Recipes from professional Chef Tallyrand:

• Barbecued Marmalade Turkey served with Orange BBQ Sauce •

Christmas is coming and no need for getting fat . . . . .
Many cooking columns and cookbooks come out at around this time of the year, ready for Christmas, as a stocking filler maybe and there will no doubt be many cooking shows on TV soon. Many of these will be touting some new fangled recipe for the big day, with some strange and hip new ingredient that all the 'in' crowd are raving about. What's wrong with tradition I say?

My featured Christmas recipe this year then is for the old favourite - turkey - but prepared slightly differently. It takes into account the something different factor, but also stays with tradition and uses traditional Christmas flavours. No need to suffer dry turkey this year either, or even add all that butter. This year I hope you will try this recipe . . . it uses a baste that will impact the flavour and also retain and add moistness to it by poaching the turkey first. This also has the added benefit of removing that fear factor of the turkey not being roasted all the way through, as the moist heat of poaching penetrates far better than the dry heat of roasting.

It comes after a request from Peggy S. of Kohlberg, Germany. So you see, here at Hub-UK we really do reach all parts of the globe that other sites just do not reach! Peggy wanted to know if it was possible to BBQ a whole turkey, not an easy job in itself but made even harder as her BBQ does not have a lid.

The recipe I came up with is one I have used for whole chickens previously, it will work equally well with a turkey, as long as you have a good sized saucepan - the large type used for jam making. If not I bet you can easily pick up a cheap one in a surplus shop, it does not have to look pretty, so ignore any dents, etc and just keep it hidden away in the corner of the cupboard for special days like this.

At Hub-UK we are always up for a challenge and answering all those culinary questions you might have. In that vein, I am thinking ahead and can hear you cry . . . "wow, that's a great tasting recipe and great idea, but I don't have a large enough saucepan", or "its Winter here and I am not firing up the BBQ and standing out in the snow" . . . no problems . . .

No large stock pot? Haven't got one and can't find one? No problems . . . just place your turkey in your roasting tray, pour in as much water as you can, cover with tin foil and cook in the oven and then finish off as below.

No BBQ or too cold outside? No problem again:

• After cooking the turkey remove and drain away the liquid (but keeping it to make a gravy with)
• Turn the oven up as high as it will go
• Baste the turkey with the marinade and finish it in the hot oven
  

Marmalade Marinade

Ingredients

marmalade	1	cup
water	1/2	cup
light soy sauce	1	tbs
garlic clove	1	pc
fresh marjoram		sq
virgin olive oil	1/2	cup

Method

1. Place the marmalade, water, light soy sauce in saucepan
2. Bring to a boil and turn down to a gentle simmer, sit to combine
3. Add the garlic clove (whole and un-peeled) and marjoram
4. Simmer until reduced down to a light syrup consistency
5. Strain and whisk in the oil to combine
6. Set aside until required
   

Chef's Tip:

This marinade can be made a day or two ahead and placed in an airtight container and stored in a cool, dark place.

Orange BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

marinade
oranges	3	pc
mandarins	3	pc
whisky or orange liqueur		sq

Method

1. Place the remaining marinade in a saucepan, squeeze in the juice from the oranges and bring to a simmer
2. Add the peeled segments of the mandarins, stir to combine, add a dash of whisky to taste and serve
   

Chef's Tip:

Some julienned zest of the mandarins or oranges may also be added if preferred.

Marmalade Basted BBQ Turkey

Ingredients

Turkey

Method

1. Prepare the turkey: remove the giblets, season the inside and either place fresh herb sprigs or garlic cloves inside or place under the skin (by the opening, place the fingertips between the skin and flesh and form pocket)
2. Place in a clean pillow case and tie up the ends tight like a large Christmas cracker
3. Place the turkey in the pot and cover with cold water
4. Add salt, the giblets, a peeled onion, carrot and some celery stalks plus other flavourings that suit your own taste: fresh sage, un-peeled garlic cloves, marjoram etc
5. Bring to the boil and simmer until almost cooked (approx. 30 mins per kg)
6. Carefully remove from the pot and allow to cool
7. Remove from the pillow case and brush liberally with the marinade
8. Place on the pre-heated BBQ and close the lid: if your BBQ does not have a lid, take some tin foil and cover the whole BBQ top
9. Continually baste and turn the turkey - approx. every 5 minutes until the outside is nicely browned and finished
10. With the turkey pre-cooked and warm when it goes on the BBQ, there is no worries about actual cooking as you are only basting the turkey and adding flavour and colour to bird, so it will be ready when you are ready to dine, or ready when you say it is.

Enjoy and bon appetit . . . . .

Published 01 December 2003