Five ways to cook Christmas turkey on the Big Green Egg
Let your bird sing
At Big Green Egg we’re here to take a stand for the classic Christmas turkey. People who tell you that turkey isn’t really traditional don’t realise they’ve been part of the British Christmas for 500 years. People who suggest you go off-piste by deep frying, boiling or steaming your bird are putting novelty ahead of safety or flavour. And people who tell you that turkey is dry and tasteless aren’t buying slow-growing traditional breeds and cooking them within the skin-crisping, juice-locking, flavour-enhancing dome of a Big Green Egg. Here are our top five recipes for getting the best out of a magnificent turkey over Christmas week: both the big day itself and the lazy days that follow, with leftovers aplenty.
1. Roasting a Turkey
Simple, classic, unimprovable. Roasting a turkey within the enclosed dome of an EGG locks in all those precious juices, crisps the skin, and brings out the rich flavour of the meat. This is low-intervention cooking at its best, giving you time and space to crack on with the sides. For ultimate peace of mind, an EGG Genius will control the cook and update you on the bird’s progress through an app.
2. Turkey on the Rotisserie
For crisp skin and perfectly even cooking, there’s simply nothing better than that gentle turn of a spit above the flames. It’s not all about the quality of the cooking, impressive though that is – it’s also about the spectacle. There’s something compelling about watching the hypnotic rotation of a giant bird over the hot coals. A real Christmas treat.
3. Hot Smoked Turkey
A tiny tweak can make a massive difference. Roast your turkey as normal but throw a handful of Premium Woodchips in with the coals. Their light, subtle smokiness will add an extra layer of flavour to your turkey without completely dominating your dinner plate. We’d suggest the applewood chips as the perfect complement.
4. Leftover Turkey Pie
A perfect way to use up any leftovers from Christmas dinner: veg, ham and stuffing as well as turkey meat. Chopped up leftovers and a creamy sauce, cooked in a Cast Iron Skillet with a puff pastry topping – simple enough to pull together through the Boxing Day fug, tasty enough to somehow make you feel hungry again.
5. Boxing Day Toasties
Real comfort food. Let’s be honest, though: this barely even counts as a recipe. It’s just Christmas leftovers between two bits of bread. But a toastie on an EGG is notch above any other, thanks to that lovely lick of smoke, and we’ve got a nifty trick for getting those pleasing panini-style lines seared into the bread using a Half Moon Cast Iron Plancha Griddle.
