Nigella Lawson reveals rather unusual secret to the ‘perfect’ Christmas turkey – and it involves leaving it outside… under a skateboard

By William On Dec 24, 2024

Nigella Lawson has shared her bizarre secret to having the ‘perfect’ Christmas turkey this festive season.

The culinary queen, who is known for her wry sense of humor and practical approach to cooking, shocked fans when she revealed her quirky method involves leaving the meat outside under a skateboard.

In a recipe email to fans, Lawson shared her top tips for a delicious Christmas roast, highlighting the importance of brining the bird.

But there was one strange detail in her email that caught her readers’ attention.

Nigella recommended leaving the turkey outside for several days before cooking to achieve the most tender meat.

She added that she placed the bird in a pot in her garden with her son’s skateboard on top to protect it from hungry foxes.

The chef said that before she had a garden, she left it next to an open window in her kitchen, causing her family to freeze half to death.

She added, “It does mean everyone is freezing, but who am I going to put first: my turkey or my family?”

‘If you’re lucky enough to have one in the garden, that’s fine too, although the pan needs to be properly covered: if I have a bucket or container out in the open, I cover it twice with foil and put I’ll put him in then.’ my son’s skateboard on it to keep foxy from foraging.’

Nigella Lawson has shared her bizarre secret to having the ‘perfect’ Christmas turkey this festive season

In a recipe email to fans, Lawson shared her top tips for a delicious Christmas roast, highlighting the importance of brining the bird.

The culinary queen, who is known for her wry sense of humor and practical approach to cooking, shocked fans when she revealed her quirky method involves leaving the meat outside under a skateboard.

In the recipe for the newsletter, titled Spiced And Superjuicy Roast Turkey, Lawson described how immersing the bird in a salty and subtle spice mixture for “up to a day or two” tenderizes the meat and adds to its flavor.

Nigella added: ‘And while you may find it hard to believe unseen, a raw turkey covered in brine – with its oranges, cinnamon sticks and scattered spices – looks so beautiful as it steeps that I’ll never forget it. can allow to lift the lid. for quick, blissfully reassuring glances.”

“You just have to try this method to be completely convinced,” she wrote.

The process involves submerging the turkey in a salty and mildly spiced solution for an extended period of time to allow for a juicier final taste and texture.

The turkey tradition seems to have gone down well with fans, with many saying they followed her brining method every year.

The 64-year-old has gained a legion of followers since her first cookbook How To Eat in 1998 to 2020’s Cook, Eat, Repeat and its accompanying television shows.

It comes as Nigella Lawson gave her opinion on whether she should cater to fussy eaters this Christmas.

We all know that Brussels sprouts are a pretty divisive vegetable, but if someone doesn’t like them, does that mean you should serve them something else? The answer is no, at least not according to Nigella.

“I ignore picky eaters at Christmas,” the 64-year-old chef, author and television sensation said in an interview with Good Housekeeping.

‘The point is that if you let them stay with you for two weeks, you obviously have to take that into account. But if they’re just coming for Christmas dinner, they won’t starve if they don’t eat everything on their plate.”

‘There’s a lot to do at Christmas and I think it’s a bit rude when people start saying ‘oh, I can’t eat that’ or ‘oh, I’m not eating that’. There is always enough to eat. And honestly, to keep you going until the next meal.”

Nigella’s spiced and super juicy roast turkey

INGREDIENTS:

For brining turkey:

1 large orange or 2 smaller ones (quartered)

250 grams Maldon salt (or 125 g table salt)

3 tablespoons black peppercorns

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

2 tablespoons allspice berries

2 tablespoons white mustard seeds

2 onions (unpeeled and quartered)

1 piece of fresh ginger of 6 centimeters (unpeeled and cut into 6 slices)

4 tablespoons maple syrup

4 tablespoons of liquid honey

stems of 1 bunch of fresh parsley

For the basting glaze:

75 grams goose fat (or butter)

3 tablespoons maple syrup

METHOD:

Place the water in your largest cooking pot or in a clean bucket or plastic container. Squeeze the juice from the orange quarters into the water before throwing in the peels, then add all the other ingredients and stir to combine the salt, sugar, syrup and liquid honey.

Remove any strings or binding from the turkey, shake it loose, remove the giblets (if not already cooked) and place them in the refrigerator (or get straight to work making the stock for the gravy). with more water if not completely submerged.

Store it covered in a cold place, even outside overnight or up to a day or two (see intro) before cooking it. Remember to remove it from the liquid 1-2 hours in advance (and wipe dry with paper towels). it has to go into the oven.

Read the important note below and preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C. Fan/gas setting 6/400 °F.

Melt the goose fat (or butter) and maple syrup slowly over low heat. Brush the turkey with the glaze before roasting it in the oven, basting it frequently during the cooking time.

Roast for 2½ hours. When you think it is ready, pierce the turkey where the body meets the leg with the point of a sharp knife, and when the juices run clear it is done; if they are still pink, cook them longer until clear, or use a meat thermometer.

Then remove the turkey from the oven and let it sit, covered with foil, for 20-40 minutes, or even longer if you like, as I do