SALES of turkey crowns are expected to soar this Christmas as families host smaller gatherings than usual.
I have found great deals on the popular cut, as well as on traditional turkeys and other alternatives.
Go all-out on your big Christmas lunch – without breaking the bank
And for a lighter festive meal, look no further than fish and seafood – I have netted some great deals, including on ready meals.
There are cooking tips, too, from top chefs, and scrumptious sprouts and savoury cheesecake recipes from morrisons.com.
Great tastes, great options
IF you fancy an alternative to turkey, but still want meat, here are some great ideas . . .
Morrisons Three Bird Roast, £20, is part of its festive selection. Available in store while stocks last or order online by the end of today.
For a no-fuss festive feast, opt for Tesco’s covered lamb leg
Upgrade your Christmas Day chicken to a flavoursome free-range bird from Sainsbury’s, £9.74 and approx 1.7kg. For another delicious treat, save £4.50 per kilo on a lamb leg at Morrisons, now £6 per kilo.
Aldi has a Specially Selected British wagyu joint, £19.99, per kg, topped off with a fabulous wine-and-treacle jus.
For a no-fuss festive feast, Tesco’s lamb leg with Seville marmalade maple glaze & seeded crumb, 1.3-2.3kg, is priced from £30.
For fans of pork, the Co-op’s British pork rib rack joint with rosemary and thyme seasoning and Cornish sea salt, £12 per kilo, is a lip-smacking proposition for the big day.
Or to ham it up this Christmas – Morrisons’ rum-and-blackberry glazed gammon joint, 1.2kg, is £10. Order online today only or pick up in store.
Stilton cheesecake with glazed vegetables
Serves eight
Prep time: 25 mins
Cook time: 80 mins
This savoury cheesecake is sure to delight everyone – vegetarians especially
You need:
150g butter
150g oatcakes
300ml semi-skimmed milk
2 tsp Dijon mustard
150g blue Stilton, crumbled
75g white breadcrumbs
3 eggs, separated
1 large parsnip, peeled, cut in batons
175g Chantenay carrots, trimmed and halved lengthways
4 small shallots, peeled and halved
Juice of 1 orange, and finely grated zest
2 tbsp cranberry sauce
300ml vegetable stock, hot, made from a cube
1 small handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Method:
For this recipe from Morrisons.com first preheat the oven to 170C/150C fan/Gas 3. Grease and line a 20cm springform cake tin with greaseproof paper. Melt 75g of the butter and mix with the oatcakes, spoon into the tin and flatten.
Let it chill for ten minutes while you heat the milk and mustard for one to two minutes. Add the Stilton and breadcrumbs, season and stir until most of the cheese has melted.
Allow that to cool for 15 minutes then beat in the egg yolks. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, fold into the sauce. Spoon over the oatcake base and bake for 50 minutes until just set, covering with foil after 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a pan and fry the parsnip, carrots and shallots for five to six minutes.
Pour over the orange zest and juice and the stock and bring to the boil.
Simmer for 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and most of the juice has been absorbed. Stir in the cranberry sauce and cook for a further three minutes.
To serve, spoon the cooked veg over the cheesecake, scatter with parsley.
Turkey crowns and whole birds
FROM Saturday, you can buy a whole British turkey crown at Morrisons for £7 per kilo.
Lidl’s Broadland free-range bronze British turkey breast joint, wrapped in a bacon lattice, with pork, apricot and cranberry stuffing, makes a tasty package, 1.8kg, £29.99.
Lidl’s turkey breast joint wrapped in bacon is just £29.99
For every fresh whole turkey or turkey crown sold, Aldi is pledging £1 to the Neighbourly Foundation charity to fight food poverty. Pick up a fresh large British turkey crown in store for £6.89 per kilo.
For a good-value meal, Asda’s frozen small British turkey crown, serving three to four people, is £10.
Morrisons’ fresh British whole turkey is just £3 per kilo from Saturday.
If you’re hosting a bigger group, Sainsbury’s extra-extra-large frozen turkey is great value for money
For free-range festivities, Lidl’s Deluxe Ultimate Heritage Breed free-range Silver Slate British turkey is £8.99 per kg.
If you have a hungry group, Sainsbury’s frozen extra-extra- large whole butter-basted turkey, 8.9kg to 10.6kg, is £29.
For hungry families, the Essential large turkey with giblets from Waitrose, 5.5kg to 6.9kg, will serve at least 11, for £22.75.
Sauteed Brussels sprouts with pecans
Serves six
Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Spice up your sides and serve up these delicious sauteed sprouts
You need:
150g pecan nuts
1kg Brussels sprouts
1 tbsp olive oil
15g butter
Method:
Toast the pecan nuts in the oven for about five minutes. Cut the sprouts into halves and quarters, depending on the size, then steam for about five minutes until just tender.
Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan and stir fry the sprouts for about 5 minutes until they begin to brown.
Add the toasted pecans and toss to combine.
Happy fishmas
START your big feat with The Best triple-smoked, tsar-cut salmon with soy dressing from Morrisons, £8. The dish serves six and is available from Saturday.
Seafood lovers will rejoice at Morrisons The Best seafood thermidor – prawns and scallops in a rich sauce, £5 for a pack of two, also available from Saturday.
For an easy but tasty starter, get your hands on Morrisons’ The Best seafood thermidor
Aldi’s whole Canadian lobster, £5.99, 400g, is a real treat to get your claws into.
For simple smoked salmon, Morrisons has a 200g pack for £3.
Dreaming of a white fishmas? Try Aldi’s Specially Selected cod loin wrapped in bacon, £7.99. Available in store from Saturday.
Get a fresh whole salmon for £4.99 per kilo, down from £8, at Morrisons.
Aldi’s Specially Selected cod loin wrapped in bacon is also a great option at just £7.99
It’s a wrap – Tesco’s finest salmon Wellington, encased in pastry, is £5 for the 700g dish.
If you can wait until next week, Tesco Finest salmon joint with stuffing and cranberry glaze, 904g, launches on Monday for £20.
For a different kind of fish, Waitrose ray wings with lemon butter, capers and parsley, 275g, is £6.
Festive deals on veg
BUY three for £1 on favourite festive veg at Morrisons, including 500g sprouts, 1kg carrots, 500g parsnips, 2kg potatoes or a whole swede.
Get three for the price of two on fruit and vegetables at the Co-op including peeled sprouts, 200g, seedless easy peelers and punnets of Irresistible grapes.
Stock up on carrots while they’re on offer at Morrisons
Save 70p on Sainsbury’s cauliflower cheese, 400g, now £2.
For bargain veg, Asda’s frozen vegetable bundle includes frozen peas, carrots and a vegetable medley mix for £2.57.
Save 95p on Birds Eye petits pois at Sainsbury’s, now £2.50.
Save £1 on Aunt Bessie’s duck fat roasted potatoes at Morrisons, now £2.
For posh flavoursome veg, save 51p on Chantenay carrots at Morrisons, now 49p for 500g. Hurry, offer expires today.
Part of Morrisons’ festive selection available from Tuesday, The Best butternut squash, beetroot and cheese, 400g, is £2.
Sainsbury’s Potato Dauphinoise, 400g, is down from £2.70 to £2.
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