Turkey Crown

[Samuraisan]

This year I have just ordered the turkey crown which will weigh around 4 kilos according to the butcher. Has anyone cooked a turkey crown before and do you have any advise? We are going to be around 10 people, but with all the trimmings we always used to have too much turkey left over, and end up chucking it out and being sick to death of it. Also, does anyone have a good recipe for gravy. I'd like to make it beforehand and freeze it. I doubt there will be much juice from the crown to make a decent gravy.

[choux]

We have had turkey crowns for years now. Great piece of meat that does produce its own juices. I make my own stuffing which has suet in it and place some in the neck end only, reserving the rest for stuffing balls, baked in a greased tin.

This is the closest recipe to the one I use, but I do add a little lemon zest to the mixture. I find t well worthwhile making my own.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/thyme_and_parsley_19568

I always place a small peeled onion and half a lemon in the cavity of the crown.

Gravy is very much a personal choice but the golden rule is to cook out the flour thoroughly. Add some white wine and veg water to give it an all-round flavour. Go easy on salt if you add any form of stock cube. I avoid Knorr and prefer to use Kallo.

Make sure you rest the crown well before carving. I am sure you will enjoy dinner :)

[Samuraisan]

Many thank Choux !

[Old_Geezer]

Ah crown. Said it before, may say it again; it's where the butcher has removed the best bits to sell separately, and flogged you what was left over. I have a sister who insists on getting it, presumably to mar Xmas dinner. She won't listen; I've pointed out one of the best bits is having a drumstick in hand to devour. Still I can't see everyone coming 150 miles to my place for Xmas so it has to be me travelling to one of my siblings or their partners if we are all to get together.

I'm unsure what the issue you have is regarding the crown. There are only a small number of variations in how to cook a bird unless you intend to do something different with spices & herbs. It's must be much the same as a whole bird you will have done previously. You know, prepare & season & grease (with butter probably - forget the diet), heat the oven, bung it in, baste occasionally, take it out to rest when the juices run clear.

Oh before I forget, best of luck with ten of them ! I hope you have a large oven (or two). They should demolish it before you get sick of it, but otherwise there are stews, goulashes, curries, even sandwiches, etc. etc. etc. you can use the leftovers with. I tend not to see it as the same if the dish differs, surely I'm not unusual in not worrying that the meat was the same as yesterday is I'm tucking into a casserole rather than slices with veg & spud ?

[scooping]

My butcher cooks my crown for me. Bliss.