Merry Christmas – Turkey tips and leftover recipes

I would just like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas, and thank everyone who has visited my recipe blog over the last year.

I hope everyone has a happy Christmas, but also spare some thought for those less fortunate, please consider making a small donation to a charity.

I have some recipes included below that will help you make some delicious meals from your left over turkey, from curries to soups – lots of ideas to make your Christmas as delicious as possible.

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Christmas dinner tips

I always have a Prawn cocktail as a Christmas starter, as it is easy to prepare and quick to assemble before serving. The cocktail sauce is based upon a recipe created by my dad and just says “Christmas” to me.

Prawn cocktail

In terms of cooking your turkey, I have my own method and have a few tips for you. Preparation is everything, I always do my preparation on Christmas eve as Christmas day is always quite busy.

I make a mixture of butter, parsley, garlic and a seasoning, then carefully lift the skin off the bird at both ends by sliding my fingers between the meat and skin – taking care not to rip the skin. I then put as much of the butter mixture as I can under the skin to flavour and moisten the meat as it cooks.

My stuffing is a mixture of sausage meat, finely diced onion, parsley, sage, egg, breadcrumbs and seasoning – all well mixed together. I stuff the neck end of the bird and then use cocktail sticks or string to tie the neck closed.

In the main cavity I stuff the turkey with half a lemon, a bulb of garlic, a onion, a carrot, a bay leaf and a stick of celery. Once the Turkey is placed on the roasting tin I add some more onion, garlic, carrot, lemon, celery, a glass of white wine and some Christmas herbs (sage, parsley, rosemary and thyme) round the bird to help flavour it and its juices.

I then rub some more of the butter mixture on the outside of the turkey, then drizzle the turkey with generous seasoning, honey, then layer streaky bacon over the top. The turkey is then covered in a foil tent, which is kept on during most of the cooking time – remove it for the last 20-25 minutes, during which baste the turkey frequently.

In terms of cooking time, these are a guide – always check juices run clear (or use thermometer) before resting the turkey.

2.7kg – 3.6kg (6-8lbs) 2 ½ – 3 ¾ hrs
3.6kg – 4.5kg (8-10lbs) 3 ¼ – 3 ¾ hrs
4.5kg – 5.4kg (10-12lbs) 3 ¾ – 4 ¼ hrs

I find this method to be full proof, and guaranteed to give you flavoursome moist turkey meat.

For gravy, I collect the roasting juices and cook with a splash of white wine, a little red current jelly and a little cornflour to thicken it.

For sides, I par boil potatoes then roast them at a high temperature in duck fat with some rosemary. I also love honey glazed carrots and parsnips roasted in duck fat with a little thyme. Along with the mandatory pigs in blankets.

Leftovers

The recipes below are all suitable for making great tasting meals from leftover turkey, simply add the cooked turkey meat towards the end of cooking and heat it through thoroughly before serving. Personally I find strong Asian flavours to be a great accompaniment to leftover turkey.

Please email me at theferretchef@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Soups

Boil the turkey bones in a deep pan of water along with some carrots, onions, leeks, celery, bay leaf, peas, salt and some black peppercorns – boil for 20 minutes then cover and reduce to a simmer for at least 3-4 hours.

Make sure you use plenty of water relative to the turkey as the stock can be very strongly flavoured. For example I will be using just over 2L for a medium sized turkey.

Please check out my soups menu for recipe ideas, personally I think turkey stock is best used in tomato or vegetable based soups.

Soups menu

Once again have a very merry Christmas!

December 22, 2018December 22, 2018

Ferret ChefLeave a comment

Soups

Menu Page for my soup recipes

Carrot and Coriander Soup

Click on links below for recipes

Asian soups

Chicken noodle soup

Tomato egg flower soup

Laksa

Mussels in Laksa Broth

Mediterranean soups

Char Grilled Pepper and Butternut Squash Soup

Pan Roasted Tomato and Pepper Soup

My Ultimate Tomato Soup

Tomato soup

Mexican soups

Mexican Soup

Mexican Prawn and Crab Soup

Spiced Bean Soup

Scottish soups

White Cabbage Soup

Scottish Parsnip Soup

Carrot and Coriander Soup

December 18, 2018December 18, 2018

Ferret ChefLeave a comment

Thai King Prawn Curry

King Prawns cooked in a delicious Thai red curry sauce.

This is a quick and easy recipe to make a delicious Thai prawn curry, although you can substitute the prawns for chicken, pork, white fish or tofu if you are a vegetarian. Serve with boiled fragrant jasmine rice.

The authentic flavours come form a wonderful homemade curry paste, like all good Thai curries. There are quite a few ingredients in the paste, however they are perfectly balance and can be used in many other dishes. All the ingredients I use are easily obtained in Scotland from your local Asian supermarket, and increasingly your regular supermarket.

For this recipe you only need half the paste, the other half can be stored in fridge for up to five days, or frozen for next time. You can also use the paste to marinade chicken before roasting, or as I did marinade tiger prawns then roast them in the curry paste – just amazing!

Serves Two people

Preparation 10 minutes, cooking time 10-12 minutes

Ingredients and method

For the curry paste:

4 large red chillies – remove stalk and seeds

6 bird eye chillies – remove stalk and seeds

3 red onions – peel, roughly dice

Thumb sized piece root ginger – peel, roughly chop

2 sticks lemongrass – bruise, remove outer husk and thinly slice

1 medium sized garlic bulb – peel each clove

2 tbsp. cashew nuts

Juice of 2 limes

2 lime leafs

2 tbps ketchup manis

2 tbsp. oyster sauce

1 tbsp. dark soy sauce

3 tbsp. vegetable oil

2 tbsp. coriander stalks

3 tbsp. desiccated coconut

3 tbsp. brown sugar

3 cardamom pods

3 cloves

Method: Use a mini blender or food processor to blitz all the ingredients into a smooth paste. Cutting the harder and more fibrous ingredients such as the ginger and lemongrass helps for a smoother paste. You can also do this the authentic Thai way by using a mortar and pestle – unfortunately due to my disabilities I can no longer do this.

You only need half the paste for this recipe, to store the other half either freeze it (does not effect the flavour like some claim) or store it in a refrigerated airtight container for up to 5 days.

For the main dish:

Half the curry paste

150-200ml coconut milk

50ml water

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

225g Raw king prawns – Shells removed, devein

1 large red chilli – remove stalk, thinly slice

6-8 large Mint leaves – bruise, thinly sliced

2 tbsp. roughly chopped coriander leaf

Method: Heat 1 tbsp. of oil in a wide deep frying pan or wok over a high heat. Add the curry paste, reduce heat to medium and stir fry for 6-8 minutes until the paste is very aromatic. If it begins to catch add a little of the water to loosen the sauce.

Add the water and 150ml coconut milk to the sauce along with the mint leaves, increase the heat until the sauce begins to boil then reduce to a simmer for 2-3 minutes. Taste test the sauce, add a little extra coconut milk if you wish but keep some to drizzle over the dish. Add the prawns and poach them in the sauce for 1-2 minutes, until they change from grey to pink and sauce starts to bubble again.

To complete the dish sprinkle the chopped coriander and sliced chillies on top, and drizzle a swirl of coconut milk on top (1-2 tbsp.). Serve straight away with some fragrant boiled jasmine rice.

Please browse my other recipes

June 6, 2018January 25, 2019

Ferret Chef7 Comments

Tiger prawns with Red Curried crab and Wok Fried Rice Noodles

A delicious Thai dish with wok fried marinated rice noodles, stir fried crab in red curry paste, topped with pan fried Indonesian Tiger Prawns.

Normally I feel a bit sheepish about describing my recipes, but as this recipe was created by Mrs Ferret chef I feel that I can praise it without feeling silly. This was truly delicious and worthy of a good Thai restaurant, the kind of dish you would happily pay good money for and return for it time after time.

This dish uses the same curry paste used in my Thai King Prawn Red curry – so is an excellent way to make two very different meals from the same curry paste. Remember this paste freezes very well or can be stored in a refrigerated air tight container for up to 5 days.

Its important to use good prawns, and Indonesian tiger prawns in their shells are the best I can get in Edinburgh at the moment. Keep the heads on prawns when you cook them, there is so much flavour in them, and take care to remove them from the heat the second they are cooked – overcooked prawns are such a disappointment.

This dish may seem fiddly but it is really quite easy to cook. There are three elements to the dish. The Prawns are fried quickly in hot oil, the crab is fried in the curry paste and cooked rice noodles are wok fried in a marinade. None of these are complicated but as with all good dishes they are worth doing right.

For an optional garnish separate some uncooked dried rice noodles and add to hot oil, they will quickly puff up, remove them from oil and drain on absorbent paper. They add a wonderful texture to this and many other Thai dishes, and can be stored in an airtight jar for next time.

Preparation 30-35 minutes, cooking time less than 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the curry paste:

8 cloves garlic – peeled
thumb of ginger – peeled and slice thinly
2 large red chillies – remove stalk, keep seeds
4 red bird eye chillies – remove stalk keep seeds
Zest and juice of 1 lime
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp tamarind paste
2 tsp shrimp paste
2 tbsp. fish sauce
1 tbsp. coriander stalks
4 dessert spoons brown sugar
3 dessert spoons desiccated coconut
6 black peppercorns
2 sticks lemongrass – bruise, remove outer husk, slice thinly
Handful of peanuts
8-10 Thai basil leafs – remove stalk
2 lime leafs
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder

Method: Use a mini chopper, food processor or mortar and pestle to pound into a smooth paste. Slicing ginger and lemongrass beforehand makes it much easier to form a smooth paste. Once a smooth paste has been formed separate into two even portions. As mentioned above the spare portion can be frozen or stored in an airtight refrigerated container for up to 5 days.

For the curried crab

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
5 tablespoons of curry paste – see above
1 tin white crab meat

For the Tiger prawns

4 Tiger prawns – devein but keep head and shell on
2 tbsp. vegetable oil

For the wok fried rice noodles

2 portions of pre cooked rice noodles
3 to 4 cloves garlic – minced
Thumb of ginger – cut into fine matchsticks
125ml fish stock
1 red bell pepper – sliced into thin strips
Handful coriander – roughly chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce

Method: In a bowl combine the stock, fish sauce, dark soy, light soy, sugar, lime and sweet chilli sauce. Mix well until combined and set aside ready to add to the wok.

Optional garnishes

Fried rice noodles – see opening paragraph
handful of peanuts
2-3 tbsp. roughly chopped coriander

Cooking Method

To cook the curried crab: Heat 1 tbsp. of vegetable oil in a wok or frying pan, add the curry paste and fry for 5 minutes. Add the crab just before serving and use the back of a spoon to stir it through the sauce (to prevent crab breaking up). Set aside and heat through just before serving.

To cook the prawns: Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan until smoking hot, add the prawns and fry for 1-2 minutes on each side. The second the prawn turns pink turn it over, once it is pink on both sides remove from oil and drain on absorbent paper. The prawns will stay hot in their shells for at least 5 minutes, so cook them then fry the rice noodles.

To cook the rice noodles: heat 2 tbsp. vegetable oil in the wok until smoking hot, add the garlic, ginger and bell pepper and stir fry for 1 minute. Add the rice noodles, stir well then pour in the sauce from the bowl (see ingredients section). Stir fry until the sauce has almost been absorbed or cooked off, this will take 4-5 minutes.

To assemble dish: Place bed of noodles on plate, then ladle the curried crab on top. Place the prawns on top of the curried crab then sprinkle the garnishes on top.

April 17, 2018January 25, 2019

Ferret Chef4 Comments

Thai King Prawn Red curry

Delicious curry made with a fresh homemade curry paste, with King Prawns, green beans and Thai herbs.

Like all good Thai curries the secret is using a fresh homemade paste. Don’t use the ones in jars from the supermarket, they simply don’t have the flavour. This recipe gives enough paste for two meals, simply store in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze it – it defrosts well and doesn’t loose its flavour. I will feature a number of other recipes using this paste in the coming weeks.

The dish itself is very quick and easy to cook and will bring back those memories of Bangkok or sitting on a perfect Thai beach. I wish I was there now!

Serves two people

Preparation 15 minutes, cooking time approx. 15 minutes

Ingredients and method

For the curry paste

8 cloves garlic – peeled

thumb of ginger – peeled and slice thinly

2 large red chillies – remove stalk, keep seeds

4 red bird eye chillies – remove stalk keep seeds

Zest and juice of 1 lime

3 tbsp. vegetable oil

2 tsp tamarind paste

2 tsp shrimp paste

2 tbsp. fish sauce

1 tbsp. coriander stalks

4 dessert spoons brown sugar

3 dessert spoons desiccated coconut

6 black peppercorns

2 sticks lemongrass – bruise, remove outer husk, slice thinly

Handful of peanuts

8-10 Thai basil leafs – remove stalk

2 lime leafs

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp coriander powder

For the main dish

2 portions of jasmine rice – cook as per packet instructions

200g raw King prawns – shell and head removed

200ml coconut milk

150ml water

70g fine green beans – cut into 4-5cm batons

2 tbsp. roughly chopped coriander leaf

4 spring onions (white part only) – slice diagonally into 4cm lengths

8-10 Thai basil leafs – remove stalk

1 lime – cut into wedges to garnish

Method: Start by frying the paste in a non stick pan, as there is oil in the paste there should be no need to add extra, if paste sticks to pan loosen with a little water rather than adding oil. As the rice takes a similar time start to cook it now as per packet instructions. Fry paste for 4-5 minutes until the paste moves round pan as a single mass, take care not to let paste stick to pan and burn. Add the coconut milk and the water and stir well until fully combined, bring to boil and simmer for 7-8 minutes. Add the green beans and the spring onion and simmer for a further 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the raw king prawns to the sauce and poach them, bring back to a simmer and continue to cook until the prawns change from grey to pink. Remove from heat and serve immediately along with the cooked jasmine rice. Garnish the dish with the coriander, Thai basil and lime wedges.

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April 4, 2018January 25, 2019

Ferret Chef1 Comment

Thai Pork Schnitzel with red curry sauce

A breaded pork schnitzel fried in lemongrass flavoured oil, served on a bed of jasmine rice and covered in a red curry sauce.

Delicious crispy on the outside and juicy inside pork goes so well with a flavoursome red curry sauce. The curry sauce is a well balanced mixture of 22 ingredients!

A fusion of Austrian and Thai cuisine. My photos really don’t do this fantastic dish any justice – it was truly delicious. Please give it a try and you will see!

Serves two people

preparation time 20 minutes, cooking 20 minutes

Ingredients

approx 390g Pork fillet – see instructions below

2 portions of rice – I used Jasmin but basmati or long grain also works

2 lime wedges – to serve

1 egg – lightly beaten in a bowl

flour – in a bowl to coat pork

Panko breadcrumbs – in a bowl to coat pork

2-3 sticks lemon grass – bruise with rolling pin

vegetable oil to shallow fry – 3-4cm depth in frying pan

Salt and pepper – to lightly season flour

For the pork – Cut in half, fold each half in parchment paper then using a rolling pin beat the pork fillet until it is flat and tender, so it is around 2cm thick. Give it a good beating as this will also tenderise the meat. Once flat coat each piece in flour, then dip in the egg then into the breadcrumbs making sue all sides are coated in breadcrumbs. Then dip back into the egg then back into the breadcrumbs, double dipping helps ensure a nice coating. Cover and set aside ready for cooking.

For the curry sauce:

100ml coconut cream – do not add this to the paste

2 sticks lemon grass – bruise, inner part only

Thumb ginger – peel, chop to make forming paste easier

Bulb garlic

3 large red chillies

1 medium red onion

3 Tbsp cashew nuts

3 lime leafs

1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp paprika

3 green cardamom pods

4 cloves

1 tsp crushed chillies

2 dessert spoon brown sugar

1 desert chilli paste

3 dessert spoons desiccated coconut

2 Tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp shrimp paste

4 black peppercorns

3 dessert spoons vegetable oil

Method: Use a mini blender (or mortar and pestle) to form a smooth curry paste from the ingredients – do not add the coconut cream to the paste.

Cooking instructions

Start by making the curry sauce as this can be heat through just before serving. In a wok and fry the curry paste over a high heat for 7-8 minutes, until it is aromatic and moves round an as a single mass. Many Thai chefs will fry the curry paste until it starts to split from the oil.
Add the coconut cream, saving a small amount to drizzle over the final dish. Stir well then remove from heat and set aside.
Cook rice as per packet instructions.
Heat oil (approx 3cm deep) in a large flat frying pan. Place the lemon grass sticks in the oil as it heats so it flavours the oil. Heat over a high heat until the oil is sizzling hot and keep hob on high throughout the cooking.
Add the pork schnitzle to the oil (lay it away from you to avoid oil splashes) and fry on each side for approx 3 minutes until the panko is golden brown and crispy. Remove the pork from the oil and drain on absorbent paper.
Heat the curry sauce through. Place a bed of rice on the plate, the schnitzle on top then pour some sauce over the top. Serve with a wedge of lime and enjoy!