What's in Season Now
What’s in season: December
Talking Turkey
Buying tips: Allow 500g for each person for example a 4kg turkey feeds six to eight people.
Cooking tips: For small birds of 4kg or less allow 20 minutes per kg plus 70 minutes. For birds over 4kg, allow 20 minutes per kg plus 90 minutes.
For added flavour, quarter a peeled onion and a cored Cox's apple and pop both of them into the turkey cavity. Alternatively put a whole orange or lemon, a halved onion and herbs such as bay, thyme or rosemary into the body cavity.
If you are stuffing your turkey, only fill the neck cavity and remember to recalculate your total cooking time to include the extra weight of the stuffing. Stuffing can also be cooked separately, but don’t stuff the body cavity as this can result in meat being undercooked in the centre.
Some cooks recommend placing your turkey breast side down until the last half an hour, so that the breast meat remains succulent while the brown meat cooks evenly.
(Picture Kim Taylor Photography: Ashford Farm, Steep, 01730 268131, www.ashfordfarmturkeys.co.uk)
Fish and seafood: clams, coley, crab, dab, dover sole, gurnard, haddock, halibut, hake, langoustine, lemon sole, lobster, mackerel, monkfish, mussels, oysters, plaice, red mullet scallops (queen), sea bass (wild), sea bream, skate, turbot, winkles
Fruit and nuts: apples, chestnuts, pears, pomegranate, quince
Herbs: rosemary, sage
Meat, poultry and game: duck, goose, grouse, guinea fowl, hare, mallard, partridge, pheasant, rabbit, turkey, venison
Vegetables: beetroot, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chicory, horseradish, Jerusalem artichoke, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, parsnips, potatoes, salsify, shallots, swede, turnips, wild mushrooms
To find out where you can find fresh, local, seasonal produce, use the search function on the homepage of our website www.hampshirefare.co.uk