I am looking forward to Christmas and this is exactly what I will be cooking. I still say that this is the best turkey recipe I have ever cooked. People are always asking for the recipe on Twitter and even in the restaurant. It seems that a lot of people like it. The flesh stays very succulent and it is a great alternative to roasting a large bird. The crown is the turkey breasts and wing joints with the legs removed. This ham can be cooked and left in the fridge for up to a week, making it extremely handy at this time of year.
I am looking forward to Christmas and this is exactly what I will be cooking. I still say that this is the best turkey recipe I have ever cooked. People are always asking for the recipe on Twitter and even in the restaurant. It seems that a lot of people like it.
The flesh stays very succulent and it is a great alternative to roasting a large bird. The crown is the turkey breasts and wing joints with the legs removed. This ham can be cooked and left in the fridge for up to a week, making it extremely handy at this time of year.
A big thank you to all of the people who got in touch to say they enjoyed Neven’s Kilkenny Christmas on RTÉ last week.
I spent a great few days in Kilkenny and always enjoy a break there. They fully deserved their foodie destination of the year title, and listening to the choir in the Cathedral was the beginning of my Christmas.
Neven Maguire's buttermilk-brined roast crown of Turkey with chorizo (background), ham and sticky marmalade glaze (foreground). \ Photo: Philip Doyle. Food styling: Sharon Hearne-Smith
Ham with sticky marmalade glaze
Serves 10-12
5.25kg (11 1/2lb) leg of gammon (on the bone)
4 celery sticks, roughly chopped
2 onions, sliced
5cm (2in) piece fresh ginger, cut into slices
1 small bunch fresh thyme
1 tbsp black peppercorns
4 whole cloves
2 star anise
1.5 litres (2 ¾ pints) dry cider
1 tsp ground ginger
Glaze:
175g (6oz) marmalade (thin shred)
100g (4oz) light brown sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
Four star anise
Four pieces of preserved stem ginger, cut into small matchstick-sized strips
1 Soak the gammon in cold water for at least six hours (or overnight is best), then drain.2 Preheat the oven to 120oC, (250oF/gas mark ½). Use a large deep roasting tin with a rack that’s big enough to hold the ham. Put the celery, onions, fresh ginger, thyme, peppercorns, cloves and star anise in the tin and pour over the cider, then put the rack on top. Sit the ham on the rack and cover with a large tent of foil, sealing it well. Put on the hob over a high heat and bring to the boil. 3 Simmer for 15 minutes, then transfer to the oven. Cook for 12 hours or overnight – you can now leave it for one to two days before finishing the recipe. Alternatively, leave to rest and cool down for at least 30 minutes. 4 Preheat the oven to 180oC, (350oF/gas mark 4). Now make the glaze. Put the marmalade and sugar in a small pan with the lemon juice and star anise. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, then add the stem ginger and star anise and simmer for three to four minutes or until reduced to a thick glaze, stirring to ensure it doesn’t catch at the bottom. 5 Carefully peel away the skin, leaving the layer of white fat intact. Using a sharp knife, score the fat diagonally into a diamond pattern, being careful not to cut into the meat. Put into a clean roasting tin and rub with the ground ginger, then brush the glaze on top. 6 Roast for about 45 minutes until golden and sticky. Transfer to a platter and leave to rest for 15-20 minutes. Carve slices from the ham and use as required, warm or cold.
Neven Maguire's buttermilk-brined roast crown of Turkey with chorizo (background), ham and sticky marmalade glaze (foreground). \ Photo: Philip Doyle. Food styling: Sharon Hearne-Smith
Buttermilk brined roast crown of turkey with chorizo
Serves six to eight
4kg (8 1/2lb) turkey crown (off the bone and untied with string)
175g (6oz) uncooked chorizo sausage
Four rindless smoked bacon rashers
For the buttermilk brine:
2 litres (3 ½ pints) buttermilk
3 tbsp Maldon sea salt (or kosher)
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
One garlic bulb, separated into cloves and sliced
15g (1/2oz) fresh rosemary sprigs, roughly bruised
1 Mix all the ingredients together in turkey bag for the buttermilk brine and add the turkey crown. Tie up the bag securely and place in the salad drawer at the bottom of the fridge. It’s best to leave for up to two days but at least 24 hours is okay.2 When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 190oC, (375oF/gas mark 5). Split open the chorizo and break the flesh into small pieces – this can be done with your hands or it might be easier to use a knife. Using gloves, gently loosen the neck flap away from the breast, pack the chorizo right under the skin and rub into the flesh of the turkey well. Re-cover with the skin and secure with a small skewer or sew with fine twine, then cover the top with the rashers. 3 Place the prepared turkey crown in the oven and calculate your time, 20 minutes per 450g (1lb) plus 20 minutes. This will cook much quicker, so make sure to keep basting and you can cover with foil if it’s browning too quickly. When cooked, cover with foil to rest and keep warm. Drain away the cooking juices to make the gravy.4 To serve, carve the turkey crown into slices and arrange on warmed plates with a selection of your favourite accompaniments.
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