The Ultimate Sutton Hoo Chicken Christmas Lunch recipe with all the trimmings
This year we really wanted to take the stress out of cooking on Christmas Day and we are really excited by this amazing festive feast we have created for you all, including recipes for all the sides.
We know many of our lovely customers always have a big roast Sutton Hoo Chicken (or 2!) instead of a turkey and we wanted to celebrate this by creating an absolutely delicious meal for you- with all the trimmings and timings included, so the stressful part has been done for you! Get the Time Plan here or scroll to the bottom of all the recipes.
We have created a mouth watering Christmas lunch packed with flavour and festivity. The main event is the Rosemary and thyme butter roast chicken with a marsala wine gravy, and a chestnut and sausage stuffing. A rich garlic and herb butter bastes the chicken while it roasts, meaning less work for you whilst ensuring a rich and succulent meat that works perfectly as the centrepiece of a traditional Christmas dinner.
WHAT ABOUT THE TRIMMINGS?
Garlic and bay roast potatoes
Pigs in blankets served with cranberry sauce
Nutmeg and bay leaf infused bread sauce
Maple roast carrots and parsnips
Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and smoked lardons
Scroll down to get all the recipes! The time plan is at the bottom or linked here in our blog.
THE CHICKEN
Rosemary and thyme butter roast chicken with a marsala wine gravy and a chestnut and sausage stuffing and pigs in blankets served with cranberry sauce. A rich garlic and herb butter bastes this chicken while it roasts, meaning less work for you whilst ensuring a rich and succulent meat that works perfectly as the centrepiece of a traditional Christmas dinner.
Serves 6
Hands-on time 30 mins
Total time 2 hrs 30 mins, plus overnight salting
Get ahead Prepare your chicken up to the end of step 3 up to 24 hours in advance. Store uncovered in the fridge overnight, taking it out 45 mins before roasting to take off the chill and allowing it to cook more evenly.
INGREDIENTS
For the chicken
Roughly 2.3kg Sutton Hoo chicken, giblets and string removed
100g salted butter, softened
8 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
3 sprigs rosemary, needles picked and finely chopped
1 bulb garlic, halved, plus 2 large garlic cloves, finely crushed
3 onions, quartered
2 bay leaves
2 carrots, roughly chopped
For the stuffing
20g butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
3 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
2 sprigs rosemary, needles picked and finely chopped
150g good quality sausage meat
100g good quality fresh breadcrumbs (we used sourdough)
1 small Bramley apple, coarsely grated
80g cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
For the gravy
2 tbsp plain flour
250ml good quality chicken stock
80ml marsala wine
To serve
6 good quality chipolatas wrapped in smoked streaky bacon
Cranberry sauce
METHOD
1. The day before roasting, prepare your chicken. First, make the stuffing. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Add the shallots, cover and cook for 15 mins, stirring occasionally, until very soft. Tip into a large bowl, mix all the remaining ingredients together and season with a generous pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
2. Next, make the butter for the chicken. In a large bowl, beat the butter, thyme, rosemary, crushed garlic and a generous grind of black pepper together until evenly combined. Carefully push an upturned dessert spoon between the chicken skin and meat, starting at the cavity and moving towards the neck bone. Evenly fill the space with the butter, smoothing down the skin to create an even layer. Fill the cavity with the stuffing. Roll any excess stuffing into golf-sized balls.
3. Place the chicken in a baking tray, slightly larger than the bird, and surround with the bulb of garlic, onion, bay leaves and carrot. Pat the skin dry with kitchen paper, then season with sea salt. Re-truss the legs together with string and leave the chicken uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry the skin to ensure it’s extra crispy.
4. The next day, remove the chicken from the fridge 45 mins before you’re ready to roast. Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7.
5. Roast on the middle shelf of the oven for 30 mins, then reduce the temperature to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6 and roast for a further 1 hr 15-30 mins, until the meat fibres are set and the juices run clear. Add the giblets to the roasting tray for the final 30 mins of cooking. Once cooked, cover the chicken with foil and a clean tea towel and set aside to rest for 25-30 mins, allowing the meat to tenderise and retain its juices.
6. Once the chicken is resting, place the pigs in blankets and any excess stuffing on a baking tray and roast for 20-25 mins until golden, crisp and cooked throughout.
7. Meanwhile, make the gravy. Drain the chicken cooking juices into a medium pan and whisk in the flour. Cook over a medium heat for 1-2 mins, stirring continuously, then gradually whisk in the stock and marsala. Add the roasted giblets, bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 mins. Season to taste, then strain through a sieve into a serving jug or gravy boat, discarding the giblets.
8. To serve, transfer the chicken to a serving platter to carve at the table. Serve with a spoonful of stuffing, the pigs in blankets, gravy and a generous helping of cranberry sauce.
Tip For peace of mind and to ensure a well-cooked but still juicy chicken, invest in a meat probe thermometer. The chicken is cooked when the temperature in the thickest part of the bird reaches a steady 75°C.
THE POTATOES
Garlic and bay roast potatoes
Infuse the roasting oil with garlic and bay leaves and serve tossed in a homemade herb salt for a simple and fragrant twist on the classic roastie.
Serves 6
V DF GF Vn
Hands-on time 25 mins
Total time 1 hr 20 mins
Get ahead Prepare your potatoes up to the end of step 2 up to 24 hours in advance. Once fully cold, store in an airtight container in a single layer in the fridge until needed. This will dry out the outer skin of the potato giving an extra crispy result.
INGREDIENTS
2kg Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cut into roughly 5cm chunks
150ml rapeseed oil or duck or goose fat
1 garlic bulb, halved, plus 1 small clove, finely chopped
3 bay leaves
2 tbsp sea salt flakes
1 sprig rosemary, needles picked and finely chopped
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7. Place a large, shallow-sided roasting tray in the oven.
2. Place the potatoes in a large pan and cover generously with water. Season with a good pinch of sea salt, bring to the boil, then simmer for 8-10 mins, until there is the slightest give when pricked with a fork. Drain into a colander and leave to steam dry for 1-2 mins before returning the pan and shaking to fluff up the edges.
3. Carefully pour the oil or fat onto the preheated roasting tray. Add the halved garlic bulb and 2 bay leaves and place in the oven for 5 mins to infuse the oil.
4. With a fork or a pair of tongs, carefully remove the garlic and bay leaves. Add the potatoes to the tray and turn in the fat until evenly coated. Season with sea salt and roast in the oven for 50-55 mins, turning every 10-15 mins and allowing the steam to escape the oven, until evenly golden and crisp.
5. Meanwhile, tear the remaining bay leaf into small pieces and add to a pestle and mortar with the salt, rosemary and finely chopped garlic clove. Bash until you have a uniform salt, removing any larger chunks of bay leaf.
6. Season the potatoes with the herb salt, saving any leftovers in an airtight container for another occasion, then transfer the potatoes to a serving bowl with a slotted spoon. Serve immediately.
Tip Save any leftover salt in a glass jar or airtight container and use as everyday seasoning to make your cooking extra delicious.
THE veg
Maple roast carrots and parsnips
Sticky and sweet, roasting your carrots and parsnips in a generous glug of maple syrup creates a golden caramelisation that adds sweetness and crunch to your Christmas dinner.
Serves 6
V DF GF VN
Hands-on time 20 mins
Total time 40 mins
Get Ahead Par boil your carrots and parsnips up to 24 hours in advance. Store covered in the fridge then toss in the maple syrup and oil and roast according to the recipe.
INGREDIENTS
400g baby carrots, peeled
400g baby parsnips, peeled and halved lengthways
4 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7.
2. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the carrots and parsnips and cook for 5 mins until they are starting to soften and give slightly when pricked with a fork. Drain into a colander and leave to steam dry for 5 mins, then tip onto a large roasting tray and toss in the maple syrup and oil.
3. Roast in the oven for 30-35 mins, tossing every 10 mins, until golden and crisp.
4. Sprinkle over the thyme then transfer to a bowl to serve.
Tip If you’d rather use regular sized carrots and parsnips, simply cut them into finger-sized batons and follow the recipe as above.
Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and smoked lardons
Love them or hate them, no Christmas dinner would be complete without a bowl of steaming Brussels sprouts. In this recipe, we parboil them, keeping their characteristic crunch, then pan fry with smoked lardons, chestnuts and dried cranberries before serving with a dusting of freshly grated nutmeg for extra warmth.
Serves 6
DF
Hands-on time 15 mins
Total time 30 mins
Get Ahead Prep your sprouts up to 24 hours in advance and store in the fridge ready to par boil.
INGREDIENTS
600g Brussels sprouts, tough outer leaves removed and halved
1 tbsp vegetable oil
200g smoked lardons
100g cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
50g dried cranberries
2 sprigs rosemary, needles picked and finely chopped
Freshly grated nutmeg
METHOD
1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the sprouts and cook for 2-3 mins until bright green and starting to soften. Drain and leave to steam dry for 5 mins.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the lardons and cook for 8-10 mins, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered down and they are starting to crisp. Add the sprouts, chestnuts, cranberries and rosemary to the pan and toss for 5 mins until the sprouts are piping hot and starting to crisp. Season with a grating of nutmeg and a pinch of sea salt to taste then transfer to a bowl to serve.
THE SAUCE
Nutmeg and bay leaf infused bread sauce
A rich and creamy bread sauce adds warmth and moisture to a traditional Christmas dinner. This recipe infuses the milk with aromatics for a depth of flavour that pairs perfectly with other elements of the dinner, marrying all components of the meal together.
Serves 6
V
Hands-on time 20 mins
Total time 30 mins
Get Ahead Make up to 48 hours in advance. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat gently in a pan with a splash of milk to loosen it and re-season to taste.
INGREDIENTS
50g butter
600ml whole milk
1 onion, peeled and quartered
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 bay leaf
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 whole cloves
1 sprig rosemary
3 sprigs thyme
130g good quality breadcrumbs (we used sourdough)
50ml double cream
METHOD
1. Add the butter, milk, onion, garlic, bay leaf, nutmeg, cloves, rosemary and thyme to a medium saucepan set over a medium heat. Bring to the boil then simmer on low for 20 mins to allows the flavours to infuse into the milk. Strain into a jug then return to the pan.
2. Add the breadcrumbs, stirring to combine and simmer for 5 mins until thickened. Take care not to overmix, otherwise the sauce will become glutenous.
3. Remove from the heat and stir through the cream, then season to taste with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and a little more nutmeg, if needed.
Tip The bread sauce can be made up to 3 months in advance and frozen in an airtight container. Defrost fully overnight in the fridge, then warm gently in a pan with a splash of milk when you’re ready to serve.
A Sutton Hoo Christmas lunch time plan
For sitting down at 2pm
The key to a perfectly cooked, stress-free Christmas lunch is prepping as much in advance and possible and following a time plan on the day to make sure everything goes smoothly. This time plan aims for Christmas lunch to be served at 2pm, but the timings can be adjusted accordingly to accommodate whatever time suits your family and your traditions best.
Up to 48 hrs in advance
- Make the stuffing and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Make the bread sauce and store in a pan, covered with a lid in the fridge.
- Roll the pigs in blankets, place on a baking tray, cover and store in the fridge.
Christmas Eve
- Prepare the chicken and leave uncovered in the fridge.
- Peel and par boil the potatoes, cool then chill covered in the fridge.
- Make the herb salt for the potatoes and store in a glass jar or airtight container.
- Peel and bar boil the carrots and parsnips and store on a baking tray covered in the fridge.
- Prep and half the sprouts and keep in a container in the fridge.
Christmas Morning
- Par boil the sprouts and leave to cool in a colander on the side.
- Put the cranberry sauce in a serving ramekin or bowl.
10.45 Take the chicken out the fridge.
11.15 Preheat the oven on to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7.
11.30 Roast the chicken according to the recipe.
12.00 Reduce the oven temperature to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6 and continue to roast your chicken.
13.00 Infuse your potato oil according to the recipe.
13.05 Roast your potatoes, turning every 15-20 mins.
13.25 Roast your parsnips and carrots, turning frequently.
13.30 Rest your chicken.
13.32 Roast your pigs in blankets.
13.35 Make your gravy.
13.40 Pan-fry your sprouts with the lardons and chestnuts according to the recipe.
13.45 Reheat the bread sauce, adding a splash of milk if it’s too thick.
13.50 Warm your serving dishes.
14.00 Place your chicken on a serving platter, strain your gravy into a jug and add your sides to the warmed serving dishes. Take everything to the table.
Merry Christmas!
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We really hope you all enjoy some or all of the above recipes. Please do get in touch hello@suttonhoochicken.co.uk with any feedback!