Berkshire


<p>The pre-Christmas panic gets to the best of us, least of all when you have a mammoth turkey dinner and houseful of guests to contend with. If anyone can stave off the stress it&#8217;s Michelin star chef Simon Bonwick of <a href="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/pubs-inns/review-the-dew-drop-inn-hurley-muddy-stilettos/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Dew Drop Inn</a> in Hurley. But how does he do it?</p>



<p>Here, Simon gives the gift of his top tips for poached and roasted turkey with the most sublime juicy breast and a lovely, deep flavoursome leg. Plus, go the extra mile and wow your guests with his homemade petit fours for French and fancy festivities. Merry Christmas to you!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1241" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/Simon-Dew.jpeg" alt="Chef Simon Bonwick" class="wp-image-56115" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/Simon-Dew.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/Simon-Dew-645x800.jpeg 645w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/Simon-Dew-806x1000.jpeg 806w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/Simon-Dew-322x400.jpeg 322w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/Simon-Dew-768x953.jpeg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/Simon-Dew-423x525.jpeg 423w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pre-prep">PRE-PREP</h2>



<p>I like being with all the family and involved in the festivities rather than slavishly working away on my own in the kitchen on Christmas. How do I go about freeing myself up for the big day? Like this.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TOP TURKEY</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/claudio-schwarz-cgcteFH-azk-unsplash.jpg" alt="Christmas dinner tips Michelin star chef" class="wp-image-58594" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/claudio-schwarz-cgcteFH-azk-unsplash.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/claudio-schwarz-cgcteFH-azk-unsplash-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/claudio-schwarz-cgcteFH-azk-unsplash-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/claudio-schwarz-cgcteFH-azk-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/claudio-schwarz-cgcteFH-azk-unsplash-787x525.jpg 787w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-week-before">Week before</h3>



<p>Potter down to your local friendly butchers and get them to take the legs off your chosen best quality turkey and bone them out (ours is always Italian Hazelnut Fed Turkey). They’ll need to chop the bones from the legs up small and chop the carcass up too after he has taken the breasts off for you.</p>



<p>Grab 4kg of the best smoked back bacon and 2kg of the best&nbsp;sausage meat off your butcher too.</p>



<ol>
<li>Once home, lay 2 layers of clingfilm over a surface and place a turkey breast on to it, season with good salt and pepper. Wrap up tight into a cylinder-like shape. Now treat the other breast in the same way. When you’ve got two breasts wrapped up, put them in the fridge.</li>



<li>Clingfilm a surface like in the above and this time lay out flat the bacon rashers. Not all of them though as you have done both legs.</li>



<li>Reshape the turkey leg with the sausage meat inside it. Only do half of that mix as remember you have to do both legs.</li>



<li>Lay it on the bacon, pinch the clingfilm, and roll the stuffed leg up in the bacon and the clingfilm really tightly. Pop in the fridge.</li>



<li>Roast all your chopped legs, carcass, and giblets to a nice soft brown colour. Pop these in a plastic container and place in the fridge.</li>
</ol>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Day before</h3>



<p>On Christmas Eve, get all your favourite vegetable suspects together and prepare them to the stage of go! This especially goes for the roast potatoes. I like to cook Desiree potatoes to fluff, drain and coat in Goose Fat and good salt.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">On the day</h3>



<ol>
<li>Early Christmas morning, place your cling-filmed turkey breast in a deep enough saucepan or tray and cover as far as you can with water. Cover this tightly with tinfoil or a lid.</li>



<li>Pop the turkey breast in a preheated oven of 175°c for 1 hour 30 minutes. Leave to rest for as long as needed in a warm place &#8211; I suggest a minimum of 1 hour. I like to rest them 3 hours.</li>



<li>Take the legs from the fridge. Unwrap the tightly wrapped clingfilm legs and season with cracked pepper and a drizzle of honey. Roast at 175°c for 1 hour.</li>



<li>Now cover these roasted legs and keep warm in tinfoil.</li>



<li>Take the roasted bones from the fridge, pop them in your favourite pan and cover with a little white wine. You decide how much &#8211; I only like a small amount.</li>



<li>Add a spoonful of Dijon Mustard and top up with water. Get it on the heat and bring to the boil. Simmer for an hour. Add a dot of tomato puree and a splash of port and top back up with water. Simmer on for another hour.</li>



<li>In a clean pan bring a pint of good thick chicken stock to the boil. Now strain your cooked turkey stock into the chicken stock, reduce together and thicken with a mixture of water and arrow root. Done.</li>



<li>Once your potatoes and vegetables are all done, slice the poached turkey breast and the stuffed roasted leg. Plate up, boat up the gravy, and enjoy!</li>
</ol>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FANCY FRENCH PETIT FOURS</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/pexels-skyler-ewing-4600653.jpg" alt="Christmas dinner tips Michelin star chef" class="wp-image-58595" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/pexels-skyler-ewing-4600653.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/pexels-skyler-ewing-4600653-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/pexels-skyler-ewing-4600653-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/pexels-skyler-ewing-4600653-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/pexels-skyler-ewing-4600653-787x525.jpg 787w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Forget warm mince pies,&nbsp;if you&#8217;re wanting to impress some more after the turkey, spend some free time before the big day making delicious and delightful French Petit Fours which can also be found in my best-selling book <em>Cooking In Pubs</em>.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">PISTACHIO MACAROONS</h3>



<ul>
<li>30g unsalted pistachios, finely chopped 125g ground almonds</li>



<li>205g icing sugar</li>



<li>100g egg whites</li>



<li>20 drops of green food colouring for that special deep green look</li>



<li>Pistachio Ganache 100ml single cream 40g unsalted pistachios 40g caster sugar</li>



<li>1 tbsp vanilla sugar</li>



<li>2 egg yolks</li>



<li>20g softened butter</li>
</ul>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Step-by-step</h4>



<ol>
<li>Pre-heat oven to 170°C and line a baking tray with baking parchment.</li>



<li>For your macaroons: mix up the pistachios and almonds. Sift the icing sugar over a piece of baking parchment. Whisk up egg whites until stiff and add one tablespoon of icing sugar and then the remaining sugar, all the while whisking nice and fast.</li>



<li>Now add the almond mixture to the egg whites and fold together with a spatula and lots of love. Also, you can add in your green food colouring at this point.</li>



<li>Fill up a pastry bag with this mixture and hold the bag perpendicular to the baking tray while squeezing the bag until you’ve got your desired amount of mixture. Continue to do this. Be sure to leave a nice amount of space between each. Set these aside for 30 minutes and then bake them for around about 14 minutes.</li>



<li>To know if they’re ready, give them a gentle touch. If they move or are soft then leave them be. They need longer.</li>



<li>Heat the cream in a saucepan over a medium heat and then add in your pistachios, sugar and vanilla sugar. Bring this to the boil before throwing in your eggs and keep them cooking at 85°C. Take this off the heat and stir in your butter before refrigerating.</li>



<li>Now to assemble them: Take one of your macaroons and spread on some of your ganache to the flat side before placing a second macaroon on top that. Keep this up until you’ve got no more ganache or macaroons.</li>



<li>To finish, put them in the fridge overnight and then have yourself a wonderful feast the next day.</li>
</ol>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/pexels-hong-son-5194490.jpg" alt="Christmas dinner tips Michelin star chef" class="wp-image-58596" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/pexels-hong-son-5194490.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/pexels-hong-son-5194490-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/pexels-hong-son-5194490-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/pexels-hong-son-5194490-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/pexels-hong-son-5194490-787x525.jpg 787w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">MADELEINES</h3>



<ul>
<li>2 eggs</li>



<li>100g caster sugar 100g plain flour</li>



<li>1 lemon, juice and zest 1 tsp baking powder 100g melted butter</li>
</ul>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Step-by-step</h4>



<ol>
<li>Pre-heat the oven to 200°C.</li>



<li>Brush the madeleine tray generously with the melted butter.</li>



<li>Whisk the eggs and sugar together in bowl until it’s looking nicely frothy. Now gently whisk in the ingredients you have left.</li>



<li>Allow this mixture approximately 20 minutes to stand before carefully pouring into the madeleine tray that you got ready earlier.</li>



<li>Bake for 8-10 minutes before transferring them onto a wire rack in order for them to cool. Then, all that’s left to do is enjoy them.</li>
</ol>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1500" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/pexels-geraud-pfeiffer-6605306.jpg" alt="Christmas dinner tips Michelin star chef" class="wp-image-58597" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/pexels-geraud-pfeiffer-6605306.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/pexels-geraud-pfeiffer-6605306-533x800.jpg 533w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/pexels-geraud-pfeiffer-6605306-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/pexels-geraud-pfeiffer-6605306-267x400.jpg 267w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/pexels-geraud-pfeiffer-6605306-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/12/pexels-geraud-pfeiffer-6605306-350x525.jpg 350w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">CANELÉS</h3>



<ul>
<li>470ml of full-fat milk</li>



<li>50g of unsalted butter</li>



<li>1⁄2 vanilla pod split lengthways, remove seeds</li>



<li>230g of granulated sugar</li>



<li>1 medium egg, plus 2 medium yolks, give these a good beating</li>



<li>50ml dark rum</li>



<li>120g plain flour</li>



<li>Beeswax</li>
</ul>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Step-by-step</h4>



<ol>
<li>Throw 160ml milk, the butter, vanilla pod and seeds, plus 20g of sugar into a nice, medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Take it off the heat and allow to cool until lukewarm – not too hot and not too cold.</li>



<li>Now whisk in the eggs until nicely jumbled in. Then add the rum and the last of the milk.</li>



<li>Next up, mix together the flour, left over sugar and 1⁄2 a teaspoon of salt in a big old bowl. Then, whisk in the liquid, 1⁄3 at a time. This should be a lovely creamy consistency now.</li>



<li>Using a sieve, strain the batter into an airtight container. Place clingfilm on top of the batter to stop it from creating its own little skin. Then close the lid, nice and tightly, and pop into the fridge to chill overnight.</li>



<li>Heat the oven to 230°C. Warm 16x 5cm canelés moulds in the oven for 5-10 minutes.</li>



<li>Brush the moulds with a thin layer of beeswax and then fill them up with the batter, but not completely because we want them to rise.</li>



<li>Now slide your moulds into the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes. After, swivel your tray round 180 degrees and bring the oven temperature down by 50°C and bake for 30-35 minutes. Coming to the end of their time in the oven, our canelés should be looking a beautiful maple colour.</li>



<li>To finish this off, take the canelés out of the oven and let them sit for 10 minutes and then turn the moulds upside- down and carefully tap the base until the canelés slide their way out. And now they’re ready to go.</li>
</ol>



<p><em>Simon&#8217;s best-selling cook book, Cooking in Pubs is available to purchase <a href="https://www.awaywithmedia.com/buy-books/Simon-Bonwick" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.</em></p>


How to cook Christmas lunch like a Michelin star chef

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