We started off with some Fat Duck-esque ‘Rice crackers’ where the flavour is spritzed with a sea salt and vinegar atomiser, almost like a deep fried quilted tissue.

The Rangers Valley sirloin roll on toast and wasabi crumbs also makes a great accompaniment for your pre-drinks, just like beef tataki in bite sized pieces

The freshly shucked rock oystrers with lemon ice and soy dressing was ever so refreshing, the lemon ice like a fine powdered snow atop a creamy oyster.

Martinovic’s play on Asian flavours in the roast Red Gate farmed quail with chilli, coriander and roast pineapple creates a tongue in cheek joke about naff Asian takeaway food. His use of humour in his menu and invoking your memories and nostalgia must be something he’s picked up from Heston, but Martinov shows you that you don’t have to do it with a giant conch and an iPod to get the point across.

The sweetness from the grilled QLD king prawn celery perfectly balanced with the tartness of the apple dressing  with avocado.

this is one of my personal favorites: The poached Comboyne hen’s egg is apparently cooked in a waterbath for 70 minutes at 62 degrees until it reaches a texture like panna cotta, served with mustard, grilled king brown mushrooms and paper thin “toast”. Incredible!

The roast tinder creek duck breast was cooked pink to perfection, served with olive oil sponge, baby beetroots, sliced and perfect for sharing. I could’ve sworn he’s borrowed the sponge cake recipe from Ferran, where the batter is siphoned with nitrous oxide into a plastic cup and microwaved! (but correct me if I’m wrong)

The O’Connor scotch fillet with grilled mango, chives and bone marrow was also a winner and equally great for sharing, but I suggest you claim dibs and bagsies on the bone marrow!

The egg pappardelle was presented beautifully with Jannei goat’s curd, broccolini and anchovy, but it was over shadowed by the showmanship of the other dishes on offer. There is also no vegetarian options available on the menu, unless this was ordered sans anchovy.

Let’s move on to our crinkle cut chips! These were triple cooked to achieve the perfect crunch on the outside and the soft steaming potato inside. It was truly like eating mash wrapped inside potato crisps. As you can see we’ve ordered way too much for ourselves, and even when the table was being cleared, I held onto the bowl of chips with separation anxiety.

Yes. However full we were, we make sure every last piece was stomached.

This leaves room for only one dessert on the menu:

The vanilla cheesecake topped with cheese jelly, mulberry sorbet was a fun way to finish the meal. The cheesecake was whipped into the lightest of textures, with the shortbread crumbs smashed against the airy cloud as you chew with the “cheese jelly” cubes. We felt like a kid eating candy for the first time.

We also saw the fig carpaccio on the dessert menu, which used to be one of my favorite desserts at Koi. I was wondering where it had gone when I visited Koi again recently – well now we’ve found it again, it left with the chef.

Kitchen hard at work

There’s no reason why nouveau scientific cooking has to be served in a posh restaurant with white tablecloths and a 1 month waiting list. Martinovic brings the “perfect food” right down to an accessible casual setting, which is what I enjoyed most about my dinner. His spontaneous approach to cooking and importance to have a great time creating his dishes really shine through. Never stop having fun, I say!

The Doltone House Group has just launched a brand new food emporium named Signorelli Gastronomia. The family owned and operated company has a significant portfolio of waterfront entertainment and catering venues, including Jones Bay Wharf and Darling Island Wharf. Signorelli Gastronomia is located on the lobby floor of the new Accenture building in Pyrmont on a lovely waterfront location, not too far from the Good Living Grower’s Markets (held every Saturday). Good living described the location to be similar to Harrod’s Food Hall in London, but I would say it’s a lot less commercial, with a familiar Italian family touch.

Wine room (left), Cheese room (right)

They described it to be a place where “visitors can buy, taste and learn about high quality food and drink… enjoy foods grown within a 100mile radius of Pyrmont that respects local farmers, maintaining a menu that is seasonal and diverse“. The space consists of a shop which stocks gourmet products such as cured meats, fresh pasta, premium gelato and dried herbs; a dining area that seats no more than 30, with mostly bar or communal table seating; a wine room and a cheese room. I appreciated the open layout of the place as we sat close to the pizza station, watching the chef kneading pizza dough on a floured marble bench.

Being day three of opening, there were the much expected service hiccups, but the staff were all incredibly friendly and the service was professional. With our sore heads from the previous night’s activities we were craving some hearty Italian food.

We ordered the ham hock and foie gras terrine served with watercress, baby carrots and toasted sourdough to start, which was delightfully flavoursome, and less rich than the usual chicken liver parfait served by other restaurants. The addition of the baby carrots inside the terrine was a nice touch (perhaps it made me feel healthier?).

A selection of fresh oysters (Pipe Clay, St Helens and Sydney Rock), some served with prosecco granita.

The aroma from the pizza station got the better of us. It was like our minds were read, and the waiter came around and offered us a sample of some freshly made garlic pizza that just came out of the wood fire oven while we were waiting for the next course.

For our mains, I opted for the tagliatelle that was on the specials (something that our waiter initially forgot to mention, but I had overheard the dish mentioned for the next table and changed my choice due to food envy). It was served with chorizo, dried chilli, ricotta and wilted sprouts. This is normally a little too oily for my liking, but it sure hit the spot.

My partner, equally fragile at the time, opted for the sage crumbed 250g veal cutlet with wild rocket, fresh lemon cheeks and capers, fried to perfection with a batter full of flavour.

And what better side dish than the duck fat fries with smoked sea salt? The smoked sea salt added a wonderful dimension, like it had been barbecued over wood chips. I’m sure the smoked sea salt can be purchased from their store. The chips however, I thought were too chunky to be enjoyed, unlike the version from Sean’s Kitchen.

The squid ink risotto, Hawkesbury cuttlefish and soft poached hen’s egg from the next table looked salivating, with the soft centered yolk oozing into the warm rice. One should always leave a reason for a second visit!

There was a great selection of desserts on the menu which I also thought should be saved for my second visit, so we ordered an Affogatto for a quick sugar and caffeine hit. Little did we know it was going to be so fun!

The affogatto was served in a mini copper pot

Instead of the usual liqueur poured in with the ice cream and espresso, the frangelico was encased in a jelly membrane which explodes in the mouth, made with a method of spherification a technique made famous by Ferran Adria.

My only complaint is that the ice cream melted much too quickly and it should have been pressed down and frozen with the copper pots.

James, the chef brought over a few additional “shots” of these jelly explosions that had a bit more kick to the ones inside the dessert. He informed us that they will be holding classes for this new and modern style of cooking later on, which could be quite fun.

Whist we were eating, we spotted a giant block of cheese with a diameter of a barrel that was being carefully divided for the cheese room, and it turned out to be Sovrano di bufala (aged buffalo milk cheese) – one of my favorites! I bought plenty to stock up and share with friends.

Signorelli Gastronomia proves to be a promising food emporium with authentic Italian cuisine and fantastic gourmet products, similar to the style of Fratelli Fresh and Bacco Wine bar.

Along with the grower’s markets, could Pyrmont be the next food hub?

Signorelli Gastronomia
48 Pirrama Road
Darling Island Wharf
Pyrmont NSW 2009
Tel: (02) 8571 0616
www.signorelli.com.au

Sydney seems to be catching up with this new seafood trend, as I noticeably received a lot less “ewww” from fellow Aussies when I talk about uni. Coming from a time when most Australians found the concept of raw fish and dried seaweed revolting, their willingness to try new things have dramatically increased.

”I’ve sold more sea urchin in the past 12 months than I have in the past four years,” says Wayne Hulme from Christie’s Seafood.

Fresh high quality sea urchin flesh is delicate and just firm enough to hold itself together, and just like pudding, it quickly melts in your mouth. Unfortunately, the taste is initially funky and reminiscent of pungent seawater, and that’s when the unadventurous start to gag. However, just like smoking your first cigarette, after a few more puffs, you start to acquire the taste. Sea urchin flesh is delicious: subtle, sweet, creamy, and sea-salty bitter rather than fishy – If an oyster made love to custard.

You can buy fresh washed urchin roe in pre-packaged trays from the fish markets.

Ingredients: (serves 4)

500g dry spaghettini

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes

1 punnet grape tomatoes, halved, ripe and room temperature

Sea salt & black pepper

1 tray of sea urchin

I packet of Muji urchin cream pasta sauce

Shredded dried nori (also available in most Asian grocery stores) for garnish

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, in a skillet large enough to hold pasta later on, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, reduce heat to low, and tip the skillet to submerge the garlic in olive oil, brown it on all sides so it flavors the oil.

2. Raise heat under skillet to medium, add chili flakes and simmer for around a minute. Add tomatoes, face down, cook until just until wilted and stir gently.

3. When water boils, add a couple of tablespoons of salt and cook pasta according to packet instructions, minus 2 minutes. Stir well and bring back to boil. When pasta is cooked through but still firm, drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water (this water contains starch and is useful later for the sauce)

4. Turn heat under skillet to low. Add pasta sauce (optional: just replace with butter otherwise). Add about 3/4 of the tray of sea urchin to skillet with a sprinkle of salt and a splash of pasta cooking water to your favored consistency. I like it quite thick and creamy. Add pasta to skillet and toss thoroughly but gently over low heat, adding pasta cooking water and more oil to taste if mixture is dry. Don’t forget to season!

Serve hot, decorating each serving with remaining sea urchin and top with dried shredded seaweed.

The sweetness of the grape tomatoes compliments beautifully with the flavor of the urchin roe.

Armand de Brignac is the name of a Champagne brand produced by Champagne Cattier, and sold in opaque metallic bottles.

You may recognise Cattier as one of the most affordable French champagnes you can purchase from Vintage Cellars in Australia, but for the premium Brut Gold, just a total of 8 people are involved in making Armand de Brignac. The Cattier family have possessed vineyards in Champagne since 1763.

Or was its sucess due to the accidental endorsement by Jay Z?

Since Jay-Z’s spat with Frederic Rouzaud (managing director of Louis Roederer, which produces Cristal), the rapper vowed to boycott all Roederer’s products after reportedly accusing Mr Rouzaud of racism for saying that he “cannot forbid” hip hop stars from buying his champagne.

David Beckham and George Clooney are also among those won over to Armand de Brignac, which is referred to by drinkers as “Ace of Spades” after the image on its label.

The bottle’s ostentatious design also adds to the “bling” nature of the rap world, with it’s opaque gold bottle and pewter label and the engraved Ace of spades.

Brut Gold is comprised of 40% chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, and 20% Pinot Meunier. Complex and full-bodied, with light floral notes, a racy fruit charcater, with subtle brioche accents, and a long creamy finish.

The Brut Gold (Ace of Spades) was first launched in 2006, with the Rose and Blanc de Blancs following in 2008.

Michel Roux Snr

Michel and Albert have trained over 800 young chefs (many of whom are now world famous) with the Roux Scholarship, which is considered the ultimate British competition for chefs.

With both Michel and Albert’s sons taking over their respective restaurants, Michel is now a celebrated published author, teaching the art of cooking to amateur home cooks through his collection of how-to books that are easy to understand, and known to be a bible of homemade sauces and pastry.

Roux is known for staging sauces as the main star of the dish instead of a garnish, and his use of pastry, both savoury and sweet is just delightful.

His degustation menu at Altitude was classical French and our tastebuds were instantly transformed back to a time where rich buttered sauces, mouseelines and layers of sweetness mingled with traditional French culinary rules.

Well, without further ado… may I let the photos speak for themselves:

Chilled avocado soup, served with a sea trout tartar and yellow peach, garnished with a Charolais soft cheese crouton

Flaked mud crab with melon and fresh almonds served with marinated prawns

Poached egg in a pastry case with asparagus tips and a mousseline sauce

Pan fried scallops served on a bed of lime scented carrot mousseline and satay sauce

Poached fillet of sole filled with lobster mousse

Roasted loin of lamb stuffed with aubergine confit and grilled pine kernels “gateau” of moussaka and a light saffron flavoured jus

Roasted Thirlmere duck with a lemon thyme jus, potato and garlic mousseline

Refreshing lemon dessert on a crisp biscuit base, sweet basil sorbet

The one thing that stands out most from this menu was Michel’s use of pastry. It was made to pure perfection – buttery, flakey, light as air, and a textural highlight. This was most evident in the pastry case with poached egg and clearly our table’s favorite dish of the night.

It was a truly enjoyable experience, though it was a shame that dinner took well over 5 hours. Even Mr. Tony Bilson himself on the table next to us received no faster service. Mr Roux did find time to come by for a moment of friendly chit chat, like the French grandfather we never had, his eyes twinkling with kindness.

The one thing I do admire most is how both him and his brother were able to pass their knowledge and empire for their sons to take over with great success. Who wouldn’t want to learn from a master such as Michel Roux?

Ingredients

• 1 ½ tsp. Sugar
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 tsp. Active dry yeast
• 1 egg
• 1 ½ cups lukewarm milk
• 1 cup Self raising flour
• 3/4 cup buckwheat flour
• ½ tsp. Salt
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

In a small bowl, dissolve ½ tsp. Of the sugar in warm water. Sprinkle in yeast and let it stand for approx 10 minutes until the mixture appears to be frothy. In a separate larger mixing bowl, beat egg, milk and remaining sugar. Add flours and salt (I like to sift this in) and beat for 1 minute. Beat in the yeast mixture and half of the butter. Cover the mixing bowl with glad wrap; leave it to rise in warm place until it has about doubled in size (takes around 1 hour).

Heat nonstick skillet over medium heat; brush lightly with some of the remaining butter. It’s really just like making tiny little pancakes. I find that it gets a little messy spooning small amounts of batter onto the pan so I used a piping bag. You can also transfer the batter into a zip lock bag, seal it and cut a small corner on the bottom to pipe with.

I piped ‘blobs’ of batter around 4cm in diameter. Cook until bubbles form on top, then carefully flip each one over and cook until bottoms are golden brown.

Makes around 50 blini. It may seem like a lot, but you’ll be surprised how quickly it goes!

Traditionally, you would serve these with caviar. Sturgeon roe is just one of the most divine flavours that make me weak at the knees. Unfortunately, due to illegal fishing, the numbers of wild sturgeon has dramatically decreased over the years. The Beluga sturgeon is currently considered to be endangered, causing the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to ban in 2005 the importation of Beluga caviar which originated in the Caspian Sea and Black Sea basin. Sterling, a Californian company, have started farming white sturgeon caviar that is almost similar to Ossetra caviar. Do not forget to handle caviar with a mother of pearl spoon, as metal utensils tend to impart an unwelcome metallic taste to the delicate and expensive roe.

You can purchase Sterling Caviar (pictured) from Simon Johnson for around $605.00 for a 125gm serving with your whole family on a special occasion. They also have 30gm servings at $163.00, which is a perfect size for two people. (Hint: Valentine’s day is coming up!)

My favorite condiments to accompany caviar on the blini are finely chopped hard boiled egg yolks, egg whites, chives, creme fraiche, capers, and red onions.

You can also serve blini’s with smoked salmon, making it a great canape at parties.

If you ever have chance to get your hands on Beluga – I would suggest not embellishing the flavour of the roe with anything at all. Known to be the largest sturgeon, it can measure up to six meters in length and consists of very large eggs, which makes it very desirable. Even though Beluga weighing up to 600 kilograms existed in the past, the endangered species rarely come in those sizes nowadays because of overfishing.

It turns out (and this is according to the man who works at the Kensington restaurant) that the original Maranatha in Ultimo had moved to Kensington a few months back, but the owners who bought the Ultimo space opened up a restaurant with an almost identical name and serving the same deep fried soft bone chicken dish. I guess we had to take the man’s word for it and headed to the little place on Todman Avenue.

It was a small space restaurants that seated no more than 15 people at a time. Once seated, menus, a writing pad and a pen is handed to you. It’s all very self-served on here on, as the staff concentrate on what the kitchen does best – the fried chicken.

ATL Maranatha offers a few types of “ayam tulang lunak”(literally translates as soft-bone fried chicken), in different flavours – sweet, spicy, salty yolk, original. There are also the normal offerings of Indonesian dishes such as Nasi Goreng, Gado gado or cah kangkung (water spinach).

The ayam tulang lunak is not for the faint hearted – literally. If my doctor was reading this right now and she saw what I was eating with my cholesterol levels, there would be a definite lecture ringing in my ears. Only in moderation, I tell myself.

From my understanding, the soft bone texture is achieved by using a pressure cooker, along with an unknown additive to transform the bones in the chicken into a biscuit like crunch.

We ordered the original recipe, along with the salted egg version as well. Served with sambal sauce on the side, the outside of the chicken leg was reminiscent of panko crumbs, encasing tender, fall off the bone chicken flesh. This is one time you would never get your hands dirty with fried chicken. Every mouthful is cleanly dissectable with your spoon and fork, every bite is a winner – if the greasy, satisfying crisp of deep fried skin and juicy chicken flesh is your thing. The soft bone adds an interesting texture too, it’s somewhat like a soft shell crab dish.

The salted egg yolk version is equally delightful, packed with an extra punch of rich, delicious cholesterol. This one is a must try – especially if you’re bringing along your hangover.

It’s probably also a great time to mentioned that the bones are an excellent source of calcium and iron that you cannot generally receive from eating just chicken meat, so some good will always come out of this indulgent dish. Do it for your healthy bones!

When it all gets a little overwhelming, wash the grease down with an Ice Kacang or an Es Cendol to end with a sweet note – Bagus!

ATL Maranatha
Ayam Goreng Tulang Lunak
Corner of Todman Avenue and Baker Street
Kensington NSW 2033
Phone: (02) 9663 3410

According to foodchannel.com editors, the biggest trends of the last decade (2000-2009) include:

TOP TEN TRENDS OVERALL

• Sushi
• Bacon
• Cupcakes
• Sliders
• Gourmet Burgers made with Kobe or Angus Beef
• Superfruits such as Acai, Pomegranate and Blueberry
• Oils, such as olive oils and truffle oils
• Whole grains, such as Kashi, polenta, risotto
• Artisan foods, particularly in breads, cheeses and dark chocolates
• Coffees, teas

DECADE’S TOP FLAVORS

• Pomegranate
• Wasabi
• Cranberry
• Ginger
• Blueberry
• Hibiscus
• Bacon
• Green tea
• Dark Chocolate
• Mint

TOP TEN FOOD INFLUENCERS OF THE DECADE

• Organic foods, along with Locavore and Community Supported Agriculture
• International Cuisines
• Food TV and Internet
• Food Safety
• The Economy and subsequent shift to home cooking
• Fast casual restaurant concepts
• Fair trade and Artisan concepts in bread, chocolates, cheeses
• Mobility/Social Media/Twitter notifications/Underground dining
• Mixology
• Culinary education

TOP FOOD PEOPLE OF THE DECADE

• Food bloggers
• The local farmer
• Celebrity Chefs in general: Rick Bayless, Rachael Ray, Paula Deen, Bobby Flay, Guy Fieri, Emeril Lagasse, Gordon Ramsey, Giada De Laurentiis, Mario Batali, Alton Brown, Tyler Florence, Jaime Oliver, Ina Garten
• Julia Child/Julie Powell
• The home cook
• Grant Achatz
• Alice Waters
• Thomas Keller
• Martha Stewart
• The local restaurant chef

TOP TEN GENERAL NEWS TOPICS OF THE DECADE IMPACTING FOOD

• Food Safety (tomatoes, green onions, H1N1)
• Food Prices
• Slow Food
• Sustainability
• Consumer generated advertising (Dorito’s Super Bowl ad)
• The demise of traditional publishing (Gourmet Magazine)
• Organic
• Private branding
• Carl’s, Jr.’s edgy advertising
• McDonald’s innovation

DECADE’S TOP RECIPES

• Macaroni and Cheese
• Bread Pudding
• Risotto
• Biscotti
• Ceviche
• Deep Fried Turkey
• Creme Brulee
• Bruschetta
• Tilapia
• Guacamole

TOP RESTAURANT TRENDS OF THE DECADE

• Fast casual concept
• Tapas and shareables
• Gastropub
• Molecular Gastronomy
• Taco Trucks
• Underground dining
• Fusion
• DIY
• Catering
• Upscaling of Bar food

What do you predict will be a new trend for this decade?

I just wanted to let my wonderful readers know that the reservations for elbulli season 2010 is now open, so send your emails to try your luck in scoring a table at the world’s best restaurant!

This is from the elbulli website:

Reservations information – 2010

You can send your request to bulli@elbulli.com from the beginning of January.

All the requests that we receive until the middle of January will be considered to be received at the same time. We will start reviewing reservations at that moment.

We are obligated to forewarn you that, due our limited room capacity for one season, it will be impossible to fulfill most of the requests even those received at the beginning of January.

We will give you an answer as soon as possible but the revision of reservation requests is a very complicated and slow moving process

elbullireservations: bulli@elbulli.com

As I mentioned before in my previous posts, emails written in Spanish normally have a better chance, as 50% of the tables are reserved for those from Spain, and the other 50% for the rest of the world. Your chances are much higher if you appear to be a local!

This recipe has been changed and adapted by many, from an original 3 page recipe by Heston Blumenthal (and I would commend anyone who tries to attempt that!). A touch of advice was added by Gwyneth Paltrow’s GOOP, I’ve thrown in some of Jamie Oliver’s notes and added a homemade herb butter rub and stuffing for the full fair. There are ways to cut corners to minimize the hard work, and I will show you how - after all, you want to be dressed and looking fresh as a daisy when your guests walk in, not sweating over the kitchen.

There are a few things that I find are really important to a perfect turkey:

1. A good roasting tray with a wire rack (to raise the bird)
2. The overnight soak in brine
3. Herbed butter
4. Remember the rule: 35 mins of oven time to every kg
5. Get your turkey delivered – boy are they heavy to carry otherwise!

Note: I used a 4kg Free Range Antibotic Free Turkey from Sam the Butcher – you can order it online and have it delivered to your doorstep on the day of preparation! They will remove the giblets and clean it for you as well.

The Day Before: Soak in brine

• ½ cup coarse salt, plus more for seasoning
• ¾ cup dark brown sugar
• 4kg free range turkey
• lemon and thyme

In a medium sized saucepan, heat the salt and sugar in 2 cups water, and add 1 whole lemon (just throw it in!) and a few sprigs of thyme. The salt and sugar will gently dissolve over low heat and the aroma from the lemon and herbs will gently infuse the brine.

Turn the heat off, and pour this  mixture into the biggest pot you have, as it has to be big enough to keep the entire turkey submerged.

Add the turkey, then add cold water until the turkey is just submerged. Cover in glad wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Tip: If you have a giant turkey and not a single pot large enough to submerge it, you can use a garbage bag!

5 hours before the party starts: Prepping and Stuffing

• Salt and Pepper
• 1 block of Butter, room temperature
• Turkey thyme (dried thyme – crushed to resemble a powder) & Sage

Stuffing usually needs to be cooked and prepared the night before, but with the amount of Christmas shopping, card writing and tree decorating, we’re not going to do that! Instead, I’ve opted for Sam’s Christmas stuffer instead. This turkey recipe is actually marvelous without stuffing, but I just can’t seem to get my head around the concept. I love stuffing!

Preheat the oven to 150°C. Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse with cold water. Pat completely dry with paper towels.

Mix butter (enough to cover the inside and outside of the bird) with the thyme, salt and better.

This is the messy part. Insert a baking spatula under the skin of the turkey from it’s rear and open up the skin, and spread knobs of herb butter under its skin (and along with the sage leaves, get your fingers in there). This is optional but it does add to the flavour later on.

Add some stuffing loosely in the turkey’s cavity. You don’t want to pack it in tightly, as that affects how the heat travels inside the turkey. You want to give it some room so the hot air from the oven can travel in and out.

Tie up the legs with cooking twine, then rub the herb butter all over the outside and sprinkle with a liberal amount of black pepper and bit of salt.

Oven time: It’s getting hot in here

2 cups Chicken Stock

Flip your bird over, and place breast-side down in a roasting pan. Loosely cover the top with foil to minimize drying and cook for 35min per kg in a fan forced oven set to 170°C.

The beauty of the brine soaking is that this turkey hardly needs to be basted. I did it once an hour anyway, using pan juices and chicken stock.

After 35min per kg, remove the turkey from the oven and raise the temperature to 220°C and turn on the convection if available (if not, raise the temperature to 240°C). Once the oven reaches temperature, flip the turkey so it’s breast-side up on the roasting rack and put it back in the oven. Roast for half an hour, and test by stabbing a fork into the thickest part of the thigh for 10 seconds. The tip of the fork should be very hot and the juices should run clear.

I like to brush the skin with a small amount of honey alongside the pan juices to give it a nicer color for the last 5 minutes of roasting.

Let it rest at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving – this is a perfect time to make a gravy with the remaining pan juices.

Carving and Serving

I’m going to point you over to Jamie Oliver’s instructional video for this:
http://www.jamieoliver.com/about/jamie-oliver-videos/carving-a-turkey – but I have to say, carving is a man’s job. Make your other half watch this video and ask him to carve the turkey. It makes them feel in control, they feel the Christmas glory when eyes light up as the platter of turkey meat is brought to the table. Garnish with roast vegetables or a rocket salad.

juicy turkey leg

The meat should be tender and moist, even the breast meat from this recipe is utterly delightful. I hope you enjoy a wonderful Christmas period with your loved ones!