Christmas morning in the kitchen need not be a frantic scramble. Culinary expert Flora Shedden, in her acclaimed book 'Winter In The Highlands', provides a masterplan for a spectacular yet manageable festive feast, centred on a gloriously herby roast turkey and a suite of impeccable make-ahead sides.
The Centrepiece: A Juicy, Herb-Crusted Turkey
The cornerstone of Shedden's strategy is preparation. Her key advice is to prepare the bird the night before, allowing it to come to room temperature for one to two hours on the day. This simple step is crucial for ensuring the meat stays succulent. For a 7kg free-range turkey, she advocates cooking it as early as possible to allow for an extensive resting period of at least 90 minutes, but ideally two hours or more.
The flavour begins with a base of unpeeled garlic cloves, onion wedges, and celery batons in the roasting tin. The turkey is then generously smeared with 200g of chilled goose fat, which helps the 20g each of sage leaves and rosemary sprigs adhere to the skin. A final grating of nutmeg adds a warm, festive note.
Cooking should be guided by weight and a reliable thermometer. Shedden recommends 30-35 minutes per kilo for a high-welfare bird, aiming for an internal temperature of 65°C, as it will continue to cook while resting. The bird is initially covered with foil for the first 1.5-2 hours, then uncovered to colour, with the tin turned regularly.
Spectacular Make-Ahead Side Dishes
The genius of this menu lies in its do-ahead potential, freeing up vital oven space on the day.
Poached Parsnips with Pecan & Thyme Crumble: This innovative twist sees 1kg of parsnips gently poached in chicken stock before being scattered with a nutty crumble of oats, wholemeal flour, parmesan, thyme, and 100g of chopped pecans. The entire dish can be assembled up to two days in advance.
Roasted Potatoes with Garlic: For the ultimate crispy roastie, 3kg of Maris Piper potatoes are parboiled, fluffed up, then roasted in 180g of hot goose fat. The secret is adding bashed garlic cloves and fresh rosemary and thyme right at the end to perfume the potatoes without burning.
Sage, Chestnut & Bacon Stuffing: Shedden warns that this stuffing, made with 650g of sausage meat, 150g of bacon, and 180g of cooked chestnuts, is so moreish it's "never enough". The mixture is rolled into balls, which can be refrigerated for two days or frozen.
Marsala & Shallot Gravy: A rich, make-ahead gravy forms the foundation. A stock is slowly simmered for over two hours using chicken thighs, vegetables, herbs, and 150g of Marsala wine. On the day, it's combined with the turkey roasting juices and thickened for a deeply flavourful result.
Sprouts with Tahini: A plea to stop boiling sprouts is heeded with this vibrant dish. Halved sprouts and kale are quickly fried with garlic and parsley, then served with a creamy tahini dressing and toasted pumpkin seeds. Components can be prepped the night before.
The Perfect Festive Refreshment
To start the celebrations, Shedden offers a Clementine Fizz. Mixing 300g of fresh clementine juice with optional Cointreau and topping with 450g of ginger kombucha creates a less boozy, vibrant alternative to Buck's Fizz.
All recipes are extracted from Winter In The Highlands by Flora Shedden, photographed by Laura Edwards (Quadrille, £26). This comprehensive guide transforms the Christmas dinner from a daunting task into a joyful, flavour-packed celebration.
