How To Cook Your Christmas Meat

Follow these simple step by step guides on how to cook the perfect Christmas meat

It’s not just about the turkey at Christmas time, from goose to duck, to beef and a delicious four bird roast, we’ve got you covered when it comes to cooking the perfect Christmas meat. Simply serve with all the trimmings, your favourite festive veg and lashings of gravy for a feast you won’t forget!

Whole duck

1.  Remove the duck from packaging and allow to stand for 30 minutes before use.

2.  Pre-heat your oven to 220C/Fan 200C.

3.  Pat the skin of the duck with a kitchen towel, to remove additional moisture, and prick the skin with a fork around the duck legs.

4. Season with salt & pepper to taste, pop in a roasting tin in the middle of the oven and cook for 20 minutes per 500g + an extra 20 minutes.

5. Once cooked, cover with foil and rest for 10-20 minutes before serving.

Whole goose

1. Ensure Goose is fully defrosted and pre-heat your oven to 190C/Fan 170C.

2. Take the giblets out of the body cavity (they can make a delicious stock for the dinner).

3. Weigh the goose without the giblets, as this will dictate the amount of time you cook it for.

4. Prick the skin all over with a fork and rub a teaspoon of salt into the skin for flavour.

5. Cover loosely with foil, place in the middle of a preheated oven and roast the goose for 15 minutes per 500g + 30 minutes extra.

6. Occasionally throughout cooking, carefully pour the goose fat out of the tray and save to smother on some crispy roast potatoes.

7. In the last 30 minutes of cooking, remove the foil. Check the juices run clear when pierced with a fork before taking out of the oven.

8. Remove from the oven after cooking and rest for 20 minutes, this makes for easier carving.

Four bird roast

1. Remove the film lid from your four bird roast, place it onto a baking tray and cover with foil.

2. The temperature variations are as follows:

3. Cooking from frozen: Pre-heat your oven to 180C/Fan 160C. Cook in the centre of the oven for 2 hours, remove the foil and return to oven for an extra 1 hour 15 minutes.

4. Cooking from chilled: Pre-heat your oven to 180C/Fan 160C. Cook in the centre of the oven for 2 hours, remove the foil and return to oven for an extra 1 hour.

5. For both, leave to stand for 10 minutes, this makes for easier carving.

Roasting joints

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4 and adjust the shelves so that the meat sits in the centre of the oven.

2. Weigh the joint in order to calculate the cooking time.

3. To cook rare - roast the joint for 20 minutes per 450g plus 20 minutes

4. To cook medium - roast the joint for 25 minutes per 450g plus 25 minutes

5. To cook well done - roast the joint for 30 minutes per 450g plus 30 minutes.

6. Baste the meat regularly during cooking.

7. Once the joint is cooked, allow it to stand for 10 minutes as this will make it easier to carve.

Pork sausage meat

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4 and adjust the shelves so that the meat will sit in the centre of the oven.

2. To cook rare - roast for 20 minutes per 450g plus 20 minutes

3.  To cook medium - roast for 25 minutes per 450g plus 25 minutes

4.  To cook well done - roast for 30 minutes per 450g plus 30 minutes.

5.  Baste the meat regularly during cooking to trap in the moisture so it doesn't dry out. For best results, serve with chicken gravy for a mouth-watering side dish!