Christmas Cooking Guide

VIEW OUR CHRISTMAS VIDEOS

Let Melbourne chef, Adrian Richardson, talk you through our best cooking tips. Click on each link to view the videos:

• How to get the perfect pork crackling
• How to cook a turkey breast fillet
• Glaze, carve and keep your ham
• How to cook the perfect roast turkey

Tips for Turkeys:

• If using a conventional oven (without fan) increase temperature to 180°C.
• After removing turkey from oven, increase fan forced oven temperature to 180°C (200°C for conventional oven) to finish roast vegetables.
• Note:  A turkey without stuffing will take slightly less time to cook.

Whole Turkey

1. Preheat your oven to 160°C fan forced
2. Stuff turkey with desired stuffing (if required)
3. Brush top of turkey with olive oil, salt and pepper (lemon juice can also be rubbed into skin for an added flavour)
4. Cover turkey with foil and place in oven dish with a cup of chicken stock or water
5. Turkey will take approximately 35-40 minutes per kilo to cook
6. Baste the turkey with pan juices every half hour during cooking
7. Remove turkey from the oven with 30 minutes of cooking time remaining and carefully remove the foil
8. Return to oven and cook until skin is crisp and golden brown
9. Probe between breast and leg with skewer to make sure juice is clear (If pink, cook for slightly longer)
10. If using a meat thermometer, ensure internal temperature reaches 70° C
11. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes before carving

Turkey Buffet ON THE BONE

1. Preheat fan forced oven to 160°C
2. Brush top of turkey with olive oil, salt and pepper. (Lemon juice can also be rubbed into skin for an added flavour.)
3. Cover turkey buffet with foil & place in oven dish with a cup of chicken or vegetable stock or water
4. Turkey buffet will take approximately 35-40 minutes per kilo to cook
5. Baste the turkey with pan juices every half hour during cooking
6. Remove turkey from the oven with 30 minutes of cooking time remaining and carefully remove the foil
7. Return to oven and cook until skin is crisp and golden brown
8. If using a meat thermometer, ensure internal temperature reaches 70° C
9. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes before carving

Turkey Breast Fillet with stuffing

1. Preheat fan forced oven to 160°C  
2. Brush top of turkey fillet with olive oil, salt and pepper  
3. Cover turkey fillet with foil & place in oven dish with a cup of chicken stock or water added
4. Cook the turkey fillet allowing 30 minutes per 500g. Or until internal temperature reaches 70°C
5. Remove foil with 30 mins remaining and return to oven to allow the skin to crisp and turn golden brown
6. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes prior to serving.

Half Turkey boned with stuffing

1. Preheat fan-forced oven to 200°C
2. Brush top of turkey with olive oil, salt and pepper
3. Cook for 20 minutes at 200°C
4. Reduce oven to 160°C, cover with foil and cook for 35-40 minutes per kilo or until internal temperature reaches 70°C
5. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes prior to serving

Turkey Paupiette

1. Preheat fan-forced oven to 200°C
2. Brush top of turkey with olive oil, salt and pepper
3. Cook for 20 minutes at 200°C
4. Reduce oven to 160°C, cover with foil and cook for 35-40 minutes per kilo or until internal temperature reaches 70°C
5. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes prior to serving

Trio Poulet

1. Preheat fan-forced oven to 200°C
2. Brush top of trio poulet with olive oil, salt and pepper
3. Cook for 20 minutes at 200°C
4. Reduce oven to 160°C, cover with foil and cook for 35-40 minutes per kilo or until internal temperature reaches 70°C
5. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes prior to serving

WHOLE GOOSE

1. Preheat fan-forced oven to 200°C
2. Brush top of goose with olive oil, salt and pepper
3. Cook at 220°C for 15-20 minutes
4. Reduce oven to 160°C and cook for 2 hours and 30 minutes - 3 hours, basting every half hour
5. If skin is browning too quickly, cover with foil
6. Probe between breast and leg with skewer to make sure juice is clear
7. If using a meat thermometer, ensure internal temperature reaches 70° C
8. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes before carving

Whole Duck

1. Preheat fan-forced oven to 200°C
2. Brush top of duck with olive oil, salt and pepper
3. Cook at 220°C for 15-20 minutes
4. Reduce oven to 180°C and cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes, basting every half hour
5. If skin is browning too quickly, cover with foil
6. Probe between breast and leg with skewer to make sure juice is clear
7. If using a meat thermometer, ensure internal temperature reaches 70° C
8. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes before carving

WHOLE duck Boned and seasoned

1. Preheat fan-forced oven to 170°C, place duck in a baking dish
2. Cook for two hours or until internal temperature reaches 70°C
3. If the top is browning too rapidly, cover with foil for the remainder of the cooking time
4. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes prior to serving

FREE RANGE Pork

Loin or Rack

1. Rub a little salt and oil into the rind
2. Cook at 200°C-220°C for 15-20 minutes
3. Lower heat to 180° C
4. For a rack allow 50 minutes per kilo or until centre temperature reaches 70° C
5. For a loin drop the temp to 160 allow 60 minutes per kilo or until centre temperature reaches 70° C

Glazed Ham

• 1 large leg of ham
• ½ cup of brown sugar
• Approximately 25 cloves
• 1 ½ cups of orange marmalade
• 4-5 tablespoons of additional brown sugar

Method

1. Place leg into a large baking dish.
2. Bake at 160°C for ½ - 1 hour or until skin (rind) can be easily removed without tearing.
3. Cut diamond shapes into surface of ham and rub lightly with ½ cup brown sugar and place a clove into the centre of each diamond.
4. Bake at 200°C for 15-20 minutes or until cuts open slightly.
5. Remove the ham from the oven.
6. Heat marmalade with the additional 4-5 tablespoons brown sugar in saucepan until frothy.
7. Allow to cool slightly. Pour evenly and gently over ham. If necessary, touch up edges of the ham with a pastry brush.
8. Decorate as desired.