Have you been gripped by a rising level of panic as the big day approaches? Help is at hand as Anthony Worrall Thompson offers us a sneaky insight into how he keeps the Christmas meal a stress-free affair
What's the best variety of turkey to go for this year?
I think Kelly Bronze still comes out near the top. They're generally widely available in supermarkets, but if not just look out for any Bronze.What's particularly good about the Bronze variety?
They've been reared outdoors and have loads of flavour, which is what it's all about. Bronze is a great old-fashioned variety, not what I call the modern 'Dolly Parton' turkey - heavy on the chest as it were - so round it can barely stand up, and pretty tasteless.What are your tips on keeping Christmas eco-friendly?
Go to your nearest farmer's market and buy local. Stick to what's in season; root vegetables are best for the winter and they haven't travelled thousands of miles across the world and lost their flavour along the way. And of course you're saving the old 'food miles'.I'd also advise buying organic where possible. We're pumping loads of chemicals into the soil and losing all the minerals. We've lost loads of selenium out of our soil because of intensive farming. And going organic has its health benefits too. I think our immune systems are being eroded because we're digesting so many chemicals. I've been organic for about ten years and I never get a cough anymore, and that's coming from a smoker (I know that defeats the object, but I'm going to give up)!
But going organic is expensive...
It is more expensive, yes, but it's Christmas and consider it another way of treating yourself.But in general, I always say if you can only afford to go organic on two items, choose milk and chicken. Chicken is the most abused of the species that we consume; they're pumped full of growth hormones and enhancers, fattened up and pumped with water and they only live for 40 days or so.
So yes, it's more expensive, but we're talking £6 for an organic chicken. That's an average of £1.50 a portion and when you compare that to £1.99 for a Big Mac...
What are your tips for a stress-free Christmas lunch?
Do as much as you can in advance. You can do your brandy butter, cranberry sauce, bread sauce and stuffing now and bung it in the freezer and they'll all be fine on the day.Most people have one oven and struggle with coordinating the turkey, potatoes and roast veg. This is my suggestion: cook the roast potatoes for 40 minutes, take them out and then put the turkey in. The turkey needs to then rest for about 20 minutes so in that time you can finish off the potatoes.
And my top tip is to wrap the whole baking tray in foil rather than just the turkey. Sit the turkey on a bed of root veg and throw in some onion, thyme, a couple of cloves of garlic. Pour over a couple of glasses of wine (red or white), and some stock. Wrapping the entire thing in foil reduces your cooking time by about a third.
What methods do you use to cook your turkey without drying it out?
Use a meat thermometer; you can pick one up for about £6. Push it through the thickest part if the thigh, hold it there for five minutes and if it registers 75 degrees that's perfect because at that temperature you will have killed all harmful bacteria and your turkey's safe to eat. And you'll have a nice juicy breast and your brown meat will be cooked as well.And some chefs - I won't mention names but Gordon Ramsay is one - actually remove the legs and cook them separately which for me spoils the whole idea of turkey, and it's not necessary either.
Another tip is don't stuff the whole cavity as that makes it cook from the outside. Keep the cavity empty so you've got the heat penetrating the centre of the bird. Stuff from the neck end and you can make little turkey balls wrapped in pancetta with the excess.
How do you cook the perfect roast potato?
Use a floury variety like King Edward, cut them lengthways and boil them for ten minutes. Drain and dry them slightly over a dry heat in a colander. Toss them vigorously in a bit of seasoned flour so that the edges start to break up a bit. Put them flat-side down in about half an inch of dripping and baste the round side. Cook for 40 minutes at about 220C and turn once. Then cook them dry for another 20 minutes. This should give you a wonderfully crispy outside and a fluffy middle.Do you think it's possible to stick to a diet over Christmas?
Difficult. I always say choose a cold starter, and something light because the average member of public consumes up to 7000 calories on Christmas Day. If you imagine that's nearly four days' allowance, that's a lot of calories.And if you can't fit the Christmas pudding in, save it for Boxing Day. Steam it up ahead of time and stir it into some softened vanilla ice-cream with a splash of brandy for a wonderfully light dessert.
Will you be cooking your own Christmas dinner this year?
Yep! I even find myself doing the cooking when I go to other people's houses. I'm a sucker for it.Antony Worrall Thompson has worked with BacoFoil to create top tips for the perfect Christmas dinner with minimal stress. These can be found on BacoFoil products, available in all good supermarkets nationwide.