Allspice Brined Turkey - Super succulent

I got this recipe from Nigella's Christmas. Turkey turned out really well, tasty and moist. I had a boned and rolled turkey, definately the way to go.

For the Turkey

• 4-5 kg turkey
• 6 litres water
• 125 g packet of table salt / 1 250g packet Maldon sea salt 
• 3 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tbsp caraway seeds
• 4 cloves
• 2 tbsp allspice berries
• 4 star anise
• 2 tbsp white mustard seeds
• 200 g caster sugar
• 2 onions, quartered
• 1 x 6 cm piece of ginger, cut into 6 slices
• 1 orange, quartered
• 4 tbsp maple syrup
• 4 tbsp clear honey

For the basting glaze

• 75 g butter
• 3 tbsp maple syrup

1. For the turkey: place the water into your largest cooking pot or bucket/plastic bin and add all the turkey ingredients, stirring to dissolve the salt, sugar, syrup and honey. (Squeeze the juice of the orange quarters into the brine before you chuck the pieces in.)

2. Untie and remove any string or trussing attached to the turkey, shake it free and add it to the liquid. Add more water if the turkey is not completely submerged. Keep the mixture in a cold place, even outside overnight or for up to a day or two before you cook it, remembering to take it out of its liquid (and wiping it dry with kitchen-towel) a good 40 or 50 minutes before it has to go into the oven. Turkeys - indeed this is the case for all meat - should be at room temperature before being put in the preheated oven. If you're at all concerned - the cold water in the brine will really chill this bird - then just cook the turkey for longer than its actual weight requires.

3. For the basting glaze: place the butter and syrup into a saucepan and cook over a low heat, while stirring, until the ingredients have melted and combined.

4. Brush the turkey with the glaze before roasting, and baste periodically through out the turkey roasting time.

5. Preheat the oven to 220C/gas 7. Cook the turkey for half an hour at this relatively high temperature, then turn the oven down to 180C/gas 4 and continue cooking, turning the oven back up to 220C/gas 7 for the last quarter of an hour or so if you want to give a final, browning boost to the skin. For a 4-5kg turkey, allow two-and-a-half to three hours in total. But remember that ovens vary enormously, so just check by piercing the flesh between leg and body with a small sharp knife: when the juices run clear, the turkey's cooked.

6. Just as it's crucial to let the turkey come to room temperature before it goes in to the oven, so it's important to let it stand out of the oven for a good 20 minutes before you actually carve it

Beef and Onions in Beer

Inspired by the Good Food Magazine. This is a yummy stew.

Serves 6
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 2 hours 15 mins

small knob of butter
1 - 2 tbsp olive oil
12 baby onions, peeled and left whole
1 tsp soft brown sugar
1.5kg shin of beef (or blade / rib steak) trimmed and cut into cubes
2 tbsp plain flour
500ml bottle of beer ( I used Weiss as that is what I had in the fridge)
500ml beef stock
1 bouquet garni, made from thyme, parsley and rosemary
potatoes and savoy cabbage to serve (I used sweet potatoes)

1. Heat oven to 150oC/130oC Fan/Gas 2. Heat the butter and 1 tbsp of oil in a large flameproof casserole dish with a lid. Add the onions and brown all over - approx 5 mins. Sprinkle over the brown sugar and continue to cook the onions over a low heat for another 5 minutes.
2. Remove the onions, but keep the dish on the heat and start to brown the meat in batches. You will probably need to add more olive oil.
3. Once the meat is browned, out the onions back in the dish with the meat. Sprinkle over flour and stir well. Add the beer and enough stock to cover the meat. Pop the bouquet garni into the pan and season (salt & pepper).

4. Bring to a simmer ontop of the stove then cover and put in the oven for 2 hours, Serve with potatoes and cabbage, if you like, or try sweet potatoes.

Beef Stroganoff

I normally make a Pork Stroganoff and was looking through my cook books and decided to try a new recipe. Most of the recipes I have made would require you to stir fry beef, onions and garlic with paprika and then add cream. This I have to say is the BEST Beef Stroganoff recipe I have tried so far.. It takes a little longer than my usual recipes picks so would say this is weekend recipe or you could get this done and in the oven mid week.. you decide.

It is also from A Year at Avoca - Cook Book 3

Ingredients
Serves 6 - 8

1.5kg good quality striploin beef, cut into thin strips (I picked up Sirloin in the supermarket by mistake and it worked out extremely well)
2 tblsp seasoned flour (salt and pepper added to the flour)
2 tlsp olive oil
1 large onion thinly sliced
3 large garlic cloves crushed
1 dessert spoon sweet paprika powder
couple sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
3 tblsp cognac (Hennesey)
200 - 300ml Beef stock
1 dessert spoon dijon mustard
good splash worchestershire sauce
300g mixed button and chestnut mushrooms
400g sour cream or creme fraiche
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

To Make

Lightly toss the meat in the seasoned flour, then brown meat in small batches on a medium heat in a frying pan. Set aside on a plate until you have browned all the meat. In a casserole, cook the onion in a little oil until softened, 6 - 8 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, herbs and the browned meat and juices and cook, stirring gently, 2 - 3 minutes. Next, add the cognac and carefully light it using a match, you want it to flame for 20 - 30 seconds, to cook off the brandy, giving a subtle flavour. Now, Add just enough beef stock to cover everything by 2 cm, add a splash or worchestershire sauce and the mustard and stir well. Bring the casserole to a simmer on the heat and then cover with a tight-fitiing lid and transfer to oven to cook for 30 mins. Remove from the oven, add the mushrooms and creme fraiche and return to the oven for a further 30 mins by which stage the meat should  be very tender and mushrooms are cooked through.

To Serve

Serve this with creamy champ and a lightly salad of organic baby leaves.

My daughter does not like spring onions so I served this with creamy mash potato.