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The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong chef’s secret tips for cooking Christmas turkey

Turkey is the star of the show at a traditional Christmas dinner in many English-speaking countries, but the sheer size of the birds can often make it far from easy to cook properly without losing the juices from the meat. This Christmas, you can choose to buy a turkey meticulously prepared by the hotel chefs at Café 103 of The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, or simply cook your own and show off your culinary prowess! We are pleased to have Chef Tony Ho, at 400m above ground level (at The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong), demonstrating how to best prepare that most festive of Christmas foods -- roast turkey.

Christmas Roast Turkey

Ingredients (serves three to four)

USA Turkey about 5 kg
 
Marinate by:
Paprika 30g
Salt 100g
Oil as appropriate
 
Stuffing:
French Baguette 1kg
Chicken Jus 200ml
Chicken Broth 500ml
Onion 150g
Celery 150g
Mushroom 50g
Butter 30g
Dried Parsley leaves as appropriate
Fresh Sage as appropriate
Salt as appropriate
Black pepper powder as appropriate
 
Sauce:
Minced chicken 100g
Fresh chicken liver 30g
Chicken Jus 300ml
Madeira wine 50ml
Dried Thyme as appropriate
Dried Bay leaves as appropriate
 
Garnishes: broccoli boiled in plain water, baby carrots, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and roast potatoes

Demonstration


 
Christmas Roast Turkey

Preparation

  • Remove the giblets from a turkey, cut off the wings, then wrap the whole turkey in plastic wrap and soak it in water at 70°C for approximately 3 hours.

  • Once the defrosting process is complete, remove the turkey from the plastic wrap and wash it. Mix a little paprika and salt together and spread the mixture onto the surface and abdomen of the turkey, then spread a suitable amount of peanut oil over the turkey's entire surface.

  • Place the turkey in an oven preheated to 120°C (note: please use a fan-assisted oven), roast for 90 minutes at low temperature, and then at high-temperature roast for a further 20 minutes at 200°C.

  • Cut a baguette into large pieces for later use.

  • Wash and dice some onions, celery and mushrooms.

  • Place some butter in a pan, fry it gently at low heat, then add the diced onions, celery and mushrooms to the pan and fry them for 2 minutes.

  • Put the bread pieces, chicken jus and chicken broth into an oiled pan and simmer for around 8 minutes until all the ingredients turn into a paste, then season with an appropriate amount of salt, black pepper powder, dried parsley and fresh sage.

  • Put the stuffing in a container, cover it with tin foil; then cook it for 25 minutes in an oven preheated to 170°C.

  • Wash the chicken liver, place it in the oiled pan, fry it for 3 minutes over a medium to high flame until it is cooked through, and then chop it until it is minced.

  • Place the washed minced chicken in an oiled pan, fry it over a medium to high flame for 3 minutes, then pour a suitable amount of Madeira wine into the pan and fry for 20 seconds. Add the chicken jus to the pan and simmer for approximately 4 minutes, then add the chicken liver and cook the mixture together for another minute, season with a suitable amount of dried thyme and dried bay leaves, and put it to one side for later use.

  • Carve the roast turkey into slices, pour the gravy over the top and serve together with the stuffing.

Notes: Pictures are representative only.

Café 103
Address: Level 103, The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon(MTR Kowloon Station Exit D1)
Enquiries or reservations: (852) 2263 2270 ∕ Cafe103.hk@ritzcarlton.com

Ritz-Carlton Lion Pierre with Christmas roast turkey (suggested serving)
Tony Ho, Chef de Cuisine-Western Banquet of The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong
Elegant environment of Café 103