Great British Food Christmas 2024

T I PS FROM THE TOP Give yourChristmas feasting extra sparkle this yearwith these delicious ideas fromrenowned chefs TURKE Y Elliot Day, co-founder at FieldGoods “Brine that turkey! It's a tradition inherited fromour Mum's American side of the family and it's failsafe. It may seemweird to soak a whole turkey in salty water, but trust me, you’ll never look back! We make our brine with water, beer, salt, sugar, orange, cloves and smoked bacon.” S I DE S & GRAVY L E F TOVE RS GADGE T S & T IME - SAV I NG Theo Randall, chef patron at Theo Randall at the InterContinental “Do as much prep as you can the day before – peel your root veg, wash greens, prep snacks and pre boil your potatoes so they’re ready for roasting on Christmas day. Make sure you also have your cutlery, glasses and plates washed and polished so there’s no panic when trying to find things.” Rob Mitchell, executive chef at Drake &Morgan “I recommend a dry brine for turkey – it leaves a juicy turkey with the crispest skin! To dry brine your turkey, pat all over with paper towels and rub a mixture of good quality sea salt, black pepper and light brown sugar all over and inside the turkey and leave for at least 12 hours in the fridge.” Niklas Ekstedt, Ekstedt at The Yard “Make something special with the leftovers – a Christmas pyttipanna. Chop turkey, potatoes and any leftover vegetables and fry everything together in a large pan with some butter. Add in a few festive spices like cinnamon and cloves, before serving with lingonberry jam for a delicious Swedish touch!” Paul Da Costa, senior sous chef at Lanes of London (Marriott Hotel London Park Lane) “Left-over roast vegetables make a great salad when mixed with a simple dressing and to use up excess gravy, roast potatoes andmeat, turn them into croquettes.” AdamBateman, executive chef at Straits Kitchen, Pan Pacific London “Buy a meat probe – it takes all the guesswork and worry out of cooking your turkey or salmon, especially on Christmas Day. It’s game-changing.” Eran Tibi, executive chef at Kapara and Bala Baya “Adding date syrup or date purée to gravy creates a beautiful, balanced flavour. Another way to up your gravy game is to add shawarma spice so it becomes a mix of sweet, spicy and salty flavours.” Jack Stein, chef director at Rick Stein Restaurants "My top tip for roast potatoes is to add the peel to the water as you boil them, as the skin carries somuch flavour that shouldn't be wasted. Get the water boiling before adding the skins, then boil for 15-20 mins with plenty of salt and strain then add to a pre- heated pan with oil.” Vivek Singh, CEO and Executive Chef of The Cinnamon Collection “Tamarind. Whatever sides you go for, it will bring them to life. Add it to your veg or potatoes in the last five minutes when they’re almost roasted, and it will make everything taste somuch fresher, livelier, and lighter as it cuts through all the fat." Benjamin Ferra Y Castell, head chef at Michelin- starred Pavyllon London “If you’re making gravy with red wine, don’t forget to add a square or two of dark chocolate – this will give extra body to your sauce.” greatbr i t i shfoodawards.com 18 GBF PROMOT ION