As my year of living on WW2 rations draws to a close in early January 2024, I really want my Christmas on wartime rations to be memorable and amazing but also as authentic as possible. From now until Christmas, I’m going to re-create and film several wartime recipes before deciding on which ones to use on the big day!
At precisely 5:22 a.m. this morning, I awoke abruptly with one thing on my mind…MURKEY (Mock Turkey). I had dreamt of it last night and knowing that I had all the very simple ingredients, I was in my kitchen a little after 7 am, brandishing my trusty wooden spoon and wearing my 40s pinny, to have a bash at making one!
Despite the severe shortages, I am sure people would have done their damned best during wartime to have a centrepiece to their Christmas table and if there was no turkey or goose available, or no money to buy one, then this delicious homemade stuffing, turkey-shaped creation would have helped bring a few smiles to the faces sat around the table? You would have tried to make the best of it I’m sure…
Mock Turkey Ingredients
I used half the ingredients below to make a small mock turkey but at Christmas, I will use the full measurements below!
- 1 lb of breadcrumbs
- 1 lb of sausage meat (I used vegan sausages)
- 2 onions
- 2 apples
- Fresh sage to your own taste (dry sage would work too!)
- lots of salt and pepper
- streaky bacon (or a carrot – see my video recipe above)
- two parsnips
Method
- Make breadcrumbs from the bread (I used a food processor) and chop up the sausage, apple, onions, and sage finely (you can grate too or use a food processor.)
- Mix all the ingredients together, they should stick quite well together, and on a greased baking tray, form them into a turkey shape.
- Trim the parsnips and place them into the mock turkey to form parsnip turkey legs.
- Glaze the turkey with a brown sauce and melted margarine mixture (optional). This will help hold it together.
- Add bacon rashers (or thinly sliced carrot) to the mock turkey and glaze again.
- Cover loosely with foil and place at 180 C in the oven for 30 minutes then remove foil and cook for a further 30 minutes or so until lightly browned.
- Remove from oven and stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 12!
Much love, C xxxxx
I’m sure that this will taste delicious. I always remember my first year with my vegan stepson and we bought a tofurky substitute for him, which was awful. Dry, tasteless and full of additives. We usually do a mushroom Wellington or lentil or nut loaf now, homemade and much tastier.
Oh gosh Tofurky is absolutely awful!!!! Love a mushroom wellington and you are so right, homemade is so tasty!!! Yes the mock turkey was absolutely delicious, everyone loved it!! C xxxx
I think it looks very charming and it sounds like a tasty idea. I’d definitely try it 🤩
It was really tasty! C xxx
This sounds like it would have every bit as much flavor, if not more, than a roasted turkey! Great job!
MMM, Murkey for breakfast. Seriously, that would be lovely! The dressing is always everybody’s favorite part of the meal anyways. What a great way to start your day.
We ate the rest of it as part of our Sunday roast later and everyone really loved it! 🙂 C xxxxx
A Christmas recipe… in September… arrrrrrgh!
Reminds me of the boxes of Christmas sweets already appearing in Asda!!
Bah humbug!
When you mentioned our Year on Rations was coming to an end, well, I can’t believe how sad it made me. It’s been like having a huge family with a common goal and I will miss it terribly.
You’ve still got the rest of the year to go.
And of course, even if one stops using the wartime ration regime in January, you can still cherry pick the best of it to maintain a healthy low calorie lifestyle after that.
Or indeed, simply reset the clock, and maintain it for a second year. After all, the war did last for six years… 🙂
Hi there,
I just wanted to leave my review and recommendations. I made the mock turkey and it was delicious. I used 2 boxes of stuffing mix instead of the bread crumbs and herbs and came out great. I did use the water in the stuffing mix though so was stodgy in the middle but I think next time I will make them into individual balls so everyone gets the crunchy outside. It cost $10.08 to make in canada which is very expensive right now. I just wanted to say I am grateful for all that you do with your website and yourube.
Many thanks
Kathryn
Thank you so much Kathryn! It is a fun way of serving stuffing! It cost me about $1.50 to make mine but that was using bread, onion and apple xxxx I’ve heard that groceries in Canada are very expensive at the moment, hugs xxxx C