There was this young woman who was living with her partner and she decided that for their first Christmas together, she wanted to cook Christmas dinner the way her mother taught her. Partner, delighted, sat back and let her do the work and off she set, delighted with herself.

She got the turkey, placed it on the worktop and started to cut it sideways across the middle, separating the crown from the limbs. Partner watches on, enthralled, having never seen this done before.

She placed the two halves on separate trays for roasting and preheated the top and bottom ovens, even though there was plenty of room in the bottom for both bird and the yummy veg that would surely follow.

“Why did you slice the turkey like that?”

She stopped short. She turned and said “Well, because that’s how it’s done”.

“Really? Where?” Asked the (brave) partner.

“Yes really! God!” She’s getting annoyed now. Feels a bit criticised. But … also starting to wonder why… She thinks about it, makes an excuse to leave the room and calls her mother.

“Why do you slice the turkey across like that at Christmas?” she asked. “You never do that with chickens”.

“Well”, says the mother, “because, erm… that’s how it’s done! I mean, it’s always done like that!” The daughter asks her if she ever saw anyone else do that? Mother thinks of all the TV chefs she follows, the Instagram chefs, her friends….hmmmm… it is a bit odd maybe…

“I’ll call granny” she says. So call calls her mother and asks her “Why do we cut off the turkey crown and roast it separately at Christmas but cook chicken whole?”

Granny said “Y’know I often wondered myself why you do that dear! Why do you think I might know?” Well, this is a little frustrating mom is thinking. “Because that’s how you taught me to do it!!!” she said, a little exasperated now, to be honest.

Granny laughs gently and says,

” Ok…well, the only reason I did it that way is because the turkey had to be huge to feed us all, and the main oven I had was just too small to accommodate it, so I improvised!

But you have always had a better oven. So, I have often wondered why you do it that way…

My own mother told me that story – it’s got depth hasn’t it?!

Happy Christmas again guys, see you on the other side!