Carving, Cooking & Leftovers
Welcome to our guide on carving, cooking, and enjoying your Copas dishes to the fullest! Whether you're preparing for a festive feast or looking for creative ways to use your leftovers, we’re here to share helpful tips and techniques to ensure your meals are the highlight of the occasion.
Roast Chicken
- Remove your chicken from the fridge & place in a roasting pan at room temperature for as long as comfortable. It saves cooking time and oven energy.
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / Gas 4.
- Remove trussing band and season your bird liberally with salt inside & out. Insert Pop-Up Timer into the thickest part of the breast.
- Place in oven at 180°C for approximately 35 minutes per kg (see timing table).
- As soon as the thickest part of the chicken breast hits 68°C or the timer pops, take the bird out of the oven to rest.
- Leave the chicken to rest for up to 1 hour uncovered. Minimum 30 minutes. It will continue to cook with the residual heat but not overcook. Leave uncovered for crispy skin!
- Chicken Tip: There is no need to add butter or oil to a Copas Chicken.
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Weight
|
180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4
|
|---|---|
|
2kg
|
75 Mins
|
|
3kg
|
105 Mins
|
Roast Goose
- Remove from fridge 2 hours before cooking.
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / Gas 4.
- Remove string and place on a roasting rack and tray, breast side up and season generously with salt. Do not stuff the cavity.
- Place in the oven. After 30 minutes, release some juices by pricking the skin of the goose.
- Goose is a delicate bird and we advise testing two-thirds of the way through the cooking time. Simply prick the thigh to see if the juices run clear. If still pink, return to the oven for the remaining time.
- During cooking, drain off any excess fat. Store in the fridge or freezer for delicious roast potatoes!
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Weight
|
180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4
|
|---|---|
|
4kg
|
100 Mins
|
|
5kg
|
130 Mins
|
|
6kg
|
150 Mins
|
|
7kg
|
175 Mins
|
Roast Turkey
Whole Turkey & Turkey Crown
- Remove your turkey from fridge & place in a roasting pan at room temperature for as long as comfortable with. It saves cooking time and oven energy, preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / Gas 4.
- Remove trussing band and season your bird liberally with salt inside & out. Insert Pop-Up Timer into the thickest part of the breast.
- Place in oven at 180°C for approximately 20 minutes per kg.
- To get the gravy going… Approx. 20-30 mins before end of cook add 600ml-1000ml (depending on size of roasting tray) to roasting pan. This lifts the gnarly bits, makes a tasty jus and helps clean the pan.
- As soon as thickest part of turkey breast hits 68°C or the timer pops, take the turkey out of oven to rest. The oven is now free for roast potatoes!
- Leave turkey to rest for up to 1 hour uncovered. Minimum 30 minutes. Your turkey will continue to cook with the residual heat but not overcook. Don’t cover if you want crispy skin! (Tom Copas doesn’t cover his turkey!).
- Turkey tips: Keep it simple. No need to flip your bird. No need to baste a Copas turkey. No need to cover with foil.
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Weight
|
180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4
|
|---|---|
|
2kg
|
44 Mins
|
|
3kg
|
66 Mins
|
|
4kg
|
80 Mins
|
|
5kg
|
110 Mins
|
|
6kg
|
132 Mins
|
|
7kg
|
154 Mins
|
|
8kg
|
176 Mins
|
|
9kg
|
180 Mins
|
|
10kg
|
200 Mins
|
A note or two...
Cooking times vary by oven, and pop-up timers may be inaccurate for birds over 11kg.
The turkey continues cooking while resting and should reach 70°C for at least 2 minutes. Turkey legs may appear deep red when cooked.
Our hand-plucked turkeys may have feather stubs; most will burn off during cooking, and any remaining can be removed afterward.
For stuffing, only fill the neck cavity and adjust cooking time for the extra weight. Avoid stuffing the body cavity.
Breast & Stuffed Breast Roast
- As soon as possible, remove your turkey from its box and store it in the fridge.
- Remove from fridge 2 hours before cooking.
- Pre-heat oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4.
- Remove the plastic packaging but leave the netting on, and place in the foil tray provided.
- Insert the pop-up timer into the thickest part of the breast and season generously with salt.
- Place in the oven and roast until the internal meat reaches 68°C and the pop-up timer has popped!
- Cover with foil or a clean tea towel and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes.
|
Weight
|
180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4
|
|---|---|
|
1kg
|
50 Mins
|
|
2kg
|
80 Mins
|
|
3kg
|
110 Mins
|
|
4kg
|
140+ Mins
|
Carving Tips & Tricks
How to Carve Your Turkey
- Start with a sharp knife.
- Remove the leg and carve the meat onto a separate plate.
- Remove the wing by pulling it away from the bird to expose the joint.
- Firmly secure the bird with a carving fork in the middle of the breast.
- Carve the breast meat on an angle.
- Repeat steps 2-5 for the other side of the bird.
- Meat kept on the bone will retain its moisture for leftovers.
- Don’t forget the oysters and other delicious bits. There’s lots of meat on our birds not to be wasted!
Take a look at our cooking and carving videos.
View Here
Clever Ideas for Leftovers!
Make the most of your turkey leftovers with our digital recipe book! Find it in the Tips & Recipes section of our website or scan the QR code with your smartphone.
Take a look at our turkey leftovers digital recipe book.
View Here
Aga Cooking
Cookery writer Lucy Young was kind enough to supply us with some fatastic tips from her book "Aga Easy" to help you cook your Copas Traditional Turkey
Every oven is different so timings will vary. Lucy recommends slow roasting, you don't need to be exact with timings as it is more gentle than fast roasting. Slow roasting in the simmering oven (top left oven) gives a very moist bird but you must wrap the bird loosely in foil and seal it under the roasting tin to create a tent. If you have a reconditioned Aga, the simmering oven is slightly cooler so you may want a start in the soasting oven ( top right oven) for about 30 minutes before cooking overnight in the simering oven
- 8-10lb (3.6-4.5kg) about 9-10 hours
- 11-16lb (5.7-7.5kg) about 11-12 hours
- 17-22lb (7.5-10kg) about 13-14 hours
When the bird is cooked, remove the foil from the breast and brown in the roasting oven for about 30-45 minutes until golden brown.
Aga Tips
- Make sure your Aga is up to temperature before roasting.
- When slow roasing, the bird must be tented in foil.
- Use a large roasting tin with the rack in the base.
- Some Aga ovens have control to lower the temperature at night.
- Keep your Aga on full heat over Christmas.
- Remember your turkey needs time to rest before carving.
Everyday Aga Cooking Tips
Keep your food but while entertaining guests by using the simmer on the hob or using the warming oven of your cooker.
Use the Aga for baking delicious crispy pizzas. Simply cook them directly on the floor of the roasting oven. Scrub the floor of the oven with a wire brush after baking.
Placing jars of jam and syrup on the warm (but not hot) top part of your Aga cooker will help them spread when baking. Leave the lids loosened and place a piece of kitchen roll under jar to protect the Aga enamel.
For cripsy on the outside and chewy on the inside meringues, start the meringues in the roasting oven. Leave in for 2 minutes before transferring to the warming oven to dry out.
