How to avoid a Christmas dinner disaster

Hi, I’m Helen.
Welcome to the eSpares guide to avoiding a Christmas dinner disaster. This isn’t going
to be some Delia-style demo where I show you how to get the perfect crispiness to your
parsnips. I’m just going to share with you a few tips on how to have a stress free time
preparing Christmas dinner.
So let’s get started with the most important thing-the oven. If you don’t use your oven
very often, or have any doubts about it, you should check that it’s working well, and
getting up to the right temperature, well in advance to the big day. This gives you
plenty of opportunity to buy and replace any spare parts. One of the most common parts
that needs replacing on an electric oven is the element. This is a pretty straightforward
fix-it task and you can see my colleague Matt change the element in this Neff oven in another
eSpares video.
Next up, check that your oven is reaching the correct temperature. If it’s not, your
turkey wont cook through properly, and you could end up giving everyone food poisoning.
That’s not the sort of Christmas present you’ll get many thanks for. This inexpensive
oven thermometer just sits in the oven and shows you the actual temperature inside. If
it’s not heating up correctly, there could be several explanations. You may need to replace
the oven thermostat, but the most likely cause is the door seal. If it gets damaged or worn,
it will let hot air escape, and you need to replace it straight away. You can see me do
just that in another eSpares video.
So, now I’m confident that my oven isn’t going to let me down on the big day. What
next? Well I recommend giving it a good clean with an specialist oven cleaner, as spills
and grease can cause smoke and fumes that can sour the turkey. And as space is always
at a premium when cooking a big roast, why not get yourself an extendable oven shelf
from the eSpares website? Give yourself some extra room for those roasted vegetables.
And now for the turkey. If you’ve gone for a frozen bird, make sure you give it plenty
of time to defrost and get to room temperature-you don’t want to be trying to cook a frozen
turkey. If you’ve gone for a fresh bird, remember to leave it out the fridge the night
before Christmas, Again, you want it to be at room temperature when you put it in the
oven. I’m going to be roasting it on an extendable oven try. This is suitable for
almost any size of bird. Make sure you follow the cooking instructions carefully. Cooking
times for turkey can be found in the eSpares advice centre.
Right, that’s in the oven, now it’s time for a glass of wine. Oops! The inevitable
Christmas wine spill. ‘Wine Away’ is an eSpares favourite. It’s a red wine stain
remover and its made from entirely natural ingredients. So I just blot way the excess,
and spray liberally. Ah voila! Now, back to the turkey. I think it should be done now.
To check that its cooked through properly, I’m going to insert a meat thermometer in
the thickest part of the bird, between the thigh and the body. The correct temperature
should be at least 82 Degrees Celsius and 180 degrees Fahrenheit, and the juices should
be running clear.
Now I need to transfer the turkey to the carving board. I’m going to use these handy turkey
lifters. Now, if you’ve ever dropped a roast on the floor, as I have, you’ll appreciate
how useful these are. Well, I hope that’s been useful, and you have the perfect Christmas.
Best wishes from all of us at eSpares.