I always look forward to enjoying the traditional foods of Christmas. The menu is pretty standard year after year all across the prairies: turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, gravy, stuffing, fresh carrots from the garden (or other veggies), a coleslaw or garden salad, pickles and maybe some wine. The dessert of choice varies widely, based on family traditions but a Christmas Carrot Pudding is a classic. Of course, there are many Christmas desserts, including butter tarts and cherry cheesecake. If you are of Ukrainian descent, then dishes like cabbage rolls will be added.
Turkey
The turkey can be roasted with the breast up or down. If you put the breast down the turkey breast meat will be moist, it will unfortunately not have that golden browned recipe book perfect look. To have a nicely browned turkey, then roast with the breast up and uncover during the last hour of cooking to brown the turkey. Cook an unthawed and unstuffed turkey for 20 minutes per pound at 325 degrees, or until juices run clear and an internal temperature of 170 degree F. Reserve the juices (drippings) for the gravy. I always like to add a little poultry seasoning, with the salt and pepper to the gravy for an amazing flavour. Don’t forget that the turkey bones will make a great broth for homemade turkey soup.
Turkey Stuffing
Cut up one loaf of bread, (whole grain) into cubes, add 2 medium chopped onions, toss with 1/3 cup light olive oil, 1/2 cup melted butter, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning to taste. Yes, you have to taste it to get it right, before you pop the stuffing into the oven. Cook in 2 loaf pans, covered loosely with tin foil in the oven during the last 30-40 minutes of roasting the turkey. It is currently recommended to not cook the stuffing in the turkey. Roasting the turkey without the stuffing inside is considered a safer cooking method to help ensure the optimal internal cooking temperature of the turkey.
Cranberry Sauce
In a saucepan combine 2 1/2 cups frozen or fresh cranberries, 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup maple syrup or sugar. Cook on low heat, occasionally stirring, breaking up some of the berries when cooked with the back of the spoon. Remove from heat when thickened and slightly reduced. Serve warm or cold. This can also be used as a jam on toast. It’s very healthy and tasty. You can also add in one or two chopped oranges at the beginning for a fresh citrus cranberry flavour.
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Mashed potatoes are pretty straightforward, peel and boil the potatoes until cooked, drain and mash with butter and milk or cream.
When I make gravy, I always do it without a recipe, but I decided to take note, and do some measurements to be able to develop gravy into an actual recipe. This would work for chicken, beef and pork gravy as well. Just use the drippings from cooking the meat. For beef and pork gravy I often add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce for additional flavor. For the turkey gravy recipe below, I cooked an 11-pound turkey, covered, with no added water, and it yielded 4 cups of drippings. When I cook a beef roast, chicken or a pork roast I will often add water in the roaster, and this develops into excellent drippings for the making of gravy.
Turkey Gravy
4 cups turkey drippings
1 cup water
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Pour the drippings in a container or jar, and let the fat rise to the top, and then skim as much of the fat off as possible. In a heavy bottom pot mix the water, flour and seasonings, until it is smooth and there are no lumps. Pour in the drippings and cook over medium heat stirring until thickened, taste and add any additional seasoning to suit.
Gluten Free Gravy
In a large oversized cup or small bowl, add one tablespoon of cornstarch for every cup of drippings that you think you have, add enough water to make a pourable slurry. Stir until it is smooth, without lumps. It will look like cream. Pour it into the drippings stirring, and then put the mixture back onto heat, medium, stirring until it thickens. Season with salt, pepper and some poultry seasoning.
Christmas Carrot Pudding (you can make this weeks ahead and refrigerate)
2 cups flour
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup grated potatoes
1 cup mixed fruit or glace cherries
1/2 cup suet
1 cup currents
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup syrup or molasses
4 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix all ingredients together and fill 1 quart wide mouth mason jars 2/3 full. Close the jars with a 2 piece mason jar seal. Process the jars in boiling water for 1 and half hours. The water level should cover the pudding. Do not be tempted to over fill the jars because the seal will pop while you are cooking and then you will have the mess of Christmas pudding in the boiling water. Cool and store the jars in the refrigerator until ready to serve. This pudding can be made ahead and stored in the fridge up to one month as long as the jar retains the seal. To serve: warm the pudding by steaming in a pot of hot water on low heat. In my family this pudding is served with a warm brandy sauce. This is the same brandy that my mom and my granny always kept in the cupboard for medicinal purposes only such as hot toddies, and of course the Christmas brandy sauce. A dollop of ice cream is a nice complement to the hot sauce, and a modern twist to top this Christmas dessert. Right now a toffee sauce is trending as a new flavor for an old favorite. This pudding can be made days or even a few weeks ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
Brandy Sauce
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup brandy
2 cups boiling water
4 Tablespoons water
In a heavy saucepan mix the cornstarch and sugar, stir in the boiling water and cook on low to medium heat, constantly stirring until thicken. Stir in the brandy and the butter. Serve warm over the pudding. You can also substitute light or spiced rum to create a rum and butter sauce. When you are relaxing at home over the holidays left over carrot pudding is a great Boxing Day treat to enjoy with coffee or tea. Here’s wishing you great holiday food and many happy cooking memories.
Toffee Sauce
7/8 cup butter
1 1/2 cups golden brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream ( 18 – 35 %)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
In a heavy bottomed sauce pan melt butter on medium low, stir in the brown sugar and cook until dissolved stirring as needed. Add the cream and vanilla and stir as need while cooking for 5 minutes as it thickens. Let the sauce cool from hot to warm before serving.
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