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FOOD
making carbs count
GOLDEN RULES
Making the most of Christmas turkey
How to know which
turkey offers the best
quality?
Only the highest quality turkeys are
awarded the Golden Turkey® Quality
Assurance mark. This ensures freerange,
traditional breeds of turkey
which are grown to maturity to the
highest welfare standards. Golden
Turkeys are always dry plucked and
game hung according to tradition.
This is how turkeys have been
prepared for centuries and for good
reason. This hugely improves the
flavour and texture of the meat and
provides that all important golden,
crispy skin after cooking.
There are 40 turkey farms across
the UK which meet the stringent
Golden Turkey assurance standards
and supply their high quality turkeys
directly to the public from the
farm or from quality farmshops
and butchers.
How to cook it?
Golden Turkey accredited farmer
and chairwoman of the Traditional
Farmfresh Turkey Association Kate
Martin advises how to get the most
from your turkey at home. She says,
"A high quality turkey does not need
complicated cooking and preparation
processes. You don't need to brine,
baste or cover your turkey in butter
or bacon in order to achieve a good
flavour and tender meat. Because
a Golden Turkey is mature, dry
plucked and game hung, it only needs
very simple cooking to bring out its
incredible flavour.
"My top tip is to cook your turkey
breast side down to start with as the
white meat cooks quicker than the
dark leg meat and wings. This keeps
the juices in the breast and prevents
it from becoming dry. If your turkey
is trussed, it is best to remove the
string before cooking to allow the air
to circulate and more even cooking.
For this reason, we don't recommend
stuffing the main cavity as it can
stop the turkey cooking evenly and
properly. You can place an apple or
peeled onion in the cavity instead for
added flavour
"Take the turkey out of the fridge
two hours before cooking. This
means more even cooking all the way
through and a juicier bird. There is
no need to cover your turkey in foil.
In a high quality bird, the layer of fat
under the skin will keep the meat
moist. By leaving the bird uncovered
you allow the turkey to develop that
beautifully golden, crispy skin
"After cooking, allow the turkey
to rest for 30-60 minutes but do
not cover! The bird continues to
cook even when it is out of the oven
and covering the bird can result
in the meat becoming dry and
overdone. It can also result in soggy
skin. A Golden Turkey should have
golden skin!"
What to do with
leftovers?
To help you make the most of your
Christmas day turkey, TV Chef Rachel
Green teamed up with the farmers
at Golden Turkeys to provide some
brand new delicious ways to enjoy
leftover turkey. Cooked turkey is
the ideal leftover ingredient. It is
versatile and can be eaten cold
or reheated.
To find your nearest accredited
farm or stockist visit www.
goldenturkeys.co.uk