Christmas Recipes: Mark Holland’s Traditional Yorkshire Roast

Coming from England, Paddo Inn's Head chef Mark Holland remembers growing up with roast turkey on the dining table each Christmas: "Roast turkey is a once-a-year treat that was loved by my family on Christmas Day. Usually, it was dramatically overcooked and bland (bless my mother)," muses Holland. 

In a loving ode to his family Christmas in Yorkshire, Mark has reworked the humble turkey to ensure this year's offering is tasty, moreish and above all, moist. Along with his infamous truffle roast turkey, Mark also let us in on his favourite side dishes – think crispy roast potatoes, pigs in blankets and, of course, the star of the show: the famous Yorkshire pudding. For a traditional spread, these recipes will make you the toast of Christmas Day.

• 250g unsalted butter (diced)
  
• 50g truffle paste (or fresh if you’re feeling fancy)
  
• 1 x lemon, zested and juiced
  
• 1 x tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
  
• 1 x 5kg fresh turkey
  
• Kosher salt
  
• Freshly ground black pepper
  
• 1x large bunch fresh thyme
  
• 1 x lemon, halved
  
• 1 x Spanish onion, quartered
• 1 x head of garlic, halved crosswise
• 1L chicken stock
  

1. Brine the turkey overnight. Turkey can be quite a bland meat so this injects seasoning into the flesh. Start by making up a 10% salt solution of 8 litres of water to 800g salt (based on a 5kg turkey). 
2. Bring the salt solution up to a simmer for 5 minutes then leave to chill. 
   
3. In a large bucket or pan, submerge the turkey completely in salt brine and place a weight on top to keep it completely under water. Leave to brine for roughly 16 hours. 
   
4. Remove from brine and leave to dry in the fridge for two hours.
   
5. PREHEAT the oven to 220°C
   
6. Soften the butter at room temperature in a bowl for approximately one hour. 
   
7. Add the truffle paste, zest, lemon juice and chopped thyme leaves to the softened butter mixture. Set aside.
   
8. Using a roasting tray with a cooling rack inside, place the turkey on top of the rack. 
   
9. Liberally apply salt and pepper to the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, halved lemon, quartered onion, and the garlic. 
   
10. Very carefully with the tip of your fingers (careful not to rip the skin), lift the skin of the turkey away from the flesh and push half the truffle butter mix under the skin. 
    
11. Spread the remaining butter over the outside of the bird and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey.
    
12. Place the roasting tray with the turkey into the 220°C oven and set a timer for 20 minutes. 
    
13. When the timer goes off, the top of the turkey should be golden brown, pour 100ml of chicken stock into the roasting tray and cover the bird with a loose piece of tin foil and turn the oven down to 140°C. Roast for two to three hours, pouring a little more chicken stock into the tray every half hour to continue steaming the turkey. 
    
14. COOK until the thickest part of the turkey breast reads 65°C on a meat thermometer, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. 
    
15. Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with aluminium foil.
    
16. Leave to rest for at least 1 hour then slice the turkey and serve.
    

• 4kg brushed Sebago potatoes
  
• 500g rendered duck/beef fat
  
• 1 x bunch thyme
  
• 1 x bunch rosemary
  

1. PREHEAT oven to 200°C .
   
2. Peel potatoes and chop into quarters.
3. Place potatoes in a pan with cold water and season with salt. Bring potatoes up to boil and then simmer until potatoes are slightly undercooked.
4. Drain potatoes in a colander to allow all the steam to disappear but don’t allow the potatoes to cool down.
5. In a large, tall-sided bowl or tray ruffle the potatoes by shaking them to create a floury, broken edged potato. This will give the potatoes a much more golden appearance and crispier texture when roasted.
6. Warm the duck fat in the roasting tray in the oven and add the potatoes.
   
7. COOK at 200°C until the tops become light golden.
8. Remove the tray from the oven, turn the potatoes over and add the chopped rosemary and thyme. Return to the oven to roast until golden and well roasted all over.
9. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
   

• 400ml milk
  
• 400g eggs (Approximately 8 large eggs)
  
• 400g flour (sieved)
  
• Vegetable oil
  

1. Place eggs and milk in a large bowl.
2. Using a whisk, gradually sieve the flour into the egg and milk mix until it forms a smooth batter. 
3. Pass the mix through a sieve into a container . 
4. Cover with cling film and leave overnight. Always whisk the batter the following day before you cook.
   
5. Place the muffin mould on a shelf half way up in an oven that is preheated to 220°C . 
6. Pour a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil in each mould and place in the oven until smoking hot.
   
7. Pull the tray out of the oven very carefully so you don’t spill the hot oil and pour the Yorkshire pudding batter into each mould until three-quarters full. Note- It will spill over a bit so be careful not to burn yourself.
   
8. Close the oven door and do not open the door until the puddings are completely cooked. Cook for 10 minutes at 220°C and then reduce to 180°C for another 10 minutes. They should be brown on the outside, crispy but a little doughy on the inside.
   
9. Remove from the oven and leave somewhere warm until serving.
   

• 10 chipolatas sausage
  
• 10 rashers of bacon
  
• 150g pitted prunes
  

1. PLACE the prunes in a pan with water to cover and simmer on the stove for 10 minutes.
   
2. DRAIN and puree prunes in a blender with salt and pepper then set aside in the fridge.
   
3. LAY each rasher of bacon on a plate, spread the chilled prune puree onto the bacon then place the sausage at the end and roll it up. Store these in the fridge overnight to set.
4. PREHEAT oven to 180°C.
   
5. PLACE the pigs in blankets on a sheet of greaseproof paper and roast in the oven until cooked through, turning occasionally.
6. TAKE them out the oven, ready to serve.

These delectable recipes come from Paddo Inn's Head chef Mark Holland.

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338 Oxford St, Paddington