Master perfect poultry and fancy fish dishes with Mrs Crunch’s Christmas tips

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.

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

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a pan and fry the parsnip, carrots and shallots for five to six minutes.
5. Pour over the orange zest and juice and the stock and bring to the boil.
6. 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.
7. 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.

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.

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.