Home Australia Nigella Lawson reveals rather unusual secret to the ‘perfect’ Christmas turkey – and it involves leaving it outside… under a skateboard

Nigella Lawson reveals rather unusual secret to the ‘perfect’ Christmas turkey – and it involves leaving it outside… under a skateboard

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Nigella Lawson has shared her strange secret to having the Christmas turkey

Nigella Lawson has shared her bizarre secret to having the “perfect” Christmas turkey this festive season.

The culinary queen, famous for her wry sense of humor and hands-on approach to cooking, surprised her fans when she revealed her peculiar method of leaving meat out under a skateboard.

In a recipe email to his fans, Lawson shared his best tips for a delicious Christmas roast, while emphasizing the importance of brining the bird.

But there was one strange detail in his email that caught his readers’ attention.

Nigella advised leaving the turkey out for several days before cooking to achieve more tender meat.

He added that he places the bird in a pot in his garden with his son’s skateboard on top to protect it from the foxes’ hunger.

The chef said that before she had a garden, she used to leave it next to an open window in her kitchen, causing her family to almost freeze to death.

He added: “That means everyone freezes, but who am I going to put first: my turkey or my family?

‘In the garden, if you’re lucky enough to have one, it would be fine too, although the pan should be well covered – if I have a bucket or container outdoors, I cover it twice with tinfoil and then put it on. My son’s skateboard on top to prevent foxes from looking for food.

Nigella Lawson has shared her strange secret to having the “perfect” Christmas turkey this festive season

In an email with the recipe to his fans, Lawson shared his best tips for a delicious Christmas roast, while emphasizing the importance of brining the bird.

In an email with the recipe to his fans, Lawson shared his best tips for a delicious Christmas roast, while emphasizing the importance of brining the bird.

The culinary queen, famous for her wry sense of humor and hands-on approach to cooking, surprised her fans when she revealed her peculiar method of leaving meat out under a skateboard.

The culinary queen, famous for her wry sense of humor and hands-on approach to cooking, surprised her fans when she revealed her peculiar method of leaving meat out under a skateboard.

In the newsletter’s recipe, titled Super Juicy Spiced Roasted Turkey, Lawson described how soaking the bird in a subtle, savory blend of spices for “a day or two” tenderizes the meat and increases its flavor.

Nigella added: “And, although it’s hard to believe without seeing it, a raw turkey covered in brine, with its oranges, cinnamon sticks and spices scattered about, looks so beautiful while soaking that I can never help but lift the lid.” for a quick and happily reassuring look.

“You just have to try this method to be completely convinced,” he wrote.

The process involves soaking the turkey in a salty, lightly spiced solution for an extended period to allow for a more succulent final flavor and texture.

The turkey tradition seems to have been well received by fans, with many saying they followed his brining method every year.

The 64-year-old has gained legions of followers from her first cookbook How to Eat in 1998 to 2020’s Cook, Eat, Repeat and its accompanying TV shows.

It comes as Nigella Lawson gave her opinion on whether to cater to picky eaters this Christmas.

We all know that Brussels sprouts are a pretty divisive vegetable, but if someone doesn’t like them, does that mean you have to serve them something else? The answer is no, at least not according to Nigella.

“At Christmas I ignore picky eaters,” the 64-year-old cook, author and TV sensation said in an interview with Good Housekeeping.

‘The thing is, obviously if you have them with you for two weeks then you have to take them into account. But if you come just for Christmas dinner, you won’t starve if you don’t eat everything on your plate.’

“There’s a lot to do during Christmas and I think it’s a bit rude for people to start saying, ‘oh, I can’t eat that’ or ‘oh, I won’t eat that.'” There is always enough to eat. And, frankly, so you can keep going until the next meal.

Nigella’s Super Juicy Spiced Roast Turkey

INGREDIENTS:

For the brined turkey:

  • 1 large orange or 2 smaller ones (quartered)
  • 250 grams of Maldón salt (or 125 g / ½ cup of table salt)
  • 3 tablespoons black peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
  • 2 tablespoons allspice berries
  • 2 tablespoons white mustard seeds
  • 2 onions (unpeeled and quartered)
  • 1 6-centimeter piece of fresh ginger (unpeeled and cut into 6 slices)
  • 4 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 4 tablespoons liquid honey
  • stems of 1 bunch fresh parsley

For the drizzling glaze:

  • 75 grams of goose fat (or butter)
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup

METHOD:

Place the water in your largest pot or a clean bucket or plastic container. Squeeze the juice from the orange quarters into the water before discarding the peels, then add all the other ingredients, stirring to combine the salt, sugar, syrup and liquid honey.

Remove any strings or carcasses from the turkey, shake it off, remove the giblets, if they’re not done yet, and put them in the refrigerator (or immediately start preparing the broth for the gravy), then add the bird to the liquid, covering with more water if It is not completely submerged.

Keep it covered in a cold place, even outside overnight or up to a day or two (and see introduction) before cooking, remember to remove it from its liquid (and dry it with kitchen paper) 1-2 hours before. It has to go in the oven.

Please read the important note below and preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C, gas mark/fan 6/400°F.

Slowly melt the goose fat (or butter) and maple syrup over low heat. Brush the turkey with the glaze before roasting it in the oven and baste it periodically throughout the cooking time.

Roast for 2½ hours. When you think it is ready, pierce the turkey with the tip of a sharp knife where the body meets the leg, and if the juice runs clear, it is cooked; If they are still pink, cook them longer until they come out clear or use a meat thermometer.

Then remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest, covered with foil, for 20 to 40 minutes or even longer if you like, like I do.

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