Christmas is right around the corner and with that, the promise of delicious Christmas food. The holidays are equated with the wonderful smells of roasting turkey and vegetables—enough to make anyone salivate when thinking about the coming weeks.
Your excitement may be a little dimmer, though, if you’re the one responsible for creating that oh so important meal. Whether this is your first year as host or you’re a seasoned professional (pun intended), this article will provide you with some tips and tricks from the stars on how to cook a turkey for Christmas.
Martha Stewart’s Best Christmas Recipes
No one does Christmas quite like Martha Stewart. From her décor tips to fun DIY crafts and delectable recipes, she is the unofficial Queen of Christmas. So who better to go to for advice on your Christmas turkey dinner?
Stewart’s website is filled with fun and creative recipes to give your Christmas dinner some flair. From the classic roasted turkey to a sweet and savory cranberry glazed turkey and even kale and sausage-stuffed turkey breast (who says you can’t get your kale fix over the holidays?), Stewart provides a variety of recipes sure to satisfy everyone at your dinner table.
These recipes also include directions to create a variety of stuffing, glazes, turkey stock, and even gravies to provide complementary flavors for whichever recipe you choose. With exciting ingredients and interesting methods, these recipes provide a new take on the Christmas staple everyone looks forward to.
Head over to Martha Stewart’s official website for all the details.
Jamie Oliver’s Easy Christmas Turkey
While Stewart’s recipes promise a fun and flavorful dinner, if you’re a beginner and feeling the pressure of cooking your first Christmas turkey, then Jamie Oliver has an easy and delicious recipe to guide you through what may seem to be a daunting task. The ingredients are simple and readily available at any supermarket, and Oliver keeps the directions casual, expressing the idea that cooking should be a fun and relaxed experience.
The turkey itself is seasoned with olive oil, salt, and pepper – things found in almost anyone’s pantry. Oliver directs you to roast some vegetables with the turkey and includes a simple stuffing recipe as well, meaning you can cook the complete meal all within the time it takes for the turkey to roast.
The best part? All of this takes about three hours (so long as your turkey is the specified 5kg, or 11lbs), so there is no need to wake up bright and early to prepare and get the turkey in the oven.
You can find the complete recipe here.
Whether you are ambitious and planning on trying out a new and exciting recipe like Martha Stewart’s Roasted Turkey Breast and Natural Au Jus with Mushroom, Brown Butter, and Sage Stuffing, or you would rather keep it simple this holiday with Jamie Oliver’s classic Christmas Turkey, both chefs recommend that you let the bird rest for at least 30 minutes after cooking – the perfect time to let yourself rest too! Happy cooking!
Sources:
“Jamie’s Christmas Turkey,” Jamie Oliver website; http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/turkey-recipes/jamie-s-christmas-turkey/, last accessed December 15, 2016.
“18 Christmas Turkey Recipes for a Holiday Feast,” Martha Stewart website; http://www.marthastewart.com/274484/christmas-turkey-recipes#208510, last accessed December 15, 2016.
