Food News, with Amanda Killelea

EVERYONE has a tale to tell about that disastrous year when Christmas dinner was ruined by a burnt turkey, dry turkey or even a turkey that wasn't defrosted in time.

Well don't panic or despair, because here is a definitive guide to cooking the perfect Christmas dinner with tips on everything from defrosting and cooking turkeys to how to spice up all those leftovers.

The first and most important thing to remember is to order your turkey early.

Work out what size and type of turkey you need well in advance and order accordingly.

Leaving it until the last minute will greatly reduce your chances of getting a bird of the right size.

If you opt for a frozen bird, don't forget to get it out of the freezer in plenty of time to defrost.

Thaw the turkey in the coolest room of the house. Check regularly and when it is thawed, remove all packaging. Remove giblets and neck, wipe with kitchen paper and store in the fridge at a temperature no higher than 5c.

Take your turkey out of the fridge late on Christmas Eve and put in a cool place. Make sure pets and children can't reach it. This will allow the turkey to reach room temperature so that it heats up as soon as you put it in the oven.

Now the turkey is out of the fridge it is a good time to fill it with white wine, mineral water and maybe even some champagne.

Weigh the turkey after stuffing to calculate cooking time and remember oven temperatures vary.

Try cooking at 190c, 375f, gas mark 5 and allow 18 minutes per pound.

Cover the bird with foil until the last 20-30 minutes of cooking time to allow it to brown.

When roasting your tukey, try putting it upside down on its breast so the juices from the back and legs run down to the breast to keep it moist. You can also try basting your turkey with a combination of butter and a little white wine or lemon juice.

To check that your turkey is fully cooked, pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer. If the juices run clear it is ready.

If they are pink, continue cooking.

Allow the turkey to stand for at least 15-20 minutes before carving.

Once the big day is over your family usually wants soemthing with a bit more spice than turkey sanwiches for the rest of the festive holiday.

Why not try the delicious recipe for Moroccan Turkey with Couscous to give an African twist to Turkey to make the perfect millennium meal. Moroccan Turkey With Couscous (SERVES FOUR)

Cooking time:

75 minutes

675g boneless turkey thigh or breast joint

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground paprika

1 tbsp oil

1 large onion, peeled and cut into wedges

2-3 cinnamon sticks, bruised

3 tomatoes, chopped

400g chickpeas, drained

450 ml turkey or chicken stock

75g ready to eat pitted prunes

50g ready to eat apricots

freshly cooked saffron flavoured couscous to serve

freshly chopped coriander to garnish IF necessary, tie the turkey joint with fine string. Mix the crushed garlic with all the spices then spread over the joint. Leave for at least 15 minutes for the flavours to develop.

Heat the oil in a large pan and brown the turkey joint on all sides. Remove, then add the onion to the pan and gently saute for five minutes or until softened (add a little extra oil if the onions are sticking to the pan).

Add the cinnamon sticks to the pan with the tomatoes and chick peas and place the turkey joint on top.

Pour over the stock and bring to the boil.

Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer gently for 30 minutes.

Add the prunes and apricots to the pan and continue to cook for a further 30-40 minutes or until the turkey is thoroughly cooked.

Discard the string from the turkey and remove the cinnamon sticks.

Arrange the turkey on top of the couscous and spoon the chickpea mixture round the joint and garnish with coriander.

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