The Main Event
BRINED BUTTERMILK TURKEY
INGREDIENTS
Serves 6-8
1 pack fresh thyme
75g butter, room temperature
2 lemons
1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Simply Better Fermented Irish Black Garlic Bulb
2 litres buttermilk
3 tbsp Simply Better Oriel Sea Salt
2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1.9kg Simply Better Heritage Bronze Fresh Irish Reared Turkey Crown
1 pack Simply Better Whiskey Smoked Dry Cured Irish Streaky Rashers
METHOD
1. Strip the leaves from the thyme and finely chop one tablespoon. Grate the rind from one of the lemons and mix into the butter in a small bowl with the chopped herbs and one of the garlic cloves, mashing up with a fork until evenly combined. Cover with clingfilm and put in the fridge until needed, then leave at room temperature to soften up again before using.
2. Put the buttermilk into a turkey roasting bag with the salt, pepper and remaining garlic. Thinly slice the lemons and add with the rest of the thyme, stalks and all. Mix all the ingredients together and add the turkey crown. Remove any excess air to make sure the turkey is fully immersed, then tie the bag securely and place in the salad drawer at the bottom of the fridge for at least 24 hours, but up to two days is best.
3. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 190C (375F/Gas Mark 5). Remove the crown from the brine and drain off any excess liquid, then pat the skin dry with kitchen paper. Gently loosen the neck flap away from the breast – a scissors can help with this – and pack the flavoured butter under the skin. This is best done using disposable gloves on your hands. Rub the butter into the flesh of the turkey as well, then re-cover with the skin and secure with a few toothpicks or sew with fine twine. Cover the top with the rashers.
4. Place the prepared turkey crown into a roasting tin, then into the oven – you can calculate the cooking time at 20 minutes per 450g, plus 20 minutes. This size will take approximately an hour and a half, so it cooks much quicker than a regular turkey. Make sure to keep basting the crown and cover with foil if it’s browning too quickly. Remove the bacon for the last half an hour if you like crispy skin.
5. When cooked, remove the turkey from the oven, cover with foil and leave to rest for at least 20 minutes. Drain away the cooking juices and add to your gravy. To serve, carve the turkey crown into slices and arrange on warmed plates with a selection of your favourite accompaniments.
SPICED MANGO GLAZED HAM
INGREDIENTS
Serves 8-10
22kg Simply Better West Cork Unsmoked Gammon Joint
1 onion, peeled and sliced
2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
1 tbsp black peppercorns
30 whole cloves
3 tbsp Simply Better Irish Wholegrain Mustard
2 tbsp Simply Better balsamic vinegar
1 jar Simply Better Handmade Spiced Mango Chutney
METHOD
1. Rinse the ham with fresh water and place in a pan of boiling water. Add the onion, celery and peppercorns. Bring to a simmer over a low heat and cook for two hours. Leave to cool in the liquid.
2. Preheat the oven to 200C (400F/Gas Mark 6). Remove the ham from the pan and place in a baking tin. Using a sharp knife, cut off the skin, leaving the fat on top, and score diagonally into a diamond pattern. Pour around 500ml of the cooking liquid which will help to keep the joint moist.
3. Press the cloves into the ham and then combine the mustard, balsamic vinegar and chutney in a bowl. Spread over the ham and roast for 30 minutes, basting regularly, until cooked through and nicely glazed.
4. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour, covered loosely with tin foil before slicing and serving.
MUSHROOM STRUDEL
INGREDIENTS
Serves 4-6
2 tbsp Simply Better Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 packs Simply Better Irish Organic Shiitake and White Beech Mushrooms, sliced
Simply Better Oriel Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
1 carton Simply Better Organic Butter Beans, drained
1 jar Simply Better Italian Mushroom & Truffle Sauce
1 pack Simply Better Irish Farmhouse Ardsallagh Goat’s Cheese
1 pack Simply Better Ready to Roll All Butter Puff Pastry thawed
Plain flour, for dusting
1 Simply Better Free-Range Corn Fed Egg, beaten with 1 tbsp milk
METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and sauté the garlic for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, then season and sauté for another 3-4 minutes until all the liquid has evaporated. Add the butter beans and toss to combine. Pour in half the jar of the mushroom and truffle sauce and cook, stirring until warmed through. Season to taste and leave to cool and then break in lumps of the goat’s cheese. Cover with clingfilm and chill. This can be made up to two days in advance.
2. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 200C (400F/Gas Mark 6). Cut the pastry in half then roll out each piece onto a lightly floured board into large rectangles – one 30cm x 18cm and the other 30cm x 20cm. Put the smaller rectangle on a baking sheet lined with parchment and then spoon on the mushroom mixture and brush the edges with egg wash. Carefully fold the other piece in half and make cuts into the pastry to form a pattern, then use to cover the mushroom mixture. Secure the edges with a fork and brush with the egg wash. Bake for one hour until golden brown.
3. Transfer to a carving board and cut into slices to serve. Warm the rest of the mushroom and truffle sauce, pour into a small jug and serve alongside the strudel.
CATHAL MCBRIDE’S PAIRING RECOMMENDATIONS
This is what it is all about; your toil and effort providing the main event on the Christmas dinner table for the whole family to enjoy. A perfect centrepiece requires a perfect wine and if Burgundy is beyond your budget, pinot noir is most definitely still your friendly companion. The New World expression Tiki Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021, €17.50, from North Canterbury in New Zealand is a special wine, made using Burgundian methods and aged for 12 months in French oak barriques. Its cranberry flavours would make it an ideal companion with these mains.
