DELICIOUS CHRISTMAS INSPIRATION FROM MIELE

Wanting some Christmas inspiration? Miele’s culinary expert and former chef Mark Rawlins tells us how to keep calm in the kitchen this Christmas.

When looking for inspiration this Christmas, Mark Rawlins, Miele’s culinary expert, believes food should be as enjoyable to make as it is to eat, and that’s where your menu should begin. Having been a chef and now working with Miele, Mark developed this Christmas menu to allow the cook to create a delicious meal, but to allow them to spend time with their family, not alone in the kitchen.

How did Miele give you confidence with this recipe?

The Miele temperature probe was crucial to this dish. The probe is in dialogue with the oven, continuously reading the recorded temperatures, and adjusting cooking time as required. This allowed me to trust the technology and minimise the attention I would normally have to pay to poultry. I could enjoy the day with my guests, while Miele perfected it for me.

With the turkey dish you have introduced steam and moisture, why is this?

Turkey is a meat that can easily dry out, and using these programs replaces the moisture in the cavity to keep the delicate flesh succulent. The result is a delicious, moist turkey. This recipe also allows you to prepare and brine the turkey in advance, leaving less work to do on the day so you can spend time with your guests.

What Miele appliance and program have you found you now can’t live without?

For me it has to be the Moisture Plus function on my oven. Introducing moisture when cooking meat is incredible. It keeps meat succulent, evenly cooked and achieves perfect browning results.

TURKEY Place all turkey brine ingredients into an unperforated steam container and Steam at 100°C for 5 minutes, or alternatively bring to the boil in a saucepan for 2 minutes. Allow to cool completely, strain off solids and chill in the fridge. Place the turkey in the cooled brine making sure it is submerged and place in the fridge for 24 hours, then drain and pat dry with paper towels.

Drain the red peppers and remove any seeds. Combine the black garlic paste and the extra virgin olive oil.

Lay the turkey on a chopping board skin-side down, and remove the tenderloins from the fillets. Brush the black garlic and oil paste onto the turkey breasts. Lay the red peppers evenly over the top and place the tenderloins over the red peppers in the opposite direction to where you removed them. This will help to shape the meat evenly.

Bring all the sides of the turkey up to meet each other and form a ball and turn over so the skin is facing up. Tie together using butcher’s string or silicon bands. This can be done the day before or 5 hours before cooking and left to air dry in the fridge until ready to cook. Preheat the oven on Fan Plus at 230°C. Lightly oil and salt the turkey skin and place on a grilling and roasting insert on a multi-purpose tray.

Change the function to Moisture Plus + Fan Plus at 230°C with 3 bursts of steam. Release a burst of steam immediately, a second burst of steam at 15 minutes and a third at 30 minutes.

Place the turkey on shelf position

2 and set a timer for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 160°C and continue cooking for 55 minutes, check the internal temperature is 65°C or above before removing from the oven, allow to rest in the warming drawer for 25 minutes.

ALMOND SAUCE Place the almonds, bread, milk, garlic and water in the jug of an upright high-speed blender and allow to soak for 30 minutes. Blend well until smooth then add the extra virgin olive oil, sherry vinegar, sugar, salt and blend again. For a really smooth finish you can push the sauce through a sieve. Stir in parsley and taste for seasoning.

Keep in the fridge then allow to come to room temperature to serve.

TO SERVE Carve the turkey into 8 wedges and serve with the almond sauce.