Cover Image: Chico Loco

Make it a merrier feast with this classic festive dish, which comes in traditional and contemporary flavours

This story was updated on December 14, 2020

Christmas won’t be the same without the quintessential roast turkey, which is often the centrepiece of festive feasts. And it is for good reason, especially when you get to tuck into the turkey’s moist, succulent meat and crisp skin that taste even better with the delicious trimmings. And this year, the chefs are back doing what they do best—creating inspired flavours to delight and inspire the palates this holiday season.

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1. Blue Jasmine

How about injecting your spread with some Thai flavours with the Roast Turkey Esarn. The chef’s masterful creation is done by marinating the fowl in housemade Esarn paste, traditionally made in Thailand using galangal, lemongrass, coriander, turmeric and fish sauce. This ensures the meat is flavourful down to the core before the chef roasts it twice to achieve a crisp skin. Served with housemade smoked chilli piqued with ground herbs. Order here.

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2. The Glass House Restaurant

The culinary team is well known for Asian-inspired turkey renditions, and this year is no different with their Peranakan Mee Siam turkey. Ensuring the bird is well seasoned, the chef steeps the bird overnight in his own blend of rempah (spice) using ground dried shrimps, belacan (shrimp paste), dried chilli, candlenuts, tau cheo (fermented bean paste), tamarind pulp and fresh aromatics like lemongrass, galangal, turmeric and shallots. It’s slow-roasted to a golden brown finish and served with Nyonya fried mee siam and mee siam gravy. Call 6799 8809 or email thesalon@hfcsingapore.com to order.

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3. Goodwood Park Hotel

Inspired by the well-loved local dish har cheong gai (prawn paste chicken), the chefs created their holiday version using turkey marinated in prawn paste and fried to a crisp golden brown. It’s best eaten with the accompanying housemade dips of piquant Thai-style sauce and scallion sour cream, and jasmine rice steamed with stir-fried xiao bai cai, minced ginger and dried shrimps. Order here.

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4. Punjab Grill

A good way to spice up your festive feast is with corporate chef Javed Ahamad’s Tandoori Whole Turkey. It’s packed with savoury-fiery flavours, thanks to the chef’s tedious preparation process: the bird is first steeped in bold Indian spices and sugar, stuffed to the core with truffle rice and grilled to smoky perfection in the tandoor. Call 6688 7395 to order.

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5. Chico Loco

The chefs give the turkey a Mexican twist with their Traditional Herb Marinated Turkey. The festive bird is cooked with a generous coating of oregano and sage, and presented with classic turkey gravy. Of course, it won’t be complete without the stuffing made with a hearty blend of herbs, root vegetables, multigrain bread and tangy cranberry compote. The Mexican touch comes in the form of mole sauce, concocted with cinnamon, chilli, almond and chocolate, which you can drizzle on the meat. Order here. 

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6. Racines

Gourmands who love their spice will revel in executive Chinese chef Andrew Chong’s Szechuan Mala Roasted Turkey. This is his Asian take on the classic Christmas turkey, and every bite is a fiery delight as the bird is coated with a concoction of Szechuan Mala spice before it’s slow-cooked to a moist and succulent finish. Order here.

Racines
French   |   $ $   |  

9 Wallich St, 5th Floor Sofitel Singapore City Centre, S(078885)

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7. The Orchard Cafe

What makes this rendition worthy of being the centrepiece of your Christmas feast? The whole turkey is marinated in a secret mix of homemade spices before it's roasted to a golden brown finish. And to make it even better, it's served with chestnut cake, sautéed vegetable in cranberry and homemade giblet sauce. Order here.

The Orchard Cafe
International   |   $ $   |  

442 Orchard Road, Orchard Hotel Singapore, Lobby Level, S(238879)

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