Boxing Day Turkey Dinner

Roast Turkey

This year we did our Turkey dinner on Boxing Day, so that we could have the whole family together.  After previous turkey dinners, I think I've honed my family's perfect Christmas turkey dinner...

Turkey Feast

A Boxing Day Turkey Dinner for 8

Roast Turkey

Onion Gravy

Roast Potatoes

Red Cabbage

Cranberry Sauce

Chestnut Stuffing

Bread Dumplings

Christmas Cake

We did all the cooking over a leisurely afternoon, and then sat down and stuffed our faces, hehe!  I've blogged all of these items before, so I'll just show some brief "in-progress" pictures.

Here's our turkey, a 6.3kg free range beauty from Rendinas Butchery.  (They finally have a website!  Those of you who followed me during the Sarah Discovers How to Eat blog will remember that I would buy meat from them all the time).

6.3 kg free-range Turkey

I don't stuff or brine the turkey, but just rub it generously in butter.  (Nigella recommends a maple-syrup basting to help it crisp up, but you don't need that if your turkey isn't damp from brining).  And as you can see from the top picture, the turkey was ridiculously crisp and golden.  Or as my niece described it: "covered in turkey crackling".  And I baste the turkey in beer while it's cooking.  (Apart from adding moisture, it helps make fabulous pan juices for gravy later!)

Buttering up the turkey

The bread dumplings are a Czech recipe, which made their way to Germany.  I've blogged them before, and love making them.

Making Dumplings

Uncooked dumplings

I'm still working on getting my dumplings smooth and pretty, but I'm sure with time and practice I'll get better. (They already look better than last year's attempt!)

Cooked dumplings

You can't have turkey without gravy, and I like a good onion gravy.  This time I sliced the onions very very fine, and cooked them for ages on a low heat, so that once they were combined with flour, marsala, stock and pan juices, they melted into the sauce and didn't need to be whizzed in a food processor.  Super delicious.

Onion Gravy

Then there was chestnut stuffing (cooked in a separate tray)...

Chestnut Stuffing

... red cabbage...

Red Cabbage

... and of course, my specialty, roast potatoes!

Roast Potatoes

All that was left was to carve the turkey...

Carving

... and crack open the champagne!

Dom Pérignon 1996

Thank-you to my cousin Barry for the delicious DP.

We had Christmas cake for dessert, and that was that.

Merry Christmas everybody! Hope you've all enjoyed the holidays!

Roast Turkey

This year we did our Turkey dinner on Boxing Day, so that we could have the whole family together.  After previous turkey dinners, I think I've honed my family's perfect Christmas turkey dinner...

Turkey Feast

A Boxing Day Turkey Dinner for 8

Roast Turkey

Onion Gravy

Roast Potatoes

Red Cabbage

Cranberry Sauce

Chestnut Stuffing

Bread Dumplings

Christmas Cake

We did all the cooking over a leisurely afternoon, and then sat down and stuffed our faces, hehe!  I've blogged all of these items before, so I'll just show some brief "in-progress" pictures.

Here's our turkey, a 6.3kg free range beauty from Rendinas Butchery.  (They finally have a website!  Those of you who followed me during the Sarah Discovers How to Eat blog will remember that I would buy meat from them all the time).

6.3 kg free-range Turkey

I don't stuff or brine the turkey, but just rub it generously in butter.  (Nigella recommends a maple-syrup basting to help it crisp up, but you don't need that if your turkey isn't damp from brining).  And as you can see from the top picture, the turkey was ridiculously crisp and golden.  Or as my niece described it: "covered in turkey crackling".  And I baste the turkey in beer while it's cooking.  (Apart from adding moisture, it helps make fabulous pan juices for gravy later!)

Buttering up the turkey

The bread dumplings are a Czech recipe, which made their way to Germany.  I've blogged them before, and love making them.

Making Dumplings

Uncooked dumplings

I'm still working on getting my dumplings smooth and pretty, but I'm sure with time and practice I'll get better. (They already look better than last year's attempt!)

Cooked dumplings

You can't have turkey without gravy, and I like a good onion gravy.  This time I sliced the onions very very fine, and cooked them for ages on a low heat, so that once they were combined with flour, marsala, stock and pan juices, they melted into the sauce and didn't need to be whizzed in a food processor.  Super delicious.

Onion Gravy

Then there was chestnut stuffing (cooked in a separate tray)...

Chestnut Stuffing

... red cabbage...

Red Cabbage

... and of course, my specialty, roast potatoes!

Roast Potatoes

All that was left was to carve the turkey...

Carving

... and crack open the champagne!

Dom Pérignon 1996

Thank-you to my cousin Barry for the delicious DP.

We had Christmas cake for dessert, and that was that.

Merry Christmas everybody! Hope you've all enjoyed the holidays!