YULETIDE...

Christmas Recipes

Turkey Brine


INGREDIENTS
1 gallon vegetable broth
1 cup sea salt
1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried savory
1 gallon ice water

DIRECTIONS
In a large stock pot, combine the vegetable broth, sea salt, rosemary, sage, thyme, and savory. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to be sure salt is dissolved. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature.
When the broth mixture is cool, pour it into a clean 5 gallon bucket. Stir in the ice water.
Wash and Dry your turkey. Make sure you have removed the innards. Place the turkey, breast down, into the brine. Make sure that the cavity gets filled. Place the bucket in the refrigerator. Remove the turkey carefully draining off the excess brine and pat dry. Discard excess brine.
Cook the turkey as desired reserving the drippings for gravy. Keep in mind that brined turkeys cook 20 to 30 minutes faster so watch the temperature gauge.

Ražanj (spin roasting)

Although somewhat less varied than grilling, the spit also allows for the preparation of many dishes: from small ones for poultry to massive ones for oxen. Spit roasting is common all over the country and is the main feature of catering establishments along the arterial roads, where spits function as a form of live advertising. Most commonly spit roasted are suckling pigs, lambs and, less frequently, kids. This is a very ancient method of preparing food, being imported to these parts from the East. But in the good old days it was not young animals that were spit roasted, because the scarcity of meat dictated that an animal should reach its full adult size before being slaughtered. Traces of this ancient tradition are still seen in Croatia in the custom of spit roasting oxen, particularly for popular festivities. Central parts of the Slavonian region are renowned for their masters of spit roasting an ox. However, folks from certain large villages in Slavonia, such as Gundinci, prefer a heifer since they know from much enjoyed experience that its meat is considerably juicier. Gentle heat and good meat are the keys to every successful spit roast. Bearing in mind that there are practically no spices involved, the genuine quality of meat is necessarily a major factor. Spit roasting is always a slow process, its rotation being slow and steady. It takes an experienced cook to salt an animal for the spit, while during roasting it is basted only with oil, or melted pork fat, and sometimes with stock, wine or beer.

ChristmasTurkey Breast with Honey-Mustard Glaze

Ingredients
1 4-6 pound TURKEY BREAST, fresh or thawed
1/2 Teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 Cup honey
2 Tablespoons Dijon-style mustard

Season interior and exterior of turkey breast with salt and pepper.
In (13 x 9 x 2 inch) roasting pan, place turkey breast on a V-shaped rack. Roast, uncovered, in a 325 degree F preheated oven for 1-1/2 to 2-1/4 hours or until meat thermometer registers 170 degrees F in the deepest part of breast.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine honey and mustard. Brush glaze over breast during final 20 minutes of cooking.
Remove from oven and allow turkey breast to stand for 10 minutes before carving. Enjoy this Christmas turkey recipe

Roast Christmas Turkey

Ingredients
1 quantity of bread and tarragon orange stuffing 4 kilogram turkey2 tablespoon olive oil4 sprigs of thyme, finely choppedsalt and freshly ground black pepper1 large brown onion, cut into 6 pieces1 large carrot, diced2 tablespoon brandy1 cup dry white wine2 cups chicken stock or water2 teaspoon corn flour mixed with 2 tbsp water2 tablespoon chopped parsley, tarragon or basil
You may wish to cover the turkey breast with thin slices of bacon to keep it moister and for extra flavour.Preheat oven to 150°C.Place three-quarters of the stuffing inside the clean, empty cavity of the turkey. Place remaining stuffing in the wishbone cavity under the skin and neck. Truss the thighs with kitchen string to hold the stuffing inside.Mix olive oil with thyme and a little salt and pepper and brush turkey with it. Place turkey on its side on an oven rack placed in your largest roasting tray. Roast in preheated oven for about 45 minutes then turn onto the other side. Add onion and carrot to roasting tray and roast for a further 45 minutes. Turn turkey onto its back, baste with cooking juices and cook for a further 30-40 minutes.Transfer turkey to a large serving dish; cover with foil and leave to rest for at least 15 minutes or until ready to serve.Meanwhile, drain fat from roasting tray and place tray on medium heat on top of the stove. Add brandy and stir with onion and carrot. Add wine and bring to the boil. Add stock, bring to a simmer and simmer for five minutes. Strain sauce into a small saucepan, discarding onion and carrot. Bring sauce to the boil then whisk in diluted corn flour to thicken sauce. Season with salt and pepper and stir in parsley.Detach turkey legs. Thinly slice the breast then cut the thighs and drumsticks into small pieces. Pour a little gravy into a roasting tray. Place slices of turkey breast in tray and top with some stuffing. Then arrange pieces of thigh and drumstick on top. Spoon more gravy over and cover with foil. Reheat in preheated oven at 150°C for about 25 minutes. Enjoy this Christmas turkey recipe.

Christmas Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
1 (15 ounce) can LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 (12 fluid ounce) can NESTLE® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs lightly in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell.
Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 F.; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. (Do not freeze as this will cause the crust to separate from the filling.)
Enjoy this Christmas Pie.

Spicy Pumpkin Pie

2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup milk
For this Christmas Pie, preheat oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together butter or margarine, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat eggs until foamy. Mix flour, brown sugar, white sugar, and milk into eggs. Blend egg mixture into pumpkin mixture. Pour half of mixture into each pastry lined pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and bake an additional 45 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.