Creative cooking for an alternative turkey feast this Christmas
So many delicious ways to cook with turkey. 6 easy recipes with a difference. Turkey schnitzel, spring rolls, turkey tagine, Torn turkey alternative to pulled pork, Ottolenghi inspired turkey thighs and Turkey gratin.
Traditional Christmas food in the UK
Christmas food and drink traditions are usually passed down the generations, from grandparents to parents to children, and generally we don’t put too much thought into experimenting with new dishes and flavours. The traditional running order for many is, of course, roast turkey and all the trimmings with the family on the big day, sandwiches with cranberry sauce and crusty bread on Boxing Day, and then maybe a turkey curry with anything that’s left for the days that follow.
What about this year?
Of course, Christmas is likely to be a little different this year, with only a small chance of being able to get large groups of friends and family together. We’re already hearing of people warming up their Zoom accounts for family toasts, gift unwrapping and Christmas quizzes. The fact that we might not be able to all be together at Christmas shouldn’t however put you off ordering a whole free-range Bramble Farm Turkey, and in our latest blog we aim to explain why.
For one, there’s better value when ordering a whole turkey rather than smaller cuts. You get a lot more for your money. And you may be surprised by the range of delicious and nutritious meals that can be enjoyed from a single bird, whatever the numbers in your group.
Our Bronze turkeys are slowly matured and reared for six months rather the 12 weeks that many supermarket birds have. This means that they develop more intermuscular fat, which helps towards the tenderness and deeper flavour of the meat. You will really notice the difference in quality.
What else can you cook with turkey?
To showcase just how flexible turkey can be, we recently teamed up with Brockham-based cook Ruth MacIntyre from Ruth’s Little Kitchen and our friends at Local Food Surrey.
While you may prefer to stick to your tried and tested traditions, we’ve worked hard to come up with a range of new recipes that showcase what an underrated ingredient turkey can be.
Some delicious recipes we created with the help of Ruth’s Little Kitchen
6 Simple turkey recipes anyone can cook
We’ve tried to keep things simple and tasty, so that you can easily recreate the dishes for yourself at home this Christmas.
Deeply delicious Pulled Turkey pilled high on sourdough or in a bap
Asian-inspired spring rolls with crispy filo pastry and chilli jam
To Turkey schnitzel / goujons with garlic mayonnaise
Cheesy turkey gratin
An Ottolenghi-inspired breast or turkey thigh recipe that’s a fresh alternative to a roast
These are truly mouthwatering – and we eat a lot of turkey!
A cheat’s 20 minute Turkey, chorizo and prawn paella
We spent an afternoon shooting and taste testing recipes at our Surrey Hills farm with Reigate-based photographer Simon Weller, and the resulting pictures really do look as good as the dishes tasted.
“Torn Turkey” - Pulled pork alternative, on sourdough bread baked by Ruth’s Little Kitchen
Try our easy to cook turkey recipes
You can find all of these turkey recipes on our blog and pre-order your free-range Bramble Farm turkey in preparation for your festive season of feasting. Order your delicious turkey reared here in Surrey and support our small family farm, and we’ll even provide you with a full instruction video for how to portion off your turkey if you’d rather not cook it whole. That way, you’ll be able to enjoy what you need on Christmas Day and then either freeze the remaining meat for a later date or use it fresh to work through our delicious recipes. No waste, just a wealth of flavoursome eating.
Turkey Schnitzel
Turkey Tagine recipe with cous cous
Wine to drink with turkey
For our Christmas photo shoot, we enjoyed a glass of English sparkling wine from Albury Organic Vineyard with our turkey dishes. They are located just a few minutes down the road from us here in West Horsley, so perhaps you could explore the offerings from the Vineyards of the Surrey Hills with your turkey dinner for a true taste of Surrey this Christmas.
With the food and drink sorted for a few days, you can then relax and focus on flicking through your favourite Christmas movies or working your way through your new box set.
English sparkling wine from Albury Organic Vineyard
Further reading
Not had a bramble Farm Turkey before? Find out more about how the 3 generations of the Joy family have been rearing award winning turkeys for 90 years.
See our prices and serving guide for weight options
See what our customers say about Bramble Farm Turkeys
Order your turkey now
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Browse some more inspirational christmas and turkey recipes