The turkey breast was moist and wonderfully tender, the braised turkey leg was unctuous and utterly sublime, the roasted vegetables perfectly done, the fried bread stuffing was both rich, fruity and slightly crunchy and the turkey gravy was quite historic. The creamed sprouts, chipolata and cranberry sauce completed the meal.
It was yummy, and further proof that those people who don't like turkey, don't know how to cook it.
CHRISTMAS FACT
I'm sure your turkey was very nice. Sometimes completely unchallenging blandness is just what one needs. I congratulate you on your success with the bird.Quote:
Originally Posted by World's End Stella
Next time, if you fancy tasting something, try a goose.
I've done goose before. Confit'd the legs and used the carcass and innards for a gravy. Both were utterly delicious.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir C
The problem - as with duck - is the breast. It's just unpleasant no matter how you cook it.
And no man - and I mean no man - could taste my braised turkey legs and claim they were bland. They were superb.
Was pretty lazy so popped down to my local Lebanese restaurant....a nice bunch...even got the belly dancers out...they don't sell alcohol (something about their religion) but they were more than happy for me to bring to a bottle of Krug.
I guess it's like a normal day for them innit...
Did you have Shawarma, t? I'd have loved Shawarma for Christmas dinner.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tony C
Easy WES. Charlie is the undisputed éminence-gris of cuisine on AWIMB but I think you have him a little rattled. Try telling him his omelette technique is flawed and he'll postitively fire a tirade of rich anglo-french bric-bats your way.Quote:
Originally Posted by World's End Stella
If I served you an omelette correctly baveuse, you'd shÃ*t yourself and ask for it to be cooked. :-(Quote:
Originally Posted by Herbette Chapman - aged 15
nice bit of beef. lovely.
I would have loved a bit of shawarma too tbh.
A good rib of beef is definitely the way to go for Christmas if you ask me. It's delicious, everyone likes it, you can have Yorkshire puddings with it and it isn't fücking turkey - all the things you need. It seems genuinely bizarre on the biggest feast day of the year to choose to eat something that isn't as nice as roast beef just because it's sort of traditional. Fück that imo. Next year I'm having beef - and all the years after that.Quote:
Originally Posted by IUFG
I'll buy a Bernard Matthews frozen turkey crown for anyone who insists on turkey. It's all the fückers deserve.
I did a rib of beef on christmas day. I overcooked it. Just a little, but enough to sadden me severely.Quote:
Originally Posted by Burney
It was lovely, especially as sister's husband and in-laws did all the hard work and we just brought the cheese, crackers and port. I was able to sit down and just get smashedQuote:
Originally Posted by World's End Stella
Easily done with rib, though, isn't it? Last year I picked up a rib for flumpence in Tesco that had clearly been a cancelled Christmas order. It was still attached to the bone, but only at the base, so it acted as a cradle for what was - in effect - several côtes de boeuf . I have no idea what this way of butchering the beast is called, but it makes it a doddle to roast and carve, so if you chat to your chum Dennis, I'm sure he'd happily oblige.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir C
Do you mean chined?Quote:
Originally Posted by Burney
I may do. I'm happy to eat meat, but have little or no idea how it works :shrug:Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir C
I got a new filleting knife for christmas and I'm keen to play butchers with it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Burney
Hmmm. You realise it's a skilled profession, of course? And that means that you will fûck up several pieces of perfectly good meat before you attain any degree of competence?Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir C
That said, I've always fancied having a go at a carcass, myself. You can buy half a dead sheep for nothing.
Well I joint chickens and ducks and geese and fillet fish to a reasonable standard, so hacking up some lumps of flesh, taking a little care... it might not be perfect but it's unlikely to be a complete fúck up.Quote:
Originally Posted by Burney
was fore rib indeed mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
I hit that stuff pretty hard on christmas, I aint gonna lie. My dinner companions said they were "proud of me." :-)Quote:
Originally Posted by Burney
Yes, I don't know whether it's better to start small or big? What sort of thing were you thinking of?Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir C
Might be worth practising on the more forgiving (cheaper) cuts? Bone a pork belly, bone and butterfly a shoulder of lamb, that sort of thing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Burney
I'll wear the latex gloves, of course, lest my fingers take on that raw meaty smell.
Speaking from experience, boning out a pork belly is a significant pain in the hole. Have never butterflied a shoulder of lamb, but have done a leg of lamb, which is a comparative doddle. Basically, I think the trick is to know the shape and whereabouts of the bone(s)Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir C
before you begin rather than just hacking away by feel.
I imagine this advice also applies to surgery.
We have beef and ham on the 27th, typically, when the rest of the family arrives. Turkey on the 25th, the 26th is all about leftover turkey, cheese and loads of nibbly bits which require virtually no cooking. Then ham roasted with mustard and brown sugar and a joint of ribeye slow roasted medium rare with bone marrow sauce, roasties, yorkshires etc on the 27th.Quote:
Originally Posted by Burney
You see, in the WES household our palates are distinguished enough that we can appreciate a wide variety of textures and flavours in no small part because we cook them correctly. :-)
The problem with rib of beef is that the bits outside the eye aren't very nice and it's a bugger to carve the thing.Quote:
Originally Posted by IUFG
Much better just to get a boned joint of sirloin, ribeye or even wing rib. Stick a thermometer in it and cook it at 60C until it's about 57C internally. Make gravy or red wine sauce or whatever tickles your fancy separately.
Easy to prepare, easy to cook, easy to carve and you can spend the additional free time getting hammered. :nod:
Jesus Titty Christ. What you want is baby food, basically.Quote:
Originally Posted by World's End Stella
Says the man who prepares meat for roasting while wearing white rubber gloves. :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by Sir C
Latex, you ignoramus.Quote:
Originally Posted by World's End Stella
Gay.As.F*ck.Either.Way. NTTAWWITQuote:
Originally Posted by Sir C
And whilst you may be prepared to offer your holiday guests all the unpleasant bits around the eye whilst bathed in sweat from the appalling effort required to carve the bloody thing, some of us insist on our guests receiving a more sophisticated offering.
Latex my pasty white arse.