20 & 27 December 2012 Gazette 15
R1
Gazette
features food: Alan Walker’s top tips for a stress-free christmas dinner
Talking turkey with top butcher
SuperValu butcher Alan Walker says the key to Christmas dinner is to keep things simple natalie burke
While Christmas dinner can be one of the most stressful meals of the year to cook, one of
SuperValu’s top butchers, Alan Walker, has shared his top tips for taking the pressure off the chef, leaving more time for festive fun.
Having worked as a butcher with SuperValu for the past 11 years, Alan says that this year, his main message for Christmas cooks is to “keep it
simple”. “In this day and age, there is no point in going out and spending money that people don’t have,” he told the Gazette. “This
Christmas, try and keep it simple.” With just days to go until Christmas, Alan recommends seeking advice from your local butcher before buying your main meal items. “When you’re picking out the turkey, always ask your butcher to have a look at the turkey before you buy it. Try and get it as near to Christmas as possible and keep it in the fridge before cooking it. SuperValu is offering half price ham at the moment and they are vacuum packed, so you can buy them earlier and keep them in your fridge, as long as the air doesn’t get at it,” he said.
When it comes to cooking the turkey, Alan says the key is to stick to traditional guidelines. “Use a tinfoil tray or one you might have at home and before putting it in the oven, add an inch of water to the tray. Put a bit of salt, pepper and butter on top of the turkey and pop it in the oven. Every 45 minutes after that, take it out and scoop the water over it. Normally you would give it about 20 minutes per pound.” Once Christmas Day is over, Alan says there are many ways to make the most of your leftovers, including turkey sandwiches, turkey soups and
turkey or ham salads. For other festive dinner ideas in the run up to New Year, Alan recommends some interesting alternatives. “There are a lot of people who like to cook leg of lamb or a bit of beef and SuperValu are doing 33% off both at the moment right up until Christmas. Sometimes duck is a nice option for cooking something different,” he said. “Again, I like to keep it simple. The more you go down the line of trying to do new things, the more chance you have of ruining your dinner. That’s the message I want to get across.”