As we all know Christmas can be a seriously stressful time of year. Especially if you’re lumbered with the daunting responsibility of preparing the meal that carries the most expectation of the whole year in Christmas dinner. One of the hardest elements in a traditional Xmas meal has always been how to cook and carve the perfect turkey. To make sure you’re up to such a testing task you might need a bit of expert help.

Paul Kelly and his family have been perfecting the art of rearing flawless turkeys for nearly half a century and have become a household name for producing high-quality birds for the Christmas season. Consequently, the KellyBronze brand has become synonymous to British turkey excellence, loved by celebrity chefs such as Jamie Oliver and the British public alike.

With the cost, flavour and ease of cooking a whole bird in mind, double Guinness World Record holder (for the fastest time to pluck a turkey and the fastest time to carve a turkey) Paul Kelly wants to educate UK consumers on the benefits of going with a whole turkey over a crown this Christmas, and ensure everyone has a festive dinner to remember.

Given his serious expertise, we asked Paul for his top tips on how to cook and carve the perfect turkey to make preparing Christmas dinner a little less stressful this year.

COOKING TIPS

• Take the turkey out of the fridge and leave to stand for at least two hours, allowing it to reach room temperature before cooking.

• Preheat your oven to 180°C, or 160°C for fan ovens.

• Remove any trussing/string from the bird and the pack of giblets from inside the cavity, and place into a large roasting tin, breast down.

• Add your favourite vegetables to the tin along with one pint of water and the giblets, and season well.

• Place into the preheated oven, with no foil.

• Remove from the oven halfway through cooking, turn the bird over and puncture right through the thighs. Season well before returning to the oven.

• Check the core temperature using a meat thermometer 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time.

• Remove from the oven when the core temperature reaches just under 65°C, and leave to stand for a minimum of 30 minutes before carving. Do not cover with foil!

CARVING TIPS

• Hold the wing by the tip. Cut it at the midsection, then do the same to the other wing.

• Hold the leg by the end knuckle. Cut through the skin between the leg and the body and twist off, then do the same again to the other leg.

• Use the tip of the knife, cut along the breast bone (keep the knife close to the bone) until the breast is removed.

• Peel off both leg and breast skin. Place on a baking tray. Season and return to a hot oven for approx. 10-15 minutes until crisp – it’s delicious!

• Slice up the breast meat and carve the leg off the bone.

• Pour over the reheated gravy juices from the bird. Allow time to soak up the juices before serving.

For more information on KellyBronze and Paul Kelly, please visit www.kellybronze.co.uk.

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