Cooking Instructions

Turkey

Preparation

Remove your turkey from the fridge two hours before cooking so it is at room temperature.
Pre-heat your oven to 190C (375F), gas mark 5. Oven temperatures may vary, adjust temperatures for fan-assisted ovens,
Mix freshly chopped herbs with butter and apply to the turkey breast to keep it moist. Cover the breast, wings and thighs with streaky bacon
Wrap the bird in a double layer of foil with plenty of space for the air to circulate.

Cook

When your oven is up to the optimum temperature, put the turkey on the bottom shelf.
Regularly baste the turkey to retain moisture and remove the foil (and the bacon) for the last 40 minutes of cooking so the skin turns golden brown. Continue to baste.
To check if your turkey is fully cooked, pierce the thickest part with a skewer. If the juices run golden and clear it is ready, if pink continue to cook. Pop up timers can be a useful guide but always use in addition to the skewer test.
Once fully cooked, tip out the juices (keep for the gravy), cover the bird and put in a warm place to relax. Allow to “rest” on a warm plate for around 30 minutes before carving.
Suggested Cooking Times

Oven Ready Weight/Approximate Cooking Time
4 kg (9 lbs) 2 hours 30 minutes
5 kg (11 lbs) 3 hours 10 minutes
6 kg (13 lbs) 3 hours 30 minutes
7 kg (15 lbs) 3 hours 50 minutes
8 kg (18 lbs) 4 hours 10 minutes
9 kg (20 lbs) 4 hours 30 minutes

Suggested cooking times, please note oven temperatures may vary

Goose

Preparation

Preheat oven to 180C, Fan 160C, Gas Mark 4.
Remove giblets and any spare fat from inside the cavity.
Use any spare fat to spread over the legs of the goose.
Weigh the goose to calculate the cooking time which is 30 minutes per 1 kg

Cook

Place the goose on a rack in a large roasting tin then prick the skin all over with a fork and rub a teaspoon of salt into the skin
Cover loosely with foil and place in the middle of the preheated oven.
Carefully pour off the goose fat occasionally. This can be kept to make roast potatoes
Remove the foil for the last 30 minutes of cooking time. When the cooking time is up, lift the goose on to a carving dish, cover with foil and rest for 20 minutes before carving. This retains more of the juices for a more succulent roast
As oven temperatures vary, these cooking instructions are a guideline only.

Leftovers Courtesy of Countryside Online & Miranda Gore Browne, along with customers' specials.

Miranda Gore Browne

Miranda is a food writer, home-baking expert, director of The Kitchen School and passionate foodie. She was also a finalist on the first series of The Great British Bake Off. Miranda has written two books, Biscuit and Bake Me a Cake as Fast as You Can both published by Ebury Press.

Cheats Risotto, Thai Curry, Bubble and Squeak, and Goose Biryani are submissions from our customers.

Can I suggest you check out the wonderful Miranda Gore Browne’s turkey recipes below (and do have a look at her scrumptious cakes and other yummy things too!). She publishes new recipes in the equally brilliant and informative NFU Countryside Magazine every month so please do have a look and be inspired. If you would like further details of her cakes and biscuits, do have a look at Miranda’s website.

Ingredients

50g butter
1 leek, finely chopped
2 rashers bacon, chopped
100g chestnut mushrooms
1 tbsp plain flour
100ml cider or white wine
200ml chicken or turkey Stock
150ml double cream or crème fraiche
800g leftover cooked turkey, shredded
Few chives

Method

Melt the butter in the pan, and fry the leeks, mushrooms and bacon.
Add the flour and cook for about 1 minute.
Gradually add your choice of either cider or white wine and the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 1 minute.
Take off the heat and add the cream, chives and turkey and heat through thoroughly.
Serve with pasta or rice.

Ingredients

600g cooked turkey
65g butter
60g plain flour
350ml milk
150ml chicken stock
225g mushrooms, sliced
1 large leek, finely sliced
2 tbsp creme fraiche
1 tsp Colman’s mustard
Salt and pepper, for seasoning
1 packet ready rolled puff pastry

Method

Melt the butter in a pan, and then add the flour and cook on a low heat for 1 minute.
Gradually add the milk and chicken stock to make a sauce that coats the back of the spoon.
Add the creme fraiche and mustard.
In a separate pan, lightly fry the leeks and mushrooms.
Add the turkey, along with any leftover stuffing you might have, and stir through the sauce.
Pick a dish that the turkey mix will come to the top of, pour in the pie filling, and leave to cool.
Roll out the pastry for the lid, making sure to save some strips to put around the dish on the lip to attach the pastry.
Dampen the lip with water then put the pastry strips around the edge of the dish and then put the rolled pastry on top. Crimp edges and brush with a beaten egg or milk.
Cook at 200 C for about 40 mins. Turn oven down if it is browning too much.

This pie is best served with seasonal British vegetables – click here to find out what is in season.

Ingredients

600g cooked turkey, chopped into big chunks
150g plain yoghurt
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp red wine
4 tsp mild curry paste
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 tbsp apricot puree
300ml mayonnaise
Sliced apricots

Method

Fry the onion in a frying pan, making sure that it doesn’t turn brown.
Stir in curry paste and cook for 1 minute.
Add the wine, tomato puree and squeeze in the juice of the lemon. Let it simmer until it has reduced to about 4 tbsp. Allow to cool.
Add the apricot puree, mayonnaise, yoghurt, sliced apricots and cooked turkey.

Try serving with a rice salad and stirring through a spoon of mango chutney at the end.

Ingredients

350g fresh pasta
200g broccoli, cut into small florets
400g cooked turkey, chunked
175g mushrooms, quartered
4 tbsp sundried tomato paste
80g soft cheese with garlic and herbs
284ml single cream

For the topping:

4 spring onions, finely chopped
85g mature cheddar, grated

Method

Cook the pasta al dente, following the guidance on the packet.
Cook the broccoli for about 5 minutes.
In a separate pan, fry the mushrooms, and then add the sundried tomato paste, soft cheese and cream.
Stir together the pasta, sauce, broccoli and cooked chicken, and pour into an oven-proof dish.
Sprinkle the grated cheese and spring onions on top and bake for 20 minutes at 190 C.

Ingredients

Sour cream pastry:
(This is twice the amount you will need for the pie, freeze the rest for another time)

500g plain flour
Pinch of salt
300g unsalted butter
250ml full fat sour cream

For the filling:

1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 leeks (300g) washed and finely sliced
2 tablespoons of butter
Salt and black pepper
Fresh or dried thyme leaves – a few sprigs
300g roast turkey, shredded into pieces.
150g roast ham,
cut into chunks
3 tablespoons of plain flour
300ml of turkey stock, (or you could use some leftover gravy with some boiling water added or 2 chicken stock cubes with 300ml boiling water)
2 tablespoons of brandy or cognac
1 egg (for egg wash)

Method

Chop the cold butter into cubes and leave to soften for about five minutes.
Whizz or whisk together the flour and salt, use your hands (or the food processor) to rub in the butter until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add the sour cream and whizz again or mix with a knife until it comes together as a dough.
Press into two flat discs, wrap tightly in cling film and chill for at least an hour.
Put the leeks into a deep-sided frying pan or casserole dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, cook until soft. Add a tablespoon of water if they start to go dry.
Add a tablespoon of butter to the pan and stir until melted.
Toss the flour over the turkey and ham, then add to the pan with the buttery leeks.
Stir and after a few minutes add the hot stock (or gravy) and brandy and let it bubble for about five minutes until it is glossy and has thickened.
Preheat the oven to 220ºC/gas mark 7 and put a flat-sided baking tray ready to stand your pie dish on.
Take the pastry out of the fridge and dust with a little flour, I find it easiest to roll it out between two pieces of non-stick baking paper. Roll until about 0.5cm thick. Use a biscuit cutter or bottle lid to cut a few shaped holes in the pastry.
Tip all the filling ingredients into your pie dish.
Brush the top edge of your pie dish with egg and then lay your pastry on top, trim but leave 2cm extra to allow for shrinkage
Use a fork to press around the edges.
Brush the top with egg wash and put into the preheated oven to bake for about 25 minutes or until golden and crisp on top.

Ingredients

Your favourite rice (enough when cooked to half fill a casserole/baking dish)
Leftover turkey/goose/gammon/stuffing (as much as you want to get rid of)
Frozen mixed veg (French beans/carrots/peas/peppers – whatever your supermarket has int he mix)
Condensed chicken soup (Campbells) one or two tins depending on size of dish and whether you have left over gravy to include)
Left over gravy optional
Onion
Garlic
Cheddar (or any left over cheese) enough to cover the dish in the oven
Tomatoes (optional) for decoration

Method

Cook your preferred rice until just done, but with a little bite, drain well
In your casserole dish fry onions and garlic until golden
Add cooked rice and stir in, condensed soup from can (do not thin), left over gravy if using, leftover turkey or whatever, packet of frozen mixed veg (adjust quantity if only serving a few)
When mixed well cover thickly in grated cheese and sliced tomato
Bake for 25-30 minutes in preheated oven until piping hot and cheese has melted and browned

Serve with additional parmesan and tabasco, with fresh bread and salad

Ingredients

Leftover Turkey/Goose/Duck
Jar of red Thai curry paste (green works)
Onions
Garlic (finely chopped, not crushed)
Chillies (optional)
Leftover uncooked vegetables (French Beans, Carrots, Peppers, Broccoli (ideally sprouting), Baby Sweetcorn, Spring Onions cut into thin strips (carrots ideally ribbons)
Can of Coconut milk
Can of Bamboo shoots
Fish Sauce
Lime Juice
Sugar
Coriander leaves

Method

In a hot wok or large pan fry onions for 2 minutes and garlic and chillies for 60 seconds.
Add veg and cook until hot but still al dente.
Add turkey and coconut milk, bring to simmer
Add sugar, fish sauce and lime juice to taste – bring to boil and serve with boiled rice, and garnish with chopped coriander.

Ingredients

Cold meat
Left over veg (inc lots of cooked sprouts)
Onions
Garlic
Potatoes

Method

Boiled potatoes are best, so peel and boil (you can still add left over roasties later) – drain and slice
Meanwhile fry the onions until soft, add the garlic and the newly boiled potatoes. Cooked until slightly coloured.
Halve left over sprouts, slice left over roasties and parsnips, the add along with other leftover veg – peas, carrots or whatever you have. Still well and fry for a 5-10 minutes turning to give all some colour.
remove from heat and press down in pan. Lightly drizzle in oil and place in pre heated oven until piping hot and the veg has taken on a slight “crust”
Serve alongside cold meat and pickles, with an optional fried/poached egg on the bubble and squeak