Christmas lunch

Beckiboo

Beckiboo

Active Member
Who cooks it in your house?

I have volunteered to cook it this year - bout time I gave my mum a break!

Has anyone got any tips for me? Secret ingredients passed down from your great Nan guaranteed to set off the tasetbuds!

I'm also looking at a nice starter to make, but something easy to.... prawn cocktail? Bit predictable?? :confused: Help! :lol:
 
I cook it in my house - just my dad over this year.

I go traditional, making sure the sauces and gravy are homemade.

Not bothered with a starter. A decent main fills me up & it can be a struggle to fit in the Xmas pud. If I was going to make a starter, I'd go with a soup: carrot & orange; tomato & basil... Something like that.

I like a good stuffing. This year I'm making apricot and hazelnut stuffing balls.

Make sure you stick loads of stuff up the bird's arse: herbs, lemon, garlic, onion, carrot, celery. I never get why people moan about turkey being bland - they obviously ain't cooking it right!
 
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Johnny Vodka said:
I like a good stuffing.
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Oh er matron.

Funnily enough my old dear was moaning about cooking etc. I suggested Lidl were doing microwave christmas dinners and I'd be happy enough with that and a crate of beer. Didn't go down too well (oh er matron).
 
Mashed potatoes

boil the potatoes skin on (6-8 potatoes depending on amount needed)

dice about 3-4 pieces of bacon cook until crispy

dice an onion caramelize the onion (can be cooked with the bacon)

place onions on paper towel

two containers of sour cream (you may only need one)

in a large bowl mash the potatoes combine the onions and bacon. Add the sour cream until the potatoes are as smooth as you desire.

Add salt and pepper to taste

can be reheated in the micro just add more sour cream.
 
It's a family affair in my house.

My dad makes the turkey (smokes it outside in his grill/smoker thingy)
I make my world famous 5-herb cornbread stuffing
Mom makes the other sides.

I also wouldn't bother with a starter. Just make a good mix of dishes.

For Thanksgiving this year (that one I cook myself) I added lima beans cooked with bacon & black pepper to the usual repertoire (stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, creamed spinach w/ parmesan, roast garlic mashed potatoes, green salad with marinated pears and goats cheese)

19 hours until my flight home for the holidays :D
 
Im cooking for 6 of us.

Starters are always popular in our house where its always traditional. Always veg soup, home made brown bread, fresh salmon, appetizers like butterfly prawns breaded and crispy with sweet chilli sauce dip, beef carpachio, brushetta etc. You can pick up some good ready made appetizer selection in M&S to safe some time.

My partners dad will cook the Turkey and everybody will chip in to do something prep work, starters, deserts etc.

I cook the leg of ham. Steamed in the oven with a bottle of white wine (sauvigon) poured in along with a range of veg. Then take it out after 3 hours and finish it off with a honey and mustard glaze. mmmmmmmmm

Roast Potatoes have to be done in Goose Fat for extra crispy and tasty.

PS I like the mashed potato recipe above
 
Can't imagine a Christmas dinner without a starter, I thought it was law!!

M&S do some nice items for starters to free up time for preparing the main course.
 
We're having a total of 8 people for Christmas Dinner this year.

Yours truly will be making the magic happen in the kitchen, followed by a pool party in the evening!

:)
 
Bez said:
Does boiling the potatoes make a difference with the skin on?
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Actually it does but I don't like it as much. I'd peel them first!
(but I like my mash super-creamy so that might be part of it. skin-on tends to end up coarser)
 
Bez said:
Does boiling the potatoes make a difference with the skin on?
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The skin has more nutrition and will give you firmer mash, with the sour cream you can make the mash the consistency that you like. I make them this way all the time and people do not even notice that the skin is still on. The onions and bacon (I use turkey bacon) and color, so the skin does not stand out.
 
I cooked for 17 last year.

It was really hard work, pleased to have a break this year!

Some non complicated tips for you:

1. Use Goose fat on your roasties

2. Stick a whole big onion (outerlayer removed) and a couple of peeled oranges up the turkeys ass - this will keep the meat nice and moist. (You can't taste the orange BTW) - it works really well

3. Essential in my eyes: write a list of what to do in chronological order and stick to it.

ie: 11.am peel the tatties etc etc.

Write it the day before when you're calm and non stressed.


4. And an obvious one, which i neglected to follow last year:

Don't drink when you're cooking. It muddles your head.
 
Johnny Vodka said:
I like a good stuffing.

Make sure you stick loads of stuff up the bird's arse: herbs, lemon, garlic, onion, carrot, celery.
Click to expand...

MARKB said:
2. Stick a whole big onion (outerlayer removed) and a couple of peeled oranges up the turkeys ass - this will keep the meat nice and moist. (You can't taste the orange BTW) - it works really well
Click to expand...


This thread is starting to read like an excerpt from the "Member of Parliament handbook".
 
Eeeek! Thanks everyone. I'm cooking a turkey crown as there's only 4 of us, but I've also read a few of the tips above, inc cutting an onion up and scattering it round the turkey. Plus goose fat also on my list! I'm going out at lunch to buy some.

I'll also pop into M&S and check out their starter selection. Excited! Hope I don't screw it up :)
 
Reminds me of an old joke...

What's the difference between a fanny and an oven?

An oven doesn't fart when you take the meat out. :lol:

(For the Americans on here, I'm using 'fanny' as we use it here in the UK - meaning a lady's front bottom.)
 
Beckiboo said:
Eeeek! Thanks everyone. I'm cooking a turkey crown as there's only 4 of us, but I've also read a few of the tips above, inc cutting an onion up and scattering it round the turkey.
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Use some carrot and celery too (if you like!), then when making the gravy, mash the veggies in the tray to get the juices out of them.
 
Can someone tell me how to make gravy please! Will be doing most of the cooking this year even tho just me n me dad will be the meat eaters
 
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