Roast crown of turkey with sage and onion stuffing.

To test if the turkey crown is cooked, pierce the thickest part with a long clean skewer or knitting needle. If the juices run clear, it's ready. If it’s a little pink, then return it to the oven and

cook it a little longer. I prefer to use a free-range or organic bird for this special occasion.

SERVES 6–8

  • 75g (3oz) butter, softened
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • finely grated rind of 1 orange
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 x 5kg (11lb) turkey crown
  • 6 rindless smoked bacon rasher
  • FOR THE STUFFING:
  • 75g (3oz) butter
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh sage
  • 50g (2oz) pine nuts, toasted
  • 175g (6oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • FOR THE GRAVY:
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 300ml (½ pint) chicken stoc

    TO SERVE:
  • Christmas ham with sticky apricot and
  • ginger glaze
  • Brussels sprout, red onion and bacon
  • crumble
  • warm wild rice salad with sour
  • cranberry sauce
  • roasted carrots with garlic and parsley

1 Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F/gas mark 5).

2 To make the stuffing, heat a frying pan and melt the butter. Add the onion and sage and cook for a few minutes, until softened but not coloured. Add the toasted pine nuts, then stir in the breadcrumbs, mixing well to combine. Season to taste. Wrap the stuffing in buttered tin foil and mould into a large sausage shape, then chill until needed.

3 Next, prepare the turkey crown. Cream the butter until very soft, then add the crushed garlic, orange rind, parsley and thyme. Beat well until thoroughly blended. Gently loosen the neck flap away from the turkey breast and pack the flavoured butter right under the skin – this is best done using gloves on your hands. Rub well into the flesh of the turkey, then re-cover the skin and secure with a small skewer or sew with fine twine. Finally, cover the top of the crown with the rashers.

4 Place the turkey crown in the oven and calculate your time – it needs 20 minutes per 450g (1lb) plus 20 minutes, so a 5kg (11lb) crown will take 4 hours and you’ll need to put the stuffing in for the last half an hour. The turkey crown will cook much quicker than a whole turkey, so make sure to keep basting it. You can cover it with foil if it’s browning too quickly. When cooked, cover with foil to rest for 20 minutes and keep warm.

5 To make the gravy, skim all the fat from the cooking juices, then pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the juices from the roasting tin. Stir the flour into the pan residue and cook on the hob, stirring over a low heat until golden. Gradually pour in the stock, stirring all the time. Bring to the boil and let it bubble for 2–3 minutes, until thickened. Season to taste and keep warm.

6 To serve, carve the turkey crown into slices and arrange on warmed plates with the slices of cooked stuffing, glazed ham, Brussels sprout, red onion and bacon crumble, warm wild rice salad with sour cranberry sauce and the roasted carrots with garlic and parsley. Pour the gravy into a warmed gravy jug and hand around separately.

Christmas ham with sticky apricot and ginger glaze

A traditional ham is the perfect choice if you’ve got hoards of visitors to feed, so it’s especially good to have over the festive period. A certain crowd pleaser, it tastes equally good served hot or cold. Have you ever wondered what the difference is between ham, bacon and gammon? Bacon is cured pork and gammon is a hind leg cut of bacon, and once this particular cut is cooked, it’s called ham. Any leftovers from this ham can be used in countless other dishes – even the bone will make a wonderful stock.

SERVES 10–12

  • 1 x 5.25kg (11½lb) leg of gammon
  • (on the bone)
  • 4 celery sticks, roughly chopped
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 5cm (2in) piece of root ginger, sliced
  • 1 small bunch of fresh thyme
  • 1 tbsp black peppercorns
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 2 star anise
  • 1.5 litres (2¾ pints) cider
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • FOR THE GLAZE:
  • 175g (6oz) good-quality apricot jam
  • or conserve
  • 100g (4oz) light brown sugar
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 4 star anise
  • 4 pieces of preserved stem ginger, cut
  • into small matchstick-sized strips

1 Although gammon is less salty nowadays, it’s still a good idea to soak it. Place the gammon in a large pan and cover with cold water. Leave to soak for at least 6 hours (or overnight is best), then drain.

2 Preheat the oven to 120°C (250°F/gas mark ½).

3 Use a large, deep roasting tin with a rack that’s big enough to hold the ham. Put the celery, onions, fresh ginger, thyme, peppercorns, cloves and star anise in the tin and pour over the cider, then put the rack on top. Sit the gammon on the rack and cover with a large tent of foil, sealing it well. Put on the hob over a high heat and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes, then transfer to the oven. Cook for 12 hours or overnight – you can now leave it for 1–2 days before finishing the recipe. Alternatively, leave it to rest and cool down for at least 30 minutes.

4 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4).

5 Now make the glaze. Put the apricot jam or conserve in a small pan with the sugar, lemon juice and star anise. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, then add the stem ginger and simmer for 3–4 minutes, until reduced to a thick glaze, stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn’t catch at the bottom. 6 Carefully peel away the skin on the ham, leaving the layer of white fat intact. Using a sharp knife, score the fat diagonally to make a diamond pattern, being careful not to cut into the meat.

7 Rub the ground ginger all over the ham, then brush over all but a couple spoonfuls of the glaze, distributing the stem ginger strips and star anise evenly over the top of the ham. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until golden and sticky. Remove the cooked ham from the oven, transfer to a serving platter and leave to rest for 15–20 minutes.

8 To serve, carve slices from one side of the ham, cutting diagonally to achieve an even thickness. When you reach the bone, insert the knife at a flatter angle and slice across the top of the bone. Turn over the leg to carve slices from the other sides. Use as required.