Nigella has an odd way to achieve a the perfect Christmas turkey. (Image: BBC Studios / Jay Brooks)
is known for having slightly out of the box methods when it comes to cooking, from Coca Cola ham to banana skin curry, but this she might’ve outdone herself.
The TV star has revealed her interesting method for getting the perfect turkey every time, and it’s probably not what you’d expect.
Nigella swears by in the garden for a few days before Christmas with her son’s skateboard on top protecting it from foxes.
She submerges the turkey in a brine made up of salt and mild spices, which makes the meat more succulent, and leaves it to soak outside. The brine includes cinnamon, star anise, caraway seeds, cloves, honey and mustard seeds, and more.
The TV chef recomends up to two days before Christmas and urged people to always buy free range as the meat is typically fattier, meaning it cooks quicker.
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In an email to her fans, she said she used to leave it by an open window in her kitchen before she had a garden. She event went so far as to say she refuses to eat a turkey that has not been soaked in a brine.
She explained: “Not only does it tenderise , but it makes carving the turkey much easier. You have only to try this method to be utterly convinced.”
The email read: “At this time of year, it’s fine just to leave it in a very cold place. Before I had a garden, I put mine by an open window in the kitchen. It does mean everyone freezes, but who am I going to put first – my turkey or my family?
“Out in the garden if you’re lucky enough to have one would also be fine, though the : if I’ve got a bucket or bin out in the open, I cover it twice with foil and then put my son’s skateboard on top to prevent foxy foraging.
[REVEAL]
“And, though you might find it hard to believe sight unseen, a raw turkey covered in brine – with its oranges, cinnamon sticks, and scattering of spices – looks so beautiful as it steeps that I can never help lifting the lid for quick, blissfully reassuring peeks.”
Nigella also recommends taking the turkey out of the fridge for two hours before its cooked.
made from allspice berries, black peppercorns, turkey giblets, bay leaves, cinnamon, onions and carrots, clementine juice, flour and honey.