Cider-steeped turkey crown

We over-catered our last Christmas dinner, so we ended up eating leftovers for days upon days. (Although I blame my sister, so should really say ‘she’, rather than ‘we’.) I’m far too mean to buy food when there is a fridge heaving with leftovers, but eating turkey and ham sambos for a week is overkill.

Basically, my aim this year is to have as little left over as possible, so this pork dish may just be the only meat on offer as it ticks all the right boxes. But inevitably, I will get suckered into cooking a turkey and if so, then it will be made using the steeping method below, which has been drastically altered from the brining method I endorsed last year.

CIDER-STEEPED TURKEY CROWN WITH MAPLE CHILLI GLAZE

1 x turkey crown

100g soft butter

salt and pepper

Continues overleaf

Cooking liquor

50g sea salt

50g Demerara sugar

2 litres cider

2 litres water

2 cinnamon sticks

Juice and zest of 2 oranges

1 onion, chopped

Handful fresh chopped sage, rosemary and thyme

Maple, ginger and chilli glaze

1 small red chilli, deseeded

Big knob of ginger, peeled

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

4 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp cider vinegar

200ml cider

Salt

You can prep the maple-glaze by sweating the chilli, ginger and onion in the olive oil. Add the rest of the ingredients and gently simmer until reduced by half. Strain and discard the bits of chilli, ginger and onion, then continue to cook gently until reduced to a syrupy consistency. Set aside.

Place the turkey crown in a large saucepan with all the cooking liquor ingredients. Bring up to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes and then turn off the heat and leave to steep in the hot liquid for two hours. You can allow the turkey to cool fully in this liquid.

When you are ready to serve, preheat the oven to 190 degrees/gas five.

If you can, shove your hand under the skin of the turkey and spread the butter across the bird so that it forms an extra layer between the skin and the breast. If not, just dot the butter on top. Season well and roast, covered with tin foil, for 45 minutes, or until golden brown and hot. Baste the turkey crown with the maple glaze every 15 minutes or so while it is cooking. Let the turkey rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.

dkemp@irishtimes.com See also itsa.ie

Domini and Peaches Kemp jointly received the Businesswoman of the Year Award from Image magazine last week.