Get Ready For Your Perfect Christmas Dinner with Neven Maguire's Tips

Weekend Breakfast with Alison Curtis

He's back! Neven Maguire has got a new book 'Eat Out at Home,' which is full of tips for adding that extra bit of flair to your cooking.

There's even a new way to do your potatoes this Christmas and Neven has all the tips for making it happen.

Press the play button to hear all the tips and below are the recipes mentioned.

Turkey Roulade with Maple Glaze: Serves 6–8

75g butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

100g fresh ciabatta breadcrumbs

2 tsp chopped fresh mixed herbs (sage, rosemary and thyme)

20g fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves stripped off

1.75–2kg boneless turkey breast, skin on

50g dried cranberries or chopped apricots

2 tbsp maple syrup

200ml carton poultry gravy

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas Mark 6).

Heat a sauté pan over a medium heat, melt half of the butter and gently sauté the onion for 8–10 minutes until softened but not coloured.

Season well.

Put the breadcrumbs and herbs into a food processor and blitz to fine crumbs, then add the sautéed onions and pulse to make a paste.

Put the turkey breast skin-side down on a chopping board, then butterfly it by cutting partway into the thickest side.

Open the turkey breast out and cover with parchment paper, then use a rolling pin to gently bash it out to an even 2cm thickness.

Remove the parchment and season, then spread over the breadcrumb paste, leaving a border around the edges.

Scatter the cranberries or apricots on top, then press down so that they form part of the stuffing.

Starting from one of the short sides, roll the turkey breast into a tight log shape, then tie at even intervals with kitchen string.

Melt the rest of the butter in a small pan with the maple syrup, and use this to glaze the joint, reserving any that is left over.

This will keep in the fridge for 2 days, or it can be frozen and defrosted.

Put the turkey roulade on a rack in a roasting tin and roast for 40 minutes, basting halfway through with the rest of the glaze, until the turkey is cooked through. A thermometer should read 70°C.

Transfer the roulade to a platter, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the roasting tin on the hob and stir in the gravy with a splash of boiling water, scraping the bottom of the tin to remove any sediment.

Carve the turkey into slices and arrange on plates, then pour over some of the gravy to serve.

Sticky Damson Ham with Star Anise: Serves 8–10

2kg unsmoked gammon joint

1 onion, sliced

2 celery sticks, roughly chopped

1 tbsp black peppercorns

8 star anise

175g damson plum jam or conserve

juice of 1 orange

100g light brown sugar

Rinse the gammon with fresh water and put in a pan of boiling water.

Add the onion, celery, peppercorns and 2 of the star anise. Bring to a simmer over a low heat and cook for 1½ hours. Leave to cool in the liquid.

Meanwhile, make the glaze. Put the damson jam or conserve in a small pan with the orange juice, sugar and the rest of the star anise.

Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, then simmer for 3–4 minutes or until reduced to a thick glaze, stirring to ensure it doesn’t catch at the bottom. Leave to cool slightly.

Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F/Gas Mark 7).

Remove the gammon from the pan and put into a baking tin. Using a sharp knife, cut off the rind, leaving the fat on top and score diagonally into a diamond pattern.

Pour around 500ml of the cooking liquid, which will help to keep the joint moist.

Smear the damson glaze all over the ham, reserving 2 tablespoons, making sure the star anise are sitting on top of the joint.

Roast for 20–30 minutes until cooked through.

Remove from the oven and drizzle over the remaining glaze.

Leave to rest for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour, covered loosely with tin foil.

Carve slices from the ham and arrange on plates to serve.

Tiramisu: Serves 8–10

4 large eggs

100g caster sugar

250g mascarpone cheese 2

50ml cream

250ml freshly brewed strong espresso coffee (left to cool completely)

150ml Tia Maria or Kahlúa liqueur

40 sponge fingers

50g bar plain chocolate

2 tsp cocoa powder

Separate the eggs, putting the yolks in one bowl with 80g of the sugar, and the egg whites in another.

Using an electric beater, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale and creamy, then mix in the mascarpone cheese until well combined.

Whip the cream in a separate bowl until soft peaks form, then fold into the egg yolk and mascarpone mixture.

Using spotlessly clean beaters, whisk the egg whites with 20g of sugar until soft peaks form, then fold this into the mascarpone cream.

Spoon a third of this mixture into a suitable dish that is at least 2cm deep.

Pour the coffee into a shallow dish and stir in the Tia Maria or Kahlúa.

Dip in enough of the sponge fingers to make an even layer on top of the mascarpone mixture.

Only dip the sponge fingers in as you go along, so they don’t soak for too long and become difficult to handle.

Cover the layer of soaked sponge fingers with another third of the mascarpone mixture, then grate most of the chocolate bar on top using the coarse side of a grater.

Add another layer with the rest of the soaked sponge fingers, then spoon over the remaining mascarpone mixture and spread evenly with a back of a spoon.

Cover with cling film and chill overnight to allow the flavours to develop and the dessert to settle.

To serve, give the tiramisu a good dusting of cocoa powder, then grate over the rest of the chocolate. Place in the middle of the table so that everyone can help themselves.