By Heston Blumenthal
Updated:
His Hidden Orange pudding has been the hit of this year’s festive treats, selling out in days. Here, exclusively for the Mail, Heston Blumenthal gives his guide to the perfect Christmas dinner.
The perfect roast: Heston Blumenthal gets busy in the kitchen
ROAST TURKEY
Serves 6, with leftovers
Prepare: 20 minutes, plus brining
Cook: 3–4 hours (40mins/kg), plus resting
Ingredients
4–4.5kg free-range turkey
800g salt
200g unsalted butter, at
room temperature
3 onions, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
3 leeks, sliced (white and pale
green parts only)
50ml dry white wine
15g rosemary
15g thyme
Method
1. Chop the wing tips off the turkey and reserve for the gravy.
2. Brine the turkey on Christmas Eve by mixing the salt and 10 litres of water in a clean container and stirring until the salt has dissolved. Submerge the turkey in the brine, cover with a lid or foil and leave in a cool place for at least nine hours or overnight.
Remove the bird from the brine and submerge it in cold water for one hour, changing the water at 15-minute intervals. Dry the turkey well with kitchen paper.
3. Preheat the oven to 210c, fan oven 200c, gas mark 6. With clean hands, work the skin away from the flesh of the bird and rub 100g of butter between the skin and the flesh, being careful not to tear the skin. Rub any remaining butter over the skin of the bird. Season with salt and black pepper.
Set the bird on top of the onions, carrots and leeks in a roasting tin; add the wine and cook in the oven for 30 minutes to colour the skin.
4. Melt the remaining 100g butter in a pan and add the rosemary and thyme.
5. Reduce the oven temperature to 130c, fan oven 120c, gas mark ½. Baste the turkey with the herb butter and cook until the thickest part around the neck or thigh reaches 70c (you’ll need a probe thermometer). Continue basting every 45 minutes (when the butter gets used up, use the cooking juices in the roasting tin to baste). This should take three to three-and-a-half hours, depending on the size of the turkey and the type of oven.
It is important to check that the turkey is cooked by cutting into the thickest part (between the breast and thigh) to be sure that none of the meat is pink, and the juices run clear.
6. Remove the turkey from the oven and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes before carving. Reserve the pan juices and vegetables for making the gravy.
Per serving 560kcals/8g carbs/6g sugars/38g fat/20g saturated fat/2.6g salt
ROAST POTATOES WITH GARLIC AND ROSEMARY
Serves 6
Prepare: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 40 minutes
Ingredients
1.25kg large maris piper potatoes, peeled
150ml olive oil
8 garlic cloves, bashed with the flat side of a knife
15g rosemary
15g thyme
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C, gas mark 4.
2. Cut the potatoes into quarters, put them into a bowl and place under running water for five minutes to wash off the starch.
3. Cover the potatoes with water in a large saucepan, bring to the boil and cook until very soft; drain carefully and leave to cool in the colander.
4. Pour the olive oil into a roasting tray large enough to hold the potatoes in one layer, then add the potatoes and garlic. Stir to coat and cook in the oven for about 1 hour, turning every 20 minutes.
5. Add the rosemary and thyme to the pan and return to the oven for 15–20 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown and crisp all over. Drain on kitchen paper and season with salt.
Per serving 290kcals/29g carbs/1g sugars/19g fat/2.5g saturated fat/trace salt
GLAZED CARROTS WITH THYME
Serves 6
Prepare: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Ingredients
750g carrots, peeled and sliced into thick, diagonal chunks
140g unsalted butter
2 tsp caster sugar
4 thyme sprigs, leaves only
Method
1. Put the carrots and butter into a wide-bottomed pan over a low heat; sprinkle over the sugar and some salt and pepper. Make sure the carrots form a single layer on the bottom of the pan.
2. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time to ensure even cooking. Add the thyme leaves and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes until tender and glazed.
Per serving 224kcals/12g carbs/10.5g sugars/20g fat/13g saturated fat/trace salt
BREAD SAUCE
Serves 6
Prepare 10 minutes
Cook 10 minutes, plus infusing
Ingredients
4 slices white bread, crusts removed
1 small onion, peeled
7 cloves
290ml whole milk
1 bay leaf
10 white peppercorns
quarter tsp freshly grated nutmeg
30g unsalted butter
2 tbsp double cream
Method
1. Put the white bread in a food processor and blitz to fine breadcrumbs. Weigh out 55g and discard the excess.
2. Stud the onion with the cloves, then put it in a small saucepan with the milk, bay leaf, peppercorns and nutmeg.
Put the pan over a medium-low heat.
3. Once the milk is warm, remove the pan from the heat and allow the milk to infuse for 20 minutes. Strain, return to the pan and add the breadcrumbs, butter and cream.
Warm gently over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Season with salt before serving.
Per serving 157kcals/16g carbs/3.5g sugars/9g fat/6g
CRANBERRY AND CARAWAY STUFFING
Serves 6
Prepare 10 minutes
Cook 35 minutes
Ingredients
280g unsalted butter
7 slices white bread,
crusts removed
50g dried breadcrumbs
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, diced
1 tbsp groundnut oil
200g sausagemeat
60g cooked chestnuts, chopped
60g dried cranberries
8 sage leaves, finely chopped
15g parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp caraway seeds
140ml brandy
100ml chicken stock
1 egg, beaten
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180c, gas mark 4. Melt 250g butter in a saucepan and heat gently until it goes brown and smells nutty, then strain through a fine sieve. Set aside 175g of the strained butter (keep any remaining to use another time).
2. Dice the bread slices and combine with the breadcrumbs in a large bowl.
3. In a small frying pan, melt 15g butter; add the onion and cook on a low heat until soft. Add the celery and remaining 15g butter and cook for 10 minutes, then add to the bread mixture.
4. Increase the heat, add the groundnut oil to the pan and cook the sausagemeat until browned, breaking it into evenly sized pieces as you go. Add this to the stuffing with the chestnuts, cranberries, sage, parsley and caraway seeds, then return the pan to the heat. Pour in the brandy and boil vigorously for 1 minute so the alcohol evaporates. Scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
5. Combine 125g of the brown butter with the brandy and chicken stock and mix with the stuffing. Season with salt.
6. Stir through the beaten egg (the mixture should be very moist) and spread on to a parchment-lined baking tray so that it is 1.5cm deep.
7. Cook in the oven for about 20 minutes, then remove and set aside until ready to serve (this can be made the day before).
8. Slice the stuffing into rectangles, about 5cm x 7cm. Fry in batches, using 1 tbsp of the remaining brown butter for each batch, until golden brown all over.
Per serving 624kcals/27g carbs/4g sugars/44g fat/24g saturated fat/ 1.8g salt
SMOKED SALMON co*ckTAIL
Makes 8 co*cktails
Ingredients
¼ iceberg lettuce, finely shredded
50g Heston from Waitrose Vanilla Mayonnaise
100g Horseradish Sauce
25g Heston from Waitrose Ponzu Dressing
1 packet of Heston from Waitrose Tea Smoked Salmon, finely chopped
A squeeze of lemon
50g salmon roe
1 tbsp coriander seeds, toasted in a pre-heated oven at 170˚C for 2 minutes.
Method
1. Mix the vanilla mayonnaise with the horseradish sauce and ponzu dressing and add the chopped salmon. Add a squeeze of lemon and stir to combine.
2. Place the salmon roe in a sieve and gently run it under a cold tap until the water runs clear.
3. Put a little shredded lettuce in the bottom of the shot glasses, fill the rest of the glasses with the chopped salmon and mayonnaise mixture. Garnish the top with a layer of rinsed salmon roe and sprinkle with three or four toasted coriander seeds.
