Cook a sumptuous Christmas spread where each recipe uses ingredients you can count on one hand
recipes BARNEY DESMAZERY photographs JONATHAN GREGSON
Christmas Day menu
Burnt lemon & thyme butter turkey crown, p12 Roast garlic make-ahead gravy, p12 Smoky paprika & herb roast potatoes, p14 Mini maple & mustard pigs in blankets, p14 Honeyed hasselback carrots, p16 Simple sweet & sour slow-cooker red cabbage, p16 Fruit & nut stuffing, p18 Shredded carbonara sprouts, p18 Croissant bread sauce, p16 Cranberry, orange & rosemary sauce, p18
When cooking for a big celebration, the temptation is always to throw lots of ingredients at it. That’s fine for a showstopping recipe, but when you’re creating a menu, it can result in stress and clashing flavours. This Christmas spread is designed with ease in mind, as each dish is made using just five ingredients, along with storecupboard staples such as oil, butter, salt and pepper. The main ingredients shine and the dishes all complement one another. Confident cooking is knowing when to hold back, but fewer ingredients also means less shopping, less stress and less expense, which is never a bad thing.
Burnt lemon & thyme butter turkey crown
Charring the cut sides of the lemons adds a smoky note that transforms the flavour of the turkey here. Plus, the acidity helps keep the lean breast meat wonderfully succulent.
SERVES 6 PREP 30 mins plus resting COOK 1 hr 40 mins EASY
1 lemon, zested and halved,
plus extra lemon halves to
serve (optional)
small bunch of thyme
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or
crushed
75g butter, softened
2 onions, unpeeled,
roughly chopped
2kg turkey crown
1 If you have the time, the day before you want to roast the turkey, heat a frying pan or griddle pan over a high heat and sear the cut sides of the lemon halves for 5 mins until well charred. Leave to cool slightly, then squeeze the juice into a bowl and add the lemon zest. Pick the leaves off most of the thyme sprigs, reserving a few whole sprigs, and add the leaves to the bowl along with the garlic, butter and a large pinch of salt. Mash everything together. Will keep chilled for up to a day. Scatter the onions into a roasting tin, sit the turkey crown on top and season well. Will keep covered and chilled for up to 24 hrs. Alternatively, you can prepare the butter and crown on the day you wish to serve.
2 If you’ve chilled the butter and crown, remove both from the fridge 1-2 hrs before roasting to come to room temperature. Heat
