Some Chef Tips for Easier Holiday Cooking

Bill Jones is a chef, author and food consultant based on Deerholme Farm.

Holiday cooking should be all about sharing food with friends and loved ones. Sometimes it’s a little stressful coordinating all the elements of the dinner and making them ready all at the same time. Years of cooking and catering have taught me it is great to have a plan and design the meal so the work is spread out over time – not just the minutes before serving. Here are a few tips to make a typical turkey feast go a little smoother.

Keep it simple. Sometime the best thing about cooking for your family is honoring the traditions of the past. Just buy the best products you can afford and try to make things old school. Maybe it’s not the best to time experiment and try new recipes. If you are confident – fine, if not then keep with the greatest hits of past dinners.

Roast turkey is better when you add flavourful liquid to the roasting pan. I like using local apple cider (like Merridale Traditional) but you can also use pressed nonalcohol cider (1 liter should work). Add chopped carrots, onions and celery to the pan and cover with liquid. Place the bird on top and transfer to a 180 Celsius oven. The liquid braises the bird and the steam helps keep the whole bird moist – plus it makes excellent gravy.

If the skin is browning too quickly, cover the top of the bird with a sheet of tinfoil, this will keep the breast moist and slow down the cooking process. The general rule of thumb is to cook for 20 minutes per pound. For the best results however, use a thermometer and cook to around 165 Celsius. Check at the thighs (usually the slowest area to cook). Remove the turkey from the pan and place on a platter. Cover the whole bird with tinfoil and allow to rest for at least 15-20 minutes.

Gravy doesn’t have to be intimidating. Reduce the cooking liquid from the turkey by placing the roasting pan over a stove burner (or element) on medium heat, stir constantly as the liquid reduces, leaving fat and browned vegetables behind. Thicken with flour until the mixture comes together in a paste, thin with stock or water until a smooth pouring consistency is reached. You can either strain out the vegetables or you can puree them into the sauce with a