass of orange juice. For me a Christmas treat indeed ! I always sigh with pleasure at that memory.

But back to yesterday’s festivities. Because I didn’t grow up with the turkey tradition, I always follow the inimitable Martha Stewart re the turkey and cook to her instructions. The birds are brined overnight and then dried the next day and placed into the fridge so the the skin dries out ensuring a super crispy skin when baked. One was stuffed with a chestnut, pear and sage stuffing and the other with lemons and garlic and a bounty of hardy herbs from the rooftop garden. Then I rose before the sun at 5am to warm the birds up before they went into the oven, I shaped the bread and took out the focaccia that was resting overnight. Out came the ham ready to be scored and covered in cloves. It too needed to warm up. I then quickly made two cake aux olives, a French savoury bread made with - you guessed it olives, gruyere and ham and a healthy amount of good quality olive oil. I made one with a fresh goats cheese from the market, the other with bacon. Then it was time for the salads, one romaine, avocado and pomegranate, another super fresh with beans, clementines, almonds, mint and feta.

And then it was 9am and time for those turkeys and ham to get into the ovens. I suddenly realised that the party was happening and the questioning started - had I made enough gravy - yes there was, just! What happened to those sausage rolls wreaths ( thanks Jamie Oliver) that I had made with the Real Emily in Paris who found just enough free time to be my can’t live without assistant? Do I still have enough time to manage the oven to get all the veg cooked and get the bread baked too?

11 30 rolled around and somehow it all fell into place. Emily turned up a little earlier than expected which was a godsend! The dishes were then plated and made their way to the table with probably the least amount of stress possible - and lord knows juggling 10 different dishes at once isn’t a picnic !

The guests ate and ate and plate after plate of turkey and ham, creamed spinach and more left the kitchen. And then Emily really went into best assistant ever mode and finished garnishing all the desserts and made them look - well like Christmas! I finished the lunch with hand made medians ( nothing like a quick lesson in tempering chocolate at the last minute to keep things interesting) and Christmas lunch was done!

Recipe for cured salmon or gravlax

1 side of salmon

200g of salt

200g of sugar

any herbs you have lying around- eg dill, parsley, mint tarragon

spices - eg fennel, coriander, pepper

dried lemons, limes

Beets ( I had one large one in the veg box so used that to give the salmon some Xmas colour )

Method :

Take all of the above and blend in a food processor until well blended. Take this mix and cover the salmon liberally with the mix making sure that the salmon is well covered and generously so. Place in the refrigerator and leave to cure for at least a day to two days before washing off the cure. Pat dry and then generously smear mustard over the salmon. Then place chopped dill over the mustard. Leave for an hour before slicing thinly. Serve with everything from sourdough bread, creme fraiche,blinis or whatever takes your fancy.

Merry Christmas everyone ! I fly home to Australia on Sunday. Next post from Hobart. Cant wait Xx

Kathx