Stuffing, whether for Thanksgiving or Christmas, or indeed any time of year, is for many a highlight, so you want to do it right.

We asked Barry, our in-house chef, for some tips...

- When filling the cavity, make sure not to add too much stuffing, you want to put a flat layer on the bottom of the cavity so you can allow hot air to flow through the bird while cooking.

- If making a stuffing, you want it to be full of flavour! I use lots of onions, usually softened down with (a lot of!) butter, plenty of herbs such as sage, thyme, rosemary and marjoram. And, I like to use the zest of an orange.

- Chestnuts are also a great addition to stuffings as they have a beautiful sweet and savoury flavour.

- If doing a meat stuffing, I like to make it in advance, roll into balls and then freeze them. Defrost them the morning before the big day in the fridge, then they are ready to go strain in the oven.

Place the gammon in a large pot and cover with water, bring to the boil and as soon as it reaches boiling point, empty out the water. This will get rid of any excess salt.

Cover the gammon again with fresh water and add the onion, celery and carrot to the pot. Bring to the boil and lower to a simmer, cook for 40 mins per kg. Once cooked, take out the gammon to cool.

When the gammon is cool enough to touch, remove the skin, it should come away easily, and score the flesh lightly.

Ham & Brie Baguette

By Barry Horne

Serves 2

Not just for Christmas, this sandwich is totally delicious any time of the year!