How to have a Stress-Free Christmas on Your Cast Iron Cooker

No matter how many years you’ve been doing it, the big Christmas cook can feel intimidating — all eyes on the host and many mouths to feed. But with an Aga or cast-iron cooker, it should be a time to shine. With a little planning and some Aga-friendly techniques, you can let the cooker work its magic while you enjoy the day.

Christmas Eve

Firstly, turn your Aga up slightly the night before for a little more oomph on Christmas Day. Traditional models take time to respond and setting to a higher temperature than usual will provide the extra leverage you may require. If your Aga is a controllable model, turn on the night before to ensure full saturation of the ovens and the best cooking results.

The Main Event

Start early with your Yorkshire puddings. They rely on maximum heat, so cook them while your oven is at its hottest and get them out of the way. For vegetables, bring to the boil, drain and pop into the simmering oven to steam — they stay vibrant and free up hotplate space.

To free up oven space and eliminate any “will it be cooked on time?” stress, slow-roast your turkey overnight. Give it an hour in the roasting oven, then move it to the simmering oven:

3–5kg: 8–10 hours

7–10kg: 10–14 hours

Wrap in foil and a thick towel to keep warm all morning, then brown in the roasting oven.

Pour off the roasting juices, then place the tray on the floor of the oven to deglaze (never on the boiling plate — it will buckle). Add your chosen alcohol and reduce: Madeira is wonderful with turkey (or even prosecco), while port or red wine suit red meats. Add good stock, roasted bones, herbs and aromatics for depth.

Credit to Sarah Whitaker for her ever reliable turkey method. Take a look at the full recipe here.

The Sides

Pre-prepare your vegetables: steam sprouts the night before; pre-fry shallots and bacon. On the day, stir-fry on the boiling plate with a knob of butter and crumbled chestnuts.

Parsnip purée makes a delicious change: brown parsnips in butter, add equal parts milk and cream, simmer until soft and blitz smooth. Leftovers make a luxurious Boxing Day soup — thin with milk and add leftover stilton.

For the perfect roasties, parboil, drain and shake until fluffy. Heat goose fat in the roasting tray until smoking, add unpeeled garlic cloves, rosemary and thyme, toss potatoes well, season with Maldon salt and baste occasionally as they roast.