
Good Cook
It has been said that I am a good cook. I think that I can produce some delicious meals with the help of my friends Jamie, Gordon and Delia. They have taught me a great deal in recent years and I have to mention the good grounding I got at home with my mother and grandmother who taught me the basics of pastry making, gravy making and the essential for all good northern women, the Yorkshire pudding.
Bad Cakes
I have never mastered cake making and the only woman who helps me with that is Bettie Crocker. And now that I am reminiscing about people who have helped my cooking skills along the way I have to mention Maurice. He is not a famous chef just a bloke I shared a house with for a year or two. The way I cook spag bol, beef stew (not so much of the white cabbage these days) is down to him, oh and OXO.
Turkey
But the way I cook the Christmas turkey is the Gary Rhodes way. One day I happened upon the said Mr Rhodes on the telly giving me the secret of the best way to cook the Christmas turkey. I taped it and have watched it every Christmas morning, just to refresh my memory, for the last 10 years. Its a winner every time and now, dear reader I am about to give you the knowledge.
Method
Once it is defrosted (don't think for a minute it is possible to buy a free range fresh turkey in Hong Kong). And while we are on the subject for those of you in Hong Kong, who actually have an oven, get your bird from the frozen butcher behind Steamers in Sai Kung. Mine was $177 for an 11 pound bird. Top tip - take out the giblets BEFORE cooking ( I speak from experience). Boil these up for the gravy.
The oven should be high for the first two hours - cover the bird with foil, for the last hour remove the foil so it gets a lovely golden brown.
Protect the Breast
The key is to protect the breast. I cannot stress this enough. Protect the breast. Gary showed me how to protect the breast and I've never looked back. Did I mention protect the breast - don't let it dry out.
Prise the skin away from the meat on the breast so it makes two pockets on top of the bird. Use at least 4 dessert spoons of butter and push it into the pockets between the skin and the meat. Really push your hand deep inside, underneath the skin. As you do this it will ease the skin away from the breast meat but be careful not to tear the skin. Once the butter is under the skin you can press it down, from the outside, to spread it over the breast. You can also add some herbs at this point, Jamie suggests balls of stuffing under the skin too.
Then use many many strips of streaky bacon to cover the whole of the bird including the legs. Do not scrimp on this bacon as this will stop the breast drying out in the cooking process. Lay the strips over the breast and make sure you lay it so it overlaps the previous piece. Its a bit like roofing. Leave no part of the breast or legs uncovered. A few thin bits randomly placed is not good enough. Remember, protecting the breast is key.

Stuff it
Stuff the
neck end with the stuffing of your choice. I use paxo and I am prepared
for a sharp intake of breath at this point. I don't make my own
because, frankly, I don't really like it but I put it in because its
traditional. Then sew up the flap of skin.. Don't put too much in or
it will burst out. If you can't bear the sewing you can just fold the
skin underneath or even stick it withtoothpicks.
Foil it
Place foil loosely over it, cook in the oven for prescribed amount of time. My 12 pounder will be in for about four hours and during that time I will be basting it regularly to protect that delicate breast. My turkey baster was bought from Pantry Magic in Sheung Wan.

Take the foil off for the last hour.
Sausages
You can also put sausages wrapped in bacon in the tray around the turkey during the cooking process. They will soak up the turkey and butter flavour and be yummy. I know that some people are passionate about the choice of sausage. I am not a purist when it comes to sausages. Walls pork are good enough for me.
Once it's cooked, and you can check this by stabbing into the meatiest part through the leg meat and into the body, the juices should run clear, if there is any blood then put it back in for a bit more. It will be OK as long as that breast is still covered in the bacon and you give it a good coat of the melted butter and other yummy juices from the tray.
Hot Gravy
Let it rest out of the oven for at least half an hour before carving. It can be longer. It doesn't really matter if it cools because your gravy will/should be piping hot.
You can make the gravy from the juices that run off as well as the liquid from the boiled up giblets, although a word of warning, it could be quite fatty what with all that butter. Spoon off the fat as much as you can before adding to your gravy. The turkey baster is jolly useful for this process.
Veg
Roast potatoes, roast parsnips, and cranberry sauce are essential as well as any other vegetable of your choice.
Do I need to say that it is essential to have Brussel sprouts? Whether you like them or not you just have to have at least one on Christmas Day otherwise its just not Christmas proper.
I have also just done a quick search on You Tube for tips on cooking turkey. There is no one like Gary so take no notice of them!
Enjoy the whole process and eat while wearing a silly paper hat from the cracker whilst laughing at the joke
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