TOP TIPS FOR PREPARING THE PERFECT
Christmas dinner!
T STEP ONE — SOURCING YOUR MEA likely If you’re a meat-eating family, you will the for lar simi g need a turkey or somethin to order best also is It l. mea your centrepiece of know you l your turkey in advance, but not unti can You for. ing cook how many people you are or up ed pick be to it for then either arrange delivered ready for Christmas Eve. ts on a You can even get turkey or other mea check out or hers butc l loca budget, speak to your the best get to liers supp e onlin and supermarkets deal. chicken, If you don’t want turkey, you can use like. you t mea r othe any or duck, pork, beef options free t mea zing ama e som also are e Ther you who on the market these days for those of as. istm Chr n vega or n want a vegetaria sure to know For those of you doing turkey, make ing for — cook are exactly how many people you nd and no arou go to gh enou that way you’ll have e. excess wast depending Here’s an idea of what size you’ll need ts. on the number of gues 4-6 people – 3kg 8-10 people – 4kg 10-12 people – 5kg 12-14 – 6kg 16-18 people – 8kg meat that Some shops also sell smaller cuts of smaller for l idea — weigh between 1 and 2kg gatherings. ber of While it is important to take the num r you teve wha sure guests into account, make check and oven your e insid choose will also fit offer es plac e Som . have you ge stora h how muc are h whic s frozen turkeys or other meat joint have you sure e mak so al, usually more economic a ng havi re you’ If er! freez your in enough room it store to need fresh bird or cut of meat, you will ! able avail e spac gh in the fridge, so keep enou
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Making Christmas dinner can be one of the most stressful aspects of the day, especially when it is your time to cook or you’re in charge of the turkey for the first time. Here are some top tips for a memorable meal this Christmas.
STEP TWO — PREPARING THE MEAT If you go for a turkey, when you get it home or choose to defrost it, make sure to remove the giblets if they haven’t already been taken out and wash the cavity before starting to cook. To calculate the exact time you’ll need to cook your meat you need to know the exact weight, for instance, for those cooking turkey in a preheated oven, you will require 20 minutes cooking time per kg plus an extra 70 minutes. So, a 5kg turkey will need to cook for around 2 hrs and 50 minutes and then be left to rest before serving. Everyone likes to cook in different ways so make sure to take these processes into account when getting ready. For instance, those that want to marinate their meat will need to allow a different amount of time to those that are cooking with bacon or vegetables on top. Also remember what time you are planning to serve dinner to know when to get started. When it comes to creating something as large as a Christmas dinner, you will need to cook it for the correct time for its size. Too little and the meat is inedible, too much and it will be dry and tough.
