Food blogger and Sunday Times bestselling author Becky Excel also joins the kitchen with recipes that prove gluten-free Christmas dinners can be easy and delicious.
bread sauce
Serving size: 5-6 people
material
Finely chop 1/3 green onion or 1 small onion.1/4 teaspoon black pepper 50g buttermilk 500ml2 dried bay leaves3 small slices of gluten-free breada pinch of cloves1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powderpinch of salt3 tablespoons double (heavy) cream
Method
1. Add the leeks or onions, peppercorns, butter, milk, and bay leaf to a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent bubbles from forming.
2. Process the bread in a food processor to make fine crumbs.
3. Strain the milk mixture through a sieve into a large jug, discarding the solids. Return the infused milk to the empty saucepan (make sure there are no solids left) and put it back on the fire.
4. Add the breadcrumbs, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens. Finally, add the ground cloves, nutmeg, salt and cream, mix and enjoy.
gingerbread stuffing log
Number of people: 9-10
material
3 tablespoons butter1/2 medium green onion or 1 small onion, finely chopped Pork mince 500g1 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 grated orange peelApplesauce 150g2 gluten-free gingerbread cakes6 pieces of smoked streaky bacon
Method
1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add the scallions or onions. Stir-fry until tender, then remove the pan from the heat.
2. Place the pork in a large bowl and add salt and pepper. Mix well with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add the orange zest and applesauce and mix again. Add the leek and onion mixture to the bowl and mix again.
3. Break up the gingerbread cake into small pieces with your hands and place in a bowl, stirring gently until evenly distributed.
For turkey stuffing: Place a spoon into the neck cavity of the turkey and cook depending on the weight of the turkey.
If you want to create a stuffing log, please proceed as follows.
1. Place a large piece of plastic wrap on your work surface and place the bacon pieces on top, overlapping them slightly. Spoon the stuffing mixture over the bacon and shape into long logs (compact with your hands).
2. Lift one side of the plastic wrap and wrap the bacon over the stuffing. Carefully remove the plastic wrap, leaving the bacon wrapped over the stuffing, and lay the plastic wrap flat again.
3. Repeat on the other side, but this time do not remove the plastic wrap, wrap the other side of the plastic wrap tightly to seal the log and seal the edges tightly.
4. To further compress the filling, gently roll the sealed log on your work surface to form a nice log shape. Chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to firm up.
5. Preheat the oven to 160℃ fan. Line a large baking tray with foil.
6. Place the filling on the prepared baking tray and carefully unwrap it, being careful not to lift it too much (it is very delicate and fragile). Make sure the bacon seam is facing down.
7. Cover the tray tightly with foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and return to the oven to bake for the final 20 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Yorkshire pudding made with 3 ingredients
Number of production: 12
material
Vegetable oil Corn flour 200g 6 eggs milk 300ml
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200℃ fan. Pour a little less than 1 tablespoon of oil into each hole in the muffin tray and place in the oven to heat. Most of the oil should be spit out.
2. Add the cornflour to a large mixing bowl, then crack in the eggs and mix.
3. Add milk little by little, whisking halfway through. Pour the batter into the jug.
4. Quickly remove the muffin tin from the oven and fill each hole a little less than three-quarters full with the mixture. If you don't hear a sizzle when pouring, the oil is not hot enough. Return to oven immediately.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and puffed up (do not open the oven door to check; they will deflate quickly). Once fully fermented, let it cook for another 2 minutes so it's crispy and doesn't wilt when you take it out.
6. Serve immediately.
dad's amazing turkey
Serving size: 10-12 servings
material
1 turkey, 5.5-6.5kg, ideally Norfolk black or bronze 300g gluten-free pork stuffing (such as the gingerbread stuffing above) 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary 2 sprigs of fresh thyme 2 large dried bay leaves 2 clementines (half) 1 lemon for lemon butter 80g (1/3 cup) softened butter 1 teaspoon minced garlic paste or 2 tablespoons garlic oil Peel and juice of 1 lemon A generous pinch each of salt and coarsely ground black pepper
Method
Before Christmas:
1. If your turkey is frozen, place it in an appropriately sized container on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator 4 days before Christmas. As a general rule, if you have a large turkey, thaw it in the refrigerator for 10 to 12 hours per kilogram.
2. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator on Christmas Eve and allow it to come to room temperature the next day. If you cook a cold turkey in the refrigerator, the outside will begin to cook and dry out before the inside is safe to eat, so be careful not to let that happen.
Christmas Day:
1. Remove the filling from the refrigerator about 1 hour before use and let it come to room temperature.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C fan / 220°C / 425°F.
3. Combine lemon butter ingredients in a small bowl.
4. Remove the bag of giblets from inside the turkey. Pull back the skin at the neck end of the turkey to expose the cavity, then spoon the stuffing loosely into the turkey to avoid overcrowding. Pull the neck skin back and secure it with a small cocktail stick. Rotate the turkey so the body cavity is facing you, and add the rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, halved clementine, and whole lemon inside.
5. Line the bottom and sides of a large roasting pan (large enough to hold the turkey!) with foil and place the turkey in it, breast side up. Spread lemon butter all over. Loosely cover the entire turkey with foil, tenting it enough to cover the turkey without the foil actually touching. 8 Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 150°C fan / 170°C / 340°F and roast for a further 3-3-1/2 hours depending on the size of the turkey. Remove the foil covering the turkey, increase the heat to 180°C fan/200°C/400°F and cook for another 30-40 minutes until nice and golden brown, broiling every 10-15 minutes.
6. Use a digital cooking thermometer to measure the turkey breast and thigh (and the stuffing in the neck cavity) to make sure it's cooked through. 70°C / 160°F is optimal. Alternatively, insert a skewer into the thigh and see if the juices run clear.
7. Transfer the turkey to a large wooden board or plate, cover with a large amount of foil, and let rest for 1 to 2 hours. This resting time can be the difference between all the juices remaining in the turkey and carving too soon and all the juices leaking out. Reserve the juices in the bottom of the roasting tin, transfer to a pitcher, and use to make homemade gluten-free turkey gravy (recipe above).
8. After resting, carve with a freshly sharpened chisel.
Super crispy roast potatoes
Serves: 4 to 6 people
material
1kg Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cut into 4cm cubesvegetable oil or goose fatA small amount of fresh rosemary or thyme (optional)salt
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200℃ fan/220℃.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the potatoes. Boil for about 10 minutes until the water starts to bubble and the outside is soft but the inside is firm.
3. Once the potatoes have boiled, place a large roasting tray in the oven with plenty of oil or goose fat.
4. Drain the potatoes, return them to the pot, and cover. Shake the bread well a few times to fluff up the outside and make sure it gets crispy on the outside as it roasts.
5. Place the potatoes in the oil or fat on a hot tray, placing the potatoes in a layer. It should sizzle. Quickly flip all the potatoes on a baking tray so that the oil or fat covers all sides, or pour a little more oil on top.
6. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes, flip the potatoes, sprinkle with fresh rosemary or thyme (if using) and place in the oven for another 10-15 minutes until crisp and golden.
7. Season with a little salt and enjoy.
homemade turkey gravy
Contents: 500ml
material
Amount of turkey dripping from roasting tin: 400-450ml4 tablespoons corn flour (cornstarch) or gluten-free flourGluten free chicken stock 225mlsalt and ground black pepper, to taste
Method
1. Use a tablespoon to remove most of the fat from the top of the dripping liquid in the jug, leaving about 5 tablespoons of fat. Transfer the remaining liquid to a small saucepan. Place the pan on low heat, add the flour and mix until the mixture is smooth.
2. Add the stock, stir, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until a thick gravy forms. Season with salt and pepper.
