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Cooking a Christmas turkey can be a difficult task (Image: Getty)
Cooking a turkey for Christmas dinner can often feel like an overwhelming job, with timings, basting and stuffing to juggle alongside all the trimmings.
When it comes to the best way to prepare a turkey for Christmas Day, chef Sophie Nahmad, lead recipe developer from meal box service Gousto, says that your prep should start well before the big day.
She says there's one "essential" task that needs to be carried out late on Christmas Eve before you head to bed to ensure the bird is ready to be popped in the oven first thing in the morning.
She told Express.co.uk: “You’ll want to take your turkey out of the fridge late on Christmas Eve, so it can come to room temperature in a cool place, along with your stuffing, because it’s essential that these are at the same temperature when you start cooking."
Letting a turkey reach room temperature before cooking can help it cook more evenly and faster. Just make sure to keep the turkey somewhere cool with no drastic changes in temperature.
Letting the turkey come to room temperature is an important job (Image: Getty)
Not only is the Christmas Eve prep important, but putting in the work a few days before Christmas Day will help you in the long run, especially when it comes to stuffing.
“I’d suggest making these up to three days in advance, so you can spend Christmas morning enjoying the festive spirit – any extra that you have left over can be rolled into balls and roasted alongside the turkey for a delicious side dish.”
She added: “When you plan your Christmas dinner, think about the type of stuffing you'd like to use. To add variety, you could make two different stuffings, using one for the front cavity and the other for the back cavity.
“My favourites are a sausage and chestnut stuffing, and a cranberry and pine nut stuffing.
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When it comes to preparing your turkey on Christmas morning, it's important not to overstuff the bird, according to the chef.
“And finally, onto Christmas Day: in the morning, start prepping your turkey by removing any giblets, often in a plastic bag in the turkey cavity, and take care to remove any string," she said.
“The next step is to add your chosen stuffings; be careful not to over stuff your turkey as the filling will expand while it cooks.
“When I’m prepping my own turkey, I like to generously season the bird and cover it in butter and bacon rashers for a decadent topping.”
Stuffing can be prepped a few days before (Image: Getty)
Once the turkey has cooked, Sophie says it must be allowed time to rest before carving.
“Finally, you’ll want to allow plenty of time for your turkey to roast, so I’d advise getting it in the oven as early as possible on Christmas morning. Once roasted, you’ll want to let the turkey rest for at least 45 minutes before carving,” she said.
“Don’t stress about it going cold, as in my experience I’ve always found that it will stay hot for a lot longer, so there’s no need to worry about it being ready before some of your other trimmings.
“All the hard work will be worth it; you’ll finish with a centrepiece to be proud of!”
English (US) ·