Usually cook christmas dinner for the missus family 12 of us on Christmas day. Did a friends Christmas event last year for 19 of us.
Agree with what everyone else has ssaid regarding prepping the veg the day before. Things like cauliflower cheese (or my favourite cheesy leeks) completely make them in advance and can just finish on the day. My in laws have a 3 tier electric veg steamer so whack all the veg in there and it saves having too many saucepans on the go.
Turkey (and 2nd meat) and gravy's I always do on the day as I do a 3 day wet brine and it's the best. Can't be risking messing that up and I take my gravy too seriously to not make onnthe day with the meat juices and trivet.
The other challenging thing is timing it all to come out together. My in laws have a hostess keep warm thing which helps if some bits are done earlier than others.
Remember to save some potato water from when you parboiled them for your gravy as well as the usual veg water. The starcyness of the potato water helps thicken it.
And remember to let your meat rest much longer than you think before carving. Internal temperature rises for a long time once you remove it from the oven. Let it relax and remain moist before you do anything. Use this time to make the gravy from the juices.
Getting excited for this now. Haven't done a proper roast in ages.
Usually cook christmas dinner for the missus family 12 of us on Christmas day. Did a friends Christmas event last year for 19 of us.
Agree with what everyone else has ssaid regarding prepping the veg the day before. Things like cauliflower cheese (or my favourite cheesy leeks) completely make them in advance and can just finish on the day. My in laws have a 3 tier electric veg steamer so whack all the veg in there and it saves having too many saucepans on the go.
Turkey (and 2nd meat) and gravy's I always do on the day as I do a 3 day wet brine and it's the best. Can't be risking messing that up and I take my gravy too seriously to not make onnthe day with the meat juices and trivet.
The other challenging thing is timing it all to come out together. My in laws have a hostess keep warm thing which helps if some bits are done earlier than others.
Remember to save some potato water from when you parboiled them for your gravy as well as the usual veg water. The starcyness of the potato water helps thicken it.
And remember to let your meat rest much longer than you think before carving. Internal temperature rises for a long time once you remove it from the oven. Let it relax and remain moist before you do anything. Use this time to make the gravy from the juices.
Getting excited for this now. Haven't done a proper roast in ages.
Also my ninja air fryer has a roast setting and have used that as an extra oven in the past. Things likenpigs in blankets or stuffing go great in there and pretty quick too. Means you can dedicate a whole oven space to the Yorkshires (always homemade) which you shouldn't open the door on.
I leave it all to the missus, if I interfere I’m likely to be shot.
Chicken.
Man up & have a go this year instead. Let 'er indoors put her feet up & you crack on with it all. It's not difficult.
My advice fwiw @MrOneLung. Don't cook the turkey the night before. Do it on the day. Nothing worse than re-heated food or too hot gravy just to mask things being cold.
I'm doing turkey, ham & all the trimmings.....and it's probably only going to be me eating.
It’s hard work having to cater for a mix of meat eaters and veggies with a small single oven but Mrs AFKA always does an amazing job. I cook a ham the day before and in charge of drinks on the day.
Amazed the lengths some of you go with your gravy. Just mix some granules and some hot water :-)
We cook the Turkey earlier then take it out a couple of hours before serving to then free up the oven. We wrap it up with foil and tea towels to as soon it comes it to retain its heat, but I wonder by doing this are we overcooking it and drying it out too much? Any thoughts on a better approach that would allow the oven to be free for the last hour or so?
We always used to go to my grandparents for Christmas Day. They only had a tiny kitchen with no microwave but the Christmas dinners that used to come out of there were fantastic. Big turkey with all the trimmings, I can still see my nan coming out to serve with a blood red face from the heat.
I always do ours now. Although my wife’s a good cook, I couldn’t trust her with the timings for everything, especially when consuming alcohol!
Cooked regularly over the last twenty years for my wife’s extended family, up to 20 people, and my best tip is to get the turkey in early (make sure you calculated the cooking time correctly), get it out of the oven, and wrap it in two layers of bacofoil, and cover it in tea towels to keep it warm. (We eat at about 4pm).
That leaves the oven ready for the 60 odd roast potatoes etc that you’ll need, plus stuffing, parsnips, carrots etc. If you cook the turkey on a layer of carrots, onions and celery then you can mash that up, add a tablespoon of flour and a chicken stockpot (I use Knor) and some boiling water and you’ll end up a very nice gravy. Home made bread sauce is easy, but make it the day before. Make tons, and when it’s done, cover the surface with clingfilm to stop it drying out. Reheat on Xmas day, adding milk if it needs it.
My lot all love Brussels sprouts with chestnuts. Very easy and quick to make, as the chestnuts go in the microwave. Try not to overlook the sprouts, as I tend to.
And sadly, I learned over time that if I drink too much it can all go horribly wrong.
It’s hard work having to cater for a mix of meat eaters and veggies with a small single oven but Mrs AFKA always does an amazing job. I cook a ham the day before and in charge of drinks on the day.
Amazed the lengths some of you go with your gravy. Just mix some granules and some hot water :-)
We cook the Turkey earlier then take it out a couple of hours before serving to then free up the oven. We wrap it up with foil and tea towels to as soon it comes it to retain its heat, but I wonder by doing this are we overcooking it and drying it out too much? Any thoughts on a better approach that would allow the oven to be free for the last hour or so?
Crime. Absolute no no. You belong on a list.
There is a place for granules in the world, on a quick weeknight pie and mash dinner for example. But on a Sunday roast it should be illegal let alone at Christmas. No excuse for that shit. At least get the powders rather than granules and do it in a saucepan with some stock and herbs.
My technique is all about the trivet. Chunks of Carrot, celery and onions in the bottom of the tray you're cooking meat with. Add some garlic and whatever herbs you're using on the meat (its Christmas it should be rosemary and thyme). Set the turkey on top of that. It stops the turkey boiling in its own juices. And the veg roast and release their juices which mix with the meat juices in the tray. Take the meat out and let it sit. Tray of veg and juices straight back onto the hob add some cornflower, mix and let it all brown (I have been known to use a blowtorch to get it to really caramelise). At some stock and mash down the chunky veg. Strain this all into a saucepan add some potato and veg juices saved from earlier and allow to thicken.
Beautiful.
I maintain that people who use granules have never actually tasted a proper gravy. I lasted one Christmas day at my now in laws before I refused to let her make a gravy ever again. Edit: her being my mother in law.
Cooked regularly over the last twenty years for my wife’s extended family, up to 20 people, and my best tip is to get the turkey in early (make sure you calculated the cooking time correctly), get it out of the oven, and wrap it in two layers of bacofoil, and cover it in tea towels to keep it warm. (We eat at about 4pm).
That leaves the oven ready for the 60 odd roast potatoes etc that you’ll need, plus stuffing, parsnips, carrots etc. If you cook the turkey on a layer of carrots, onions and celery then you can mash that up, add a tablespoon of flour and a chicken stockpot (I use Knor) and some boiling water and you’ll end up a very nice gravy. Home made bread sauce is easy, but make it the day before. Make tons, and when it’s done, cover the surface with clingfilm to stop it drying out. Reheat on Xmas day, adding milk if it needs it.
My lot all love Brussels sprouts with chestnuts. Very easy and quick to make, as the chestnuts go in the microwave. Try not to overlook the sprouts, as I tend to.
And sadly, I learned over time that if I drink too much it can all go horribly wrong.
When living up north our Aga failed and I managed to cook the turkey on the barbie - it worked
Now there is only the 2 of us it will be rib of beef with roasties, yorkshire, gravy (not granules) and 2 veg. We usually buy our rib of beef when on hols at Boscastle Farm Shop in Cornwall, this year due to the Lass's illness we couldn't go so we arranged to meet up with family who run the Farm shop and received the beef in a car park while they were up our way.
Do people really have Yorkshire puddings with their Christmas Dinner?
Of course they do. It's a roast dinner.
Exactly - Why wouldn’t you have Yorkshire puddings with a Christmas dinner ?
Never understood people who say Yorkshire puddings are only with beef. Why?
No one says , peas?, with pork?, only with chicken you weirdo’s
They used to be only with beef but they have managed to creep on the plate with any roast. I have no complaints, some stuffing and a sprout with cranberry in one and I am happy.
I don’t like roast lunch / dinner, so Xmas Day is a minefield for me - a roast dinner is so over rated it’s ridiculous - and before anyone comments on that, my wife is a fantastic cook - professionally qualified etc - I just think a roast dinner is crap, compared to other cuisines
my many years of pleading to have a curry instead of a roast on Xmas Day, fall of deaf ears every bloody year - so, my Xmas Day lunch is rather limited, with me yearning for the cheese and biscuits
If I post on ‘Rate my Plate’ this year, it won’t be my plate - it will be my wife’s !!!
We always used to go to my grandparents for Christmas Day. They only had a tiny kitchen with no microwave but the Christmas dinners that used to come out of there were fantastic. Big turkey with all the trimmings, I can still see my nan coming out to serve with a blood red face from the heat.
I always do ours now. Although my wife’s a good cook, I couldn’t trust her with the timings for everything, especially when consuming alcohol!
I won’t ask what you do trust her with after drinking, this being a family thread.
Cooked regularly over the last twenty years for my wife’s extended family, up to 20 people, and my best tip is to get the turkey in early (make sure you calculated the cooking time correctly), get it out of the oven, and wrap it in two layers of bacofoil, and cover it in tea towels to keep it warm. (We eat at about 4pm).
That leaves the oven ready for the 60 odd roast potatoes etc that you’ll need, plus stuffing, parsnips, carrots etc. If you cook the turkey on a layer of carrots, onions and celery then you can mash that up, add a tablespoon of flour and a chicken stockpot (I use Knor) and some boiling water and you’ll end up a very nice gravy. Home made bread sauce is easy, but make it the day before. Make tons, and when it’s done, cover the surface with clingfilm to stop it drying out. Reheat on Xmas day, adding milk if it needs it.
My lot all love Brussels sprouts with chestnuts. Very easy and quick to make, as the chestnuts go in the microwave. Try not to overlook the sprouts, as I tend to.
And sadly, I learned over time that if I drink too much it can all go horribly wrong.
Comments
Agree with what everyone else has ssaid regarding prepping the veg the day before. Things like cauliflower cheese (or my favourite cheesy leeks) completely make them in advance and can just finish on the day. My in laws have a 3 tier electric veg steamer so whack all the veg in there and it saves having too many saucepans on the go.
Turkey (and 2nd meat) and gravy's I always do on the day as I do a 3 day wet brine and it's the best. Can't be risking messing that up and I take my gravy too seriously to not make onnthe day with the meat juices and trivet.
The other challenging thing is timing it all to come out together. My in laws have a hostess keep warm thing which helps if some bits are done earlier than others.
Remember to save some potato water from when you parboiled them for your gravy as well as the usual veg water. The starcyness of the potato water helps thicken it.
And remember to let your meat rest much longer than you think before carving. Internal temperature rises for a long time once you remove it from the oven. Let it relax and remain moist before you do anything. Use this time to make the gravy from the juices.
Getting excited for this now. Haven't done a proper roast in ages.
par cook roasties so they just need 30 mins whilst turkey is resting
use Delias recipe for turkey , it is never dry
Man up & have a go this year instead. Let 'er indoors put her feet up & you crack on with it all. It's not difficult.
My advice fwiw @MrOneLung. Don't cook the turkey the night before. Do it on the day. Nothing worse than re-heated food or too hot gravy just to mask things being cold.
I'm doing turkey, ham & all the trimmings.....and it's probably only going to be me eating.
It'll cost you north of a hundred quid each, but saves on stress levels and washing up.
https://ferrarisrestaurant.co.uk/christmas-2023
We cook the Turkey earlier then take it out a couple of hours before serving to then free up the oven. We wrap it up with foil and tea towels to as soon it comes it to retain its heat, but I wonder by doing this are we overcooking it and drying it out too much? Any thoughts on a better approach that would allow the oven to be free for the last hour or so?
If you cook the turkey on a layer of carrots, onions and celery then you can mash that up, add a tablespoon of flour and a chicken stockpot (I use Knor) and some boiling water and you’ll end up a very nice gravy.
Home made bread sauce is easy, but make it the day before. Make tons, and when it’s done, cover the surface with clingfilm to stop it drying out. Reheat on Xmas day, adding milk if it needs it.
There is a place for granules in the world, on a quick weeknight pie and mash dinner for example. But on a Sunday roast it should be illegal let alone at Christmas. No excuse for that shit. At least get the powders rather than granules and do it in a saucepan with some stock and herbs.
My technique is all about the trivet. Chunks of Carrot, celery and onions in the bottom of the tray you're cooking meat with. Add some garlic and whatever herbs you're using on the meat (its Christmas it should be rosemary and thyme). Set the turkey on top of that. It stops the turkey boiling in its own juices. And the veg roast and release their juices which mix with the meat juices in the tray. Take the meat out and let it sit. Tray of veg and juices straight back onto the hob add some cornflower, mix and let it all brown (I have been known to use a blowtorch to get it to really caramelise). At some stock and mash down the chunky veg. Strain this all into a saucepan add some potato and veg juices saved from earlier and allow to thicken.
Beautiful.
I maintain that people who use granules have never actually tasted a proper gravy. I lasted one Christmas day at my now in laws before I refused to let her make a gravy ever again. Edit: her being my mother in law.
Sounds delicious James, I'll be over at 4pm...😋
Now there is only the 2 of us it will be rib of beef with roasties, yorkshire, gravy (not granules) and 2 veg. We usually buy our rib of beef when on hols at Boscastle Farm Shop in Cornwall, this year due to the Lass's illness we couldn't go so we arranged to meet up with family who run the Farm shop and received the beef in a car park while they were up our way.
Beef - Horseradish
Lamb - Mint sauce
Pork - Apple sauce
Chicken/turkey - Cranberry sauce
Lamb. Red wine
Pork. White wine
Chicken/Turkey . White wine