…basically a stuffed turkey!

Three years ago I managed to get in time and order a four bird roast from Marks and Spencer.

It went down well, but I did reflect afterwards:

Not sure if I would get it again, there was too much turkey in comparison to the other meats stuffed in there, but still very nice to have a mix of meats. Stuffings were nice as well.

When you look at the ingredients you get an idea why I thought that.

Turkey (66%)  • Pork, Brandied Apricot & Cranberry Stuffing (8%)  • Goose Breast (7%)  • Chicken Breast (5%)  • Smoked Streaky Bacon (5%)  • Duck Breast (5%)  • Poultry Stock • Water • Orange Slice • Dried Apricots • Rosemary • Salt • Ground Black Pepper.

It’s basically a stuffed turkey, the chicken, duck and goose only comprise 17%, but with 66% turkey it’s way too much turkey and at £120 is a little expensive for what is a stuffed turkey.

So what am I doing this year then?

Well, another four bird roast, but this time from Sainsburys. I did consider going to my local butcher, but their’s were too similar to Marks and Spencer’s, basically a stuffed turkey!

Sainsbury's Four Bird Roast

The Sainsbury’s version is different in that it is a goose stuffed with turkey, duck and guinea fowl. I will say that this is basically a stuffed goose; it’s 62% goose, 9% turkey and there is 8% duck and 8% guinea fowl. However as I have been meaning to have goose for a few years now, for me this is an ideal choice. It’s only 3.7kg, smaller than the 4.5Kg of the M&S version. It was also a lot cheaper at £80. I thought this was good value for money when you consider how more expensive goose is than turkey.

I am looking forward to cooking and eating it. As is now traditional in our house we will be cooking and eating our main festive meal on Christmas Eve.

Four Bird Roast

Well the Four Bird Roast was a great success.

Three and half hours in the oven and resting for forty minutes did the trick. Beautifully moist and very tasty.

Not sure if I would get it again, there was too much turkey in comparison to the other meats stuffed in there, but still very nice to have a mix of meats. Stuffings were nice as well.

Christmas is coming…

As the big day approaches, I am starting to make the final preparations for the festive meal.

We are going to have the four bird roast from Marks and Spencers with Parmentier Potatoes and a spread of vegetables.

Hopefully it should all go to plan.

Christmas Four Bird Roast


Well my plan for a Christmas Four Bird Roast was scuppered last year. I had intended to order one from Marks and Spencers which consisted of Turkey, Goose, Duck, Chicken.

Marks and Spencers Four Bird Roast

However when I went to order it was apparent that many others had had the same idea and it had sold out! I am guessing that a) a lot of people were like me and liked the concept b) the Marks and Spencers version was good value for money at £100. There was no way you could even do it yourself for £100. Waitrose’s version was £120 and only consisted of a three bird roast.

So this year I got in early and managed to order one.

Now from the description I believe that this isn’t in fact four birds one stuffed within another, but a large turkey stuffed with goose, duck, chicken and stuffing. Still it sounds nice, and according to the person at Marks and Spencers who I ordered it from, it went down well at their Christmas last year.

No Christmas Four Bird Roast

Well my plan for a Christmas Four Bird Roast was scuppered this year. I had intended to order one from Marks and Spencers which consisted of Turkey, Goose, Duck, Chicken.

Marks and Spencers Four Bird Roast

However when I went to order it was apparent that many others had had the same idea and it had sold out! I am guessing that a) a lot of people were like me and liked the concept b) the Marks and Spencers version was good value for money at £100. There was no way you could even do it yourself for £100. Waitrose’s version was £120 and only consisted of a three bird roast.

So instead…

We’re going to have (separately) chicken, duck and venison.

Christmas Four Bird Roast

I was (as I suspect others were) with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s incredible ten bird roast he did for Christmas for this River Cottage series.

This year I am considering having a four bird roast for Christmas.

Marks and Spencers Four Bird Roast

Now the key question for me is do I do it myself, or because of time constraints do I buy one in. I am considering getting one from Marks and Spencers but wondering if I can get a better one elsewhere.

Bargain

Well I got a bit of a bargain yesterday from the deli counter at Sainsburys.

They had some cooked mini Turkey joints (around 500g) reduced from £9.99 to 99p, a nine pound saving. It wasn’t as though the use by date was yesterday either, bought yesterday on the 29th December, to be used by the 1st January.

It was cheaper than buying a couple of slices of the cooked turkey (which is why I was at the deli counter in the first place).

It wasn’t the best or most tasty turkey, but it works well in sandwiches. Of course we didn’t have turkey at Christmas, so we didn’t have lots left over like those poor people who buy and cook those HUGE turkeys!

Avoid Christmas Food Poisoning

Every year across the UK hundreds (if not thousands) of people suffer a miserable Christmas as they go down with food poisoning, with a lot of these down to badly cooked roasted turkeys.

Roast Turkeys

With less than a month to go the Food Standards Agency has published a Safer Christmas Eating guide which should help you avoid making yourself and others ill through badly cooked food.

Whether you’re cooking for one or thirty-one, our Christmas poultry advice – plus our cooking and defrosting calculators – can help protect you and your family and friends from food poisoning.

Well worth reading, more so if you have never cooked a really big turkey before.

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