Smeg’s 12 Tips for Christmas

At Smeg, we believe preparation is key to a smooth, stress-free Christmas and enjoying a delicious festive feast. Smeg’s Home Economists have put together their top 12 Christmas tips to help you get ready for the big day. 

1. Choose the Turbo function for perfect roasts 

Smeg ovens feature a powerful Turbo function, ideal for cooking meat joints. Use Turbo for the first 20 minutes to sear the meat, locking in moisture and tenderness. Then switch to Circulaire, Smeg’s fan function, to finish cooking evenly and achieve juicy results.

2. Cook your turkey upside down (breast down) in concentrated stock

How to do it: Dilute a stock pot with 200 ml of boiling water and tip into the baking tray. Place the turkey upside down and roast.

Why it works:

• Juicer breast meat: the breast is typically the leanest part of the meat and can dry out easily. By cooking it upside down, the juices from the darker, fattier meat flow downwards unto the breast, keeping it moist and flavourful.
• Enhances flavour infusion: the stock adds flavour and moisture to the turkey—plus adds delicious juices for the gravy.
• Even cooking: the thighs and legs usually cook at a different speed to the breasts, so this allows as even cooking as possible, minimising dry results.

Final step: For crispy skin, flip the turkey back over breast side up for the final 30-45 minutes. This allows the skin to brown and crisp without sacrificing moisture. This is a great time to add bacon strips, if you like.

3. Rest your turkey upside down with foil and a tea towel

Once cooked (to 75°C, if you have a probe, or until the juices run clear), remove from the oven and place in a large bowl or dish upside down. Wrap tightly in foil and insulate with a tea towel over the foil to keep warm. Rest for at least 1 hour.

Benefits:

• This will retain heat without overcooking
• Redistributes juices for moist meat
• Easier carving: resting allows proteins in the meat to relax, making it firmer and easier to carve without excessive spilling out of juices.

4. Use Smeg baking trays on your induction hob

Smeg baking trays are induction-friendly, meaning you can pop them straight onto the hob. Use the juices from your roast to create a rich and flavourful gravy—no mess or waste!

5. Save any cooking water from vegetables

Boiled carrots, broccoli, or parsnips will leave behind nutrients and extra flavour in the water. Keep this and use it to cook delicious gravy. Save any peelings too—these can be boiled down to create your very own nutritious stock!

6. Save time with combination microwave cooking

Get the most out of a combi microwave by utilising the combination technology to take the stress away from timings and have Christmas dishes prepared in no time.

Simply select the same temperature the recipe requires, half the time, and select the wattage. The wattage will depend on the density of the food; for example, potatoes are a dense food, so they may require 300-400 watts. Whereas something delicate, like fish, needs only 100 watts.

7. Create crispy roast potatoes with steam

If you have the option to add steam, doing so during roasting potatoes can make a huge difference. Allowing a beautifully golden and crispy exterior while ensuring the centres stay light, fluffy, and delicious.

For appliances with the option to full steam, it’s possible to complete the whole process in the oven! Peel, cut, and place into the steam oven. Steam for 15-20 minutes until tender, then roast in the traditional method with the small addition of steam.

8. Maximise oven space with Smeg’s Circulaire function 

Smeg ovens have a huge capacity—capable of fitting a 36 lb turkey and a tray of roast potatoes. No need to separate sweet and savoury dishes when cooking, thanks to the Smeg Circulaire function, which allows continuously clean air to circulate. This results in no cross-transference of flavours and smells, allowing something to be cooked on every shelf position—perfect for when you have a full house to feed!

9. Perfect your Yorkshire puddings

Avoid lumps: When making the batter, add a small amount of milk to the flour first to create a paste to avoid a lumpy batter.
Rest the batter: It’s important to rest the batter at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cooking. This allows the gluten to relax and will improve the rise.
Hot oil is key: Pre-heat the oil in the metal cupcake tin before adding the batter; the batter should sizzle when it hits the fat. This will indicate its hot enough.
Temperature: Yorkshire puddings thrive on high heat (220 degrees) for at least 20 minutes.

Find Smeg's perfect Yorkshire pudding recipe here.

10. Utilise the Smeg Pizza Stone on your busiest day

The Smeg Pizza Stone can be used in any Smeg oven or range cooker. Whist traditionally used for pizza, when preheated, can be used for a whole host of recipes. From baking tarts and quiches, creating a beautiful crust on a loaf of bread, to fantastic desserts.

For example, when baking mince pies, create a delicious and crispy golden base by sitting the metal tin directly onto the stone. This is perfect when adding a deeper topping, such as shortbread or frangipane, as both the topping and base are cooked through without having to blind bake.

11. Bake your Christmas Puddings with Steam—ahead of time and keep warm 

For best results, use full steam to heat your Christmas pudding on the big day.

• Helps to keep the pudding moist: steaming prevents the pudding from drying out, making it richer and tender even after hours of cooking.
• Promotes even cooking.

Steaming gently cooks the pudding, preventing cracks or splits while reducing excess steam in the kitchen compared to hob steaming.

12. Make easy bread and butter pudding using leftover panettone

Transform leftover panettone into a delicious bread and butter pudding. With raisins and spices already included, fewer ingredients are needed for this festive, easy dessert.