Arcadia Ireland
Thanksgiving in Ireland Part 1. What I've Learned from Cooking a Turkey!
Date
November 18, 2019
In Ireland we don't celebrate Thanksgiving but I'm sure you have figured this out already! In terms of food, we Irish love to eat turkey on Christmas day. A typical Irish thing is to have Christmas dinner on the 25th gathering family and friends like you would for Thanksgiving.
My first turkey cooking experience began three years ago and hand on my heart, I can safely say that it was one of the most stressful experiences of my life to date! I still ask myself why I took on with the task of hosting twelve major foodies during an already chaotic Christmas 2016. A moment of weakness perhaps, I'm not sure. My son was less than 8 weeks old, I was running around frantically trying to get used to diapers and feeds and I was sleep deprived. Now on top of all this, a beautiful, raw and slightly over sized bird landed on my lap to take care of because I, in that moment of weakness had offered to feed the ones I love. This was my baby (no pun intended) and on the 25th December 2016, it was way too late to back out!
The stress began when I had to choose the right size of the bird. Was there going to be enough for twelve of us ? What if people were extra hungry and I didn’t have enough? Will it be too dry? Will it be too moist? Do I have to clean out the turkey? How do I know when its cooked? All these questions were running through my mind as soon as I had sent out the Christmas dinner invite. The announcement was made though so I had to stick to my word and deliver! I had waited over thirty years to take on the task of cooking the Turkey dinner! This was now my year to show that I was a fully formed grown up capable of doing lots of things including feeding many people. On the outside I was a peaceful enthusiastic person who seemed grounded and calm but on the inside I was an absolute ball of stress terrified that I would mess this beautiful bird up in some way.
Two days before the dinner, I made the purchase! It was a Dunnes Stores turkey in the end, as I knew the farm in Monaghan where the bird had once lived! The cooking started shortly after a 6 am alarm call on Christmas morning. Oven blasted, stuffing prepared, bird cleaned and packed with this delicious filling and it was all systems go! Before I knew it, five busy hours had passed and in two little hours my guests would be here. It was time to quickly switch my attention to the trimmings - the extras that usually appear on a Christmas dinner table. There were mashed potatoes, roast potatoes, garlic potatoes, brussel sprouts, carrots and parsnips, florets of broccoli, goodies for the vegans, extras for picky eaters and a wholesome homemade turkey gravy and a moist delicious stuffing made from bread and onions and good Irish butter. The day is a blur in a way as I ran from oven to table and back to cupboards for forgotten sauces and spices. I could hear satisfying sounds around the table - "mmm, yum, delish, fab" but I couldn't taste a single thing for some reason. With the worry and the many hours spent in the kitchen I believe I had suffered "Christmas cooking fatigue" and the only cure for this was now a perfectly chilled crisp glass of Pinot Grigio (I'd earned it for goodness sake!)
Here are some things I remember from the experience
Preparation Is Key
If you are ordering from a local butcher, then make sure that he will have a turkey in stock. Most places have some turkeys around this time of year for the Americans living in Ireland. However, you will need to place your order. If you decide to go with a frozen one from your local supermarket, then make sure they have some in stock or ask if unsure!
The Weight of the Turkey
Knowing the weight of the turkey and estimating the time taken to cook is important. The weight will obviously be on the side of the turkey bag if you go with a frozen one. If you buy from a butcher, he will tell you the weight and roughly how many people it will feed and how long it will take to cook.
Cook the Bird Properly
It is very important to make sure the bird isn’t raw in the middle. DO NOT eat the bird if it is still pink! PINK IS NOT GOOD! Do remember to leave enough time to defrost the bird if you buy a frozen one. Go to this site (I use it a lot for safe cooking - How to cook a turkey)
Go Where the Irish Go at Christmas
Visit Dealz, Dunnes or Tesco for a disposable turkey roasting tray or turkey roasting bag. Save yourself the hassle of standing at the kitchen sink for hours scrubbing an expensive one and just buy the one you can bin afterwards! You will get a good and inexpensive selection of fresh vegetable at your local Lidl or Aldi, Tesco or Dunnes (depending on your budget).
Gravy
A tip I learned was to keep some of the water from the vegetables and combine with some of the juice from the turkey to make a fab gravy. You might need some powdered gravy to thicken it up, but if you have the juices from both things it will taste much better! If you can’t be bothered making gravy from scratch, you will pick up a decent powder mix in Tesco or Dunnes (Aldi or Lidl didn’t stock them last time I looked!)
Of course, the non-meat eaters can still have a feast to remember. I’ve included some links to the less traditional and possibly healthier choice of foods and recipes.
Remember to make it one that you won’t forget! I want to help you create a great story when in a years time at your family table, you remember it with a gigantic smile on your face!
I’ll send a greeting or two next week; but for now, I wanted to get you into preparation mode! Have fun.