Stress-free slow-cooker Christmas turkey and ham

It has been one other heck of a 12 months that’s beginning to take its toll on us all, particularly now that winter has lastly set in with the chilly climate.

The very best factor a couple of good chilly spell is strolling into a comfy home the place the sluggish cooker has been working its magic all day. Even higher than that’s filling heat bowls with a scrumptious stew, curry or soup made with minimal effort and little or no cleansing as much as do.

Within the present local weather, I feel we’re all in search of a hassle-free festive interval, so what if we may prolong that ease to Christmas day?

What if we spent this Christmas morning not having to fret about basting the turkey and really stepping away from the oven for as soon as? Taking part in scrabble in our Christmas pyjamas whereas letting the sluggish cooker do its factor.

My slow-cooker turkey and ham has really been known as genius! It’s one among my hottest recipes to this point and I’ve been cooking Christmas dinner this fashion for years. Not solely do you’ve got the simplicity of popping a big turkey breast in with the ham and forgetting about it, however as you might be sluggish cooking the joint, you find yourself with the juiciest piece of turkey you’ll ever style.

If you’re going for a cured ham, I’d suggest soaking it for twenty-four hours in chilly water earlier than slowing cooking it. The slow-cooker ham is so succulent and the juices from the turkey and ham meats make the bottom for a fully chic gravy.

All it’s important to fear about on the large day is the trimmings and the bucks fizz.

Sluggish-cooker turkey and ham

Serves six

Components
500g-900g turkey breast joint
700g unsmoked gammon joint
1 medium white onion
1 carrot
2 celery stalks
1 rooster or veg stockpot

Technique
1 You will want a 6-litre sluggish cooker.
2 Peel and chop your onion, carrot and celery and place them into the underside of your sluggish cooker.
3 Add a rooster or veg stockpot – there isn’t a want so as to add any liquid as each joints of meat will launch round a pint of liquid in the course of the sluggish cooking. It will make a scrumptious base on your gravy.
4 Cook dinner on low for 8 hours/medium for six hours/excessive for 4 hours. (It is a guideline, as all sluggish cookers range. Test the turkey breast is absolutely cooked, white all through with the juices operating clear, earlier than serving.)

Ham glaze (elective)
1 Combine 3 tbsp of runny honey with 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard.
2 Brush your cooked ham with the glaze and pop it within the oven at 180 levels fan for 20 minutes till sticky and golden.

Gravy
1 Rigorously pressure the juices out of your sluggish cooker right into a saucepan and warmth gently.
2When effervescent, add in a cornflour paste made up of two tsp of corn flour blended with a dribble of chilly water.
3 Whisk till thick.