Best Christmas Food Ever Series Grrrr

[Deleted User]

Just been watching episode 6 of this. They had lots of lovely ideas I've not tried before that I'd LOVE to try. But not many of the ideas are actually recipes on the BBC website. I need quantities lol. Paul Ainsworth (who reports he spent masses of time developing the recipes) talks about cooking the turkey legs separately from the crown, and brining the turkey beforehand, with spices, to introduce flavours and moistness. I do have my own way to cook a turkey so it is moist but though this might be a really good alternative to try.

But brining a turkey is something I haven't heard of before. Again, I need quantities. Its too late to discover I got it wrong Xmas day.

Looked online, not many recipes either.

So frustrated - any ideas anyone - someone who brines a turkey, or who can give me a link to a useable recipe?

Going to see if I can complain to Paul Ainsworth as well. I really want to do this, but won't if there's a risk it will go wrong. It sounds like a good idea.., but need a recipe. So many Youtube recipes are actually quite yuk (done by people who want to be on Youtube rather than actually producing edible food lol).

I've messaged Mr Ainsworth on his facebook page for his Restaurant at Number 6. Will update.

Surely i can't be the only person who has no clue how to brine a turkey?

Apparently there are 54 cooking suggestions on this programme but only 20 recipes on the website. Hmmm.

Looks like however good it looks on a TV programme, I won't be cooking his recipes in real life. Do chefs ever think of things like this?

unrecordings

Annoying food !!!!!!, and just downright lazy I think. Do you ever watch The Food Network on Freeview ? The Pioneer Woman seems to have some good tips:

https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/my-favorite-brine-of-all-time/

Gers

Not sure that actual quantities matter too much. My internet browsing brought up loads of info and recipes, just water and salt unless you want to add flavour (which suggests that the bird is a bit bland.

Some say it's good to do with others saying there's very little point!

One recipe: https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/gallery/how-to-cook-a-turkey

Brine recipe:

1 part salt to 5 parts water – make enough to immerse the whole bird in liquid. Add some aromatics into your brine to flavour your turkey. For example, juniper, rosemary, thyme, cinnamon, all spice, sage, garlic and citrus fruit peels. Bring salt and water to a high temperature on the stove to dissolve salt – don’t boil or simmer! Add all aromats you wish and leave to cool. Remove giblets from bird and take a cloth and clean the inside of your turkey. Put the turkey into a snug deep pot and pour cool brine all over, immersing the bird. Leave in fridge for 12-24 hours. Remove turkey from brine and dry thoroughly with a cloth. For a crisp skin, allow turkey to air dry in the fridge for a further 24 hours with a loose cover over the turkey. For every 500g of bird weight, cook for 20 minutes.

Brine your bird for 12-24 hours – this helps to keep the bird moist during cooking.

Penguin_

Nigella's is very good.

bouicca21

Brining a turkey seems to be an American import. Don’t understand it myself. Never had a problem cooking one.

PasturesNew

A lot of these programmes are about selling the book that accompanies the programme, hence why recipes are often elusive.

[Deleted User]

There were some how to articles online but all fairly vague.., and not helpful on spice amounts at all. One actually said don't brine for too long or it will all go mushy.

So no, will be ignoring this particular programme.

BBC - this series of programmes seems to be a waste of time.

Oh dear, there was me thinking it was a new programme, its not, first broadcast last year. What an idiot I was wasting my time watching it. Must have been pushed by iplayer somehow. Not a chef to follow methinks. Thought the female chef was a bit airy fairy!

Sorry, wasted your time too.

VfM4meplse

Sounds like the kind of carp that could keep me entertained at night when I can't sleep. I'm no practical cook but I quite like the tips I pick up.

Not a fan of the Pioneer Woman. I don't find her glutton-like humour funny, and don't understand the lifestyle. How can her family make so much money out of a ranch? And also how come she sends the kids out to do the hard work with her husband whilst she gets to float around the kitchen? I'd really hate to be one of her kids for that reason. The eldest I understand went to a university far away enough not to have to come back for the holidays, probably to avoid exactly that

VfM4meplse

Speaking of carpy TV, did anyone see Mary Berry with the Cambridges last night? I thought the pair came out in a very positive light, they are both nice people and devoted parents. I am no royalist but think they would make good monarchs when the time comes.

Beautiful Kate seems to know her way around a kitchen, but is so ridiculously skinny I wonder of she eats herself. Shoulder blades should not poke out of dress material...I fear for her bones.

unrecordings

Not a fan either, but when I was forced to sit in a chair most of last summer I did get into Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, even though the host annoyed the living bejesus out of me initially

PasturesNew

VfM4meplse wrote: »

Not a fan of the Pioneer Woman. I don't find her glutton-like humour funny, and don't understand the lifestyle. How can her family make so much money out of a ranch? And also how come she sends the kids out to do the hard work with her husband whilst she gets to float around the kitchen? I'd really hate to be one of her kids for that reason. The eldest I understand went to a university far away enough not to have to come back for the holidays, probably to avoid exactly that

I'm not a fan of women who waft around vast kitchens, knocking up enough food to feed an army.

Her kids are 15-22. It's a huge ranch, 433,000 acres - they are the 23rd largest landowners in the United States. The Govt pay them $2million a year to keep some animals on some of the land.

They're loaded. Those "poor kids" are going to be running the ranch in the future, they're "just dabbling" out there really, not being worked like Victorians up chimneys.

This isn't a woman with four young kids farming a few cows on the edge of Yorkshire.