Miguel Angel Jimenez Guide To Cooking The Christmas Turkey

Hey, how are joo? I love the cooking, eh, at Christmas, I always cook the turkey. If joo wan to know to cook the perfect turkey, do this.

Drive berry fast into Malaga to pick up the turkey about an hour before joo are ready to cook it so it comes up to room temperature before roasting. Give it a good rinse then pat it dry with some kitchen paper, joo don want it looking like Rory McIlory’s head eh?

Drizzle the meat with Spangish olive oil, add a few good sprinkles of salt and pepper and then rub this seasoning all over the bird, making sure you get in to all the nooks and crannies. I’n talking about the turkey no my wife eh!

Pull the skin at the neck-end back so joo can see a cavity and push about half of your stuffing inside.  Once done, pull and fold the skin over the opening and tuck it under the bird so it looks nice. I’n still talking about the turkey eh!

Cover the turkey with tin foil then put it in the hot oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 180°c/350°f/gas 4. Cook for about 35 to 40 minutes per kilo. The 5kg bird in this recipe will take about 3 to 3½ hours. That is roughly 4 bottles of Rioja time eh!

Have joor wife check on the turkey every 20 minutes or so and keep it from drying out by basting it with the lovely juices from the bottom of the pan. After 2½ hours, remove the foil so the skin gets golden and crispy.

When the time is up, tell joor wife to get out of the kitchen and take joor turkey out of the oven. If the juices run clear and the meat pulls apart easily, it’s ready. If not, pop the turkey back in the oven to cook for about another 2 glasses of wine. Once ready, cover the turkey with tin foil and a few clean tea towels for about the time it takes to smoke a cuban and let it rest before serving.

Joo are welcome.  Happy Christmas.