| Here is my recipe for what I consider one of the | | | | 200g cooked chestnuts, chopped |
| best Christmas dinners we have ever had. Of course | | | | 200g grated apples |
| you don't have to do this just at Christmas, it tastes | | | | Brandy to taste |
| just as good any time of the year. | | | | Port to taste |
| I thought this Christmas I would attempt one of the | | | | 100ml red wine |
| multi bird roasts that were apparently popular in | | | | Salt |
| medieval times. Now in the old days they would have | | | | Pepper |
| used anything up to ten birds. | | | | Mace |
| It would start with a turkey or a goose, which would | | | | Mix all the stuffing ingredients together and you are |
| be deboned and opened out. A layer of force meat | | | | ready to start assembly. |
| stuffing would be smeared liberally around the inside. | | | | I took the turkey crown and using a sharp knife |
| Another smaller bird deboned and opened out would | | | | made a slit down the side to open it up like a pitta |
| be put inside this. This process would be continued | | | | bread. I then took about half the stuffing mix and |
| with up to ten birds all decreasing slightly in size. | | | | forced it into the slot. |
| When as many birds as possible have been fitted | | | | Take the duck and goose breasts and push them |
| into the original bird, it would be pulled back into | | | | into the slit ensuring they are surrounded by the |
| shape and sewn together. The delight at slicing one | | | | stuffing. Use more stuffing as required to fill out the |
| of these apart and seeing the many different meats | | | | inside. |
| must have been amazing. | | | | Cover the turkey with lots of streaky bacon to |
| Not having ten birds to hand I decided to do my own | | | | prevent it drying out. |
| theme with a turkey, goose and duck. I don`t really | | | | I didn't sew the turkey up I just placed it on a large |
| have the skills to debone birds, so I cheated a little | | | | sheet of tin foil and folded the foil tight around it to |
| by buying a large turkey crown, some duck and | | | | create a reasonable shape. To be honest with all the |
| goose breasts. | | | | stuffing it takes on much more of a turkey shape |
| You must have good stuffing, and plenty of it. If you | | | | than the crown does on its own. |
| make to much you can always freeze it for another | | | | I then cooked very slowly in the oven until well |
| day. In fact I made mine about two weeks before | | | | cooked, checking with a thermometer. I uncovered |
| and froze it to save time on Christmas day. | | | | the turkey for the last hour to crisp off the skin and |
| To make the stuffing I usedhalf a kilo of pork | | | | the bacon. |
| shoulder, well choppedhalf a kilo of pork belly, well | | | | The juices I drained made fantastic gravy. |
| chopped | | | | If you are interested in raising poultry then please |
| 250g of streaky bacon, well chopped | | | | take a look at Poultry Pages. |
| 100g breadcrumbs (Good quality bread) | | | | |