What's on your Christmas menu?

Mr Simpson

If you have the room in your fridge, there should be no problem. You're butcher should advise you on this really, he knows best after all!

Gee_G

leahyl wrote: »

Do you par boil them first? My mum is allowing me to cook them with pancetta this year to give them a bit of flavour! When you're frying them do you use goose fat? I have a recipe that uses it when frying them in the pan

Was anybody watching Gino on UTV,he shredded his sprouts and stir fried them with pancetta and mushrooms and a bit of white wine and it looked lovely(and I hate them )

Orla K

I'm cooking christmas dinner for the second time.
Nobody will be awake for breakfast except me, so I might have a croissant with chocolate almond butter(one of my presents to me)

Starters choice of
soup(what kind I've no idea, it's for the fussy eaters)
smoked salmon
pan seared scallops

Main
Turkey(18 f-ing lbs!) I'm going to put garlic and herb butter under the skin
Roast Ham
Sprouts par-boiled then fried with bacon pieces, garlic, cream, s&p reduce the cream to a sauce.
carrots and parsnips 2 types mashed and roasted with ghee and sage salt
Roast potatoes in goose fat
mashed potatoes
Giblet gravy(not telling the fussy eaters about that one!)
sage and onion stuffing

Dessert
Pudding I made, might try it with brandy butter
sherry triffle made with alot of sherry(they complain if there isn't a pool of sherry with the sponge)
something else for the fussy eaters

Plenty of baileys coffee and wine throughout the day.

twerg_85

leahyl wrote: »

Do you par boil them first? My mum is allowing me to cook them with pancetta this year to give them a bit of flavour! When you're frying them do you use goose fat? I have a recipe that uses it when frying them in the pan

I parboil them first, then fry them. goose fat is perfect, or duck fat. Butter would be fine too if you're not doing goose or duck.
Nuts (chestnuts,almonds etc.) and some balsamic can be good on them too.

This year, I think I'll try a touch of lavender as well to give a sweet offset to the vinegar.

F.

EZ24GET

Well, guess there will only be the two of us so after changing rearranging today he decided he wants a nice pan seared ribeye steak . Then fried cauliflower and a tomato and greens salad. He has to work day before and day after Christmas so I don't need a bunch of leftovers. He wants cheesecake for dessert I may do a red velvet cake too. Not so typical as a Christmas dinner but if that's what he wants...

Martyn1989

EZ24GET wrote: »

Not so typical as a Christmas dinner but if that's what he wants...

Tell him to get off his arse and give you the day off

the beer revolu

Made some stuffing yesterday.
As I'm poaching the turkey crown the bird won't be stufffed so I'm doing stuffing wrapped in parma ham lined foil. I did two.
One a traditional bread stuffing with onions, parsley, thyme, butter and seasoning.
The other was brown bread crumbs, sausage meat, chestnuts, dried cranberries, onion, orange zest and rosemary. I did a version of this stuffing for a stuffed goose before but without the sausage meat. It might sound like too many ingredients but it really does work.

The two foil 'sausages' of stuffing are in the freezer - I need to make some more stuffing for the turkey legs which I will bone, roll, stuff and roast.

Think I'll make my spiced red cabbage over the weekend.

the beer revolu

Martyn1989 wrote: »

Tell him to get off his arse and give you the day off

In fairness, he is working Christmas eve and Stephens day.

Gbear

I'm going to make fresh custard.

When you're adding boiling (or near to it) milk to the egg yolk, sugar and corn flour, how do you prevent the eggs from scrambling?

the beer revolu

Gbear wrote: »

I'm going to make fresh custard.

When you're adding boiling (or near to it) milk to the egg yolk, sugar and corn flour, how do you prevent the eggs from scrambling?

Do it gradually, whisking.

EZ24GET

you can beat a bit of the hot stuff into the eggs to slowly bring them up to temp and when they are warmed enough whisk them into the hot liquid.

WildRosie

the beer revolu wrote: »

As I'm poaching the turkey crown the bird won't be stufffed so I'm doing stuffing wrapped in parma ham lined foil. I did two.

This sounds interesting. What's the process for poaching the turkey crown? Do you poach it in water or stock and do you brown it in the oven after?

the beer revolu

WildRosie wrote: »

This sounds interesting. What's the process for poaching the turkey crown? Do you poach it in water or stock and do you brown it in the oven after?

Poached in stock. Recipe here.
I brown it in a large frying pan with lots of butter.
I guess you could do it in a hot oven too.

siledee

Can't fathom the love on here for roasties done in goose fat.
They are the most insipid looking things.
Can't brown them for love or money..no matter how high the oven is.

A couple of years back the supermarkets sold out of goose fat. Now the shelves are sitting full of it....and I don't think it's because they've over ordered.

the beer revolu

siledee wrote: »

Can't fathom the love on here for roasties done in goose fat.
They are the most insipid looking things.
Can't brown them for love or money..no matter how high the oven is.

A couple of years back the supermarkets sold out of goose fat. Now the shelves are sitting full of it....and I don't think it's because they've over ordered.

I usually use duck fat cause I'd have that at home but have watched people use goose fat without problems.
Maybe the only time you used goose fat, you were trying to do too many roasties in the one pan?

WildRosie

siledee wrote: »

Can't fathom the love on here for roasties done in goose fat.
They are the most insipid looking things.
Can't brown them for love or money..no matter how high the oven is.

A couple of years back the supermarkets sold out of goose fat. Now the shelves are sitting full of it....and I don't think it's because they've over ordered.

Me too. They just seem to soak up the fat and never brown or go crispy. Yuck. And if you turn up the heat more the fat begins to smoke and your eyes start to burn and its just not worth the hassle. Good old sunflower oil guarantees me perfect roasties every time.

LaChatteGitane

Our christmas dinner has come and gone (yesterday)

Here are some (a lot ) photos of the table and food.







Homemade dips and nibbles


Breadrolls I made to go with roasted pumpkin soup


Deboned and stuffed the turkey with minced pork and veal, herbs, spices, dried apples, pears, apricots...
Celeriac fondant and fried sage leaves


Cranberry sauce


Roast potatoes (in duck fat)

We also had sauteed sprouts with smoked lardons, sauteed chicory and potatoes daupinoise

Trifle (made with peperkoek - some type of ginger bread), mixed berries, homemade custard and cream. I had an alcoolic and non alcoholic version.


Sticky toffee pudding



Deciding which dessert to have first is quite a dilema it seems.



It was the best and cosiest christmas dinner ever (possibly because I didn't drink any alcohol myself) and it will be my last hosting in Belgium.

Now I can put my feet up and relax for a quite christmas day with OH.

Merry Christmas to you all and enjoy your day.:)

Dizzyblonde

Hope you have a lovely Christmas LaChatteGitaine, looks like you've earned it.
Your Christmas dinner looks wonderful

the beer revolu

OK Turkey has had the legs and back taken off, the legs boned and stuffed.
This is all in a cool box with my frozen stuffing rolls, and a couple of litres of concentrated, frozen chicken stock I made a couple of weeks ago. The defrosting stuff should keep the turkey nice and cool.

Made my spiced red cabbage yesterday - sitting in fridge getting nicer!

On the hob is a pot of stock using the roast turkey bones and giblets - this will be for the gravy tomorrow - I'll find another use for the chicken stock which will be enriched by having the turkey cooked in it!

Oh, I am organised this year!:D
But to be fair, I don't have anything else to be doing - didn't have presents to buy this year and dinner will be in my sisters house.
Think I might go for a pint now!!

Gbear

My brother is currently doing a gravy base with chicken wings. The veg is to be peeled. The spiced beef and the ham are going to be cooked tonight. My brother's doing a treacle glaze tomorrow.

He was bitching that we didn't get any sweet potatoes but we'll have roast carrot and parsnip, sprouts and leeks with maple cream and bacon.

We've got an 18lb tukey, duck fat spuds.

I did the dry run of the custard last night (didn't want to be doing it for the 1st time tomorrow). A bit impatient with the thickening but now I know better. It was still delicious.

Tomorrow will be pretty good. The food has been my favourite part for a good few years now and I think we're going to nail it this year.

kenco

LaChatteGitane - looks great and many thanks for sharing your family celebration with us. The 'environment' is just as appealing as the food served therein!

For the last few years I have hosted for various large and small numbers. Usually only to the ham and peel some spuds on Christmas Eve as far too much else to do;)

By the way seen it earlier in the thread, par boil the sprouts, sautee them with lardons and herbs, bit of white wine and they are a knock out! Did them last year and they were a hit even with the people you would not expect...

This year we are being hosted in a special once off scenario. Been taken to a very, very nice venue for an outsourced Christmas Dinner which has never been done before but promises much (and taxi sorted to and from!!)

So tonight the ham has been boiled in cider and will soon be baked for a little while and then put away for devouring later tomorrow (with some very nice cheese and wine if I can find the space!) and in the days thereafter

Tonight when the kids are asleep and other matters attended to I will griddle some serious T Bones I picked up yesterday and will serve with some sweet peppers and sprouting broccoli (prob stir fry) and copious amounts of Chilean Cab Sav!

My source of proper Grappa is not travelling this year so wont be able to have my much loved Espresso and Grappa but will instead leave out a significant measure of Brandy for Santa which I am sure he will enjoy and curse the following morning!

cee_jay

All set for tomorrow!
The veg are all peeled and in their pots, ham is cooked and glazed, and is looking so tempting.
The stuffing is ready to go in the oven, as is the turkey.
I have a banoffee pie made, and my mother has made her sherry trifle.
It turns out there will be a choice of four starters - prawn cocktail, king prawn tempura, my youngest brother decided he wanted BBQ ribs as he doesn't eat fish, and another brother's girlfriend is bringing a starter - she is Romanian so I think itis some cabbage based dish from there.
The wine is chilling in the fridge, so I might help myself to some of that tonight.
It is shaping up to be some feast!

Merry Christmas everyone

oscarBravo

We were fairly indecisive up until yesterday, but we appear to have settled on beetroot and vodka cured gravadlax on blini for the starter, roast pheasant with fondant potatoes and a cauliflower, bacon and mustard gratin, and me mammy's Christmas pud which I was quite surprised to be allowed to bring to the US. Cooking has started, since we're having Christmas this evening in the Danish style (we're 7 hours behind here in Colorado, so it's still early afternoon).

Happy Christmas, y'all!

Faith

I'm never cooking anything I've never cooked before on Christmas again!

First my mum announces she's getting duck breasts. Then she says it's a whole duck. Took it out to prepare it to find out it's a crown with legs cut off and next to the breasts. So I'm flying by the seat of my pants trying to figure out how to cook it .

Mr Simpson

I shall always be cooking boned and rolled turkey from now on, such a chilled day!! Up at 10, turkeys cooked now, bought a roast ham from Superquinn, its lovely. I'll reheat it all later. Happy Days.

Sparks

siledee wrote: »

Can't fathom the love on here for roasties done in goose fat.
They are the most insipid looking things.
Can't brown them for love or money..no matter how high the oven is.

Butter.
The duck and goose fat makes them taste great, but you need butter for the colour. Not much, just a few pats (and if you put some rosemary or thyme or whatever in with the spuds, put the butter on top of the herbs).

Personally, I used a mix of (mostly) olive oil with butter for colour this year (and some thyme sprigs) and they turned out grand.

Sparks

Think I bit off more than was wise this year, but it seemed to work (even though I was up till 0300 last night doing prep).



The menu was:

• Mexican tomato soup to start (you could say it was inspired by Jamie Olivier's 15-minute meals recipe, if by "inspired" you meant "took one look at, thought it was ****e, and went off to make a better one")
• Rosemary yorkshire pudding with parma ham as a first course (this one was actually closer to a Jamie Oliver recipe, but I changed the quantities of some ingredients and swapped out salmon for parma ham)
• Braised turkey (this worked really, really well and I must write up the recipe - the meat was very moist, quite tasty)
• Beef wellington (yeah, it's 1970s-ish, but I like it and it's basicly an inch and a half of medium-rare fillet steak for each diner)
• Roast potatoes
• Mashed potatoes
• Celeriac mash
• Roast parsnips and butternut squash
• Braised&Glazed carrots with caraway
• Saffron rice pilaf with peppers and peas
• Pecan mud pie with homemade mango and vanilla ice cream for dessert (there's none left )

That braised turkey - I am never roasting a turkey again. Granted, you don't get skin, but I think you skin-eating freaks are just wrong anyway
The meat is absolutely dripping in juice when served. And it keeps hot for ages while you cook other stuff - I took the turkey from the oven when it hit 165F and just left it sealed in the pan and it kept above 150F for nearly two hours, just sitting there on the table. My sister and mother both want the recipe, so I'm going to write it up for here (Faith, where should it go? Random recipe thread?)

Faith

Hmm, random recipe thread sounds good, yeah!

We ended up having:

Roast duck (most of a duck anyway!)
Roast potatoes cooking in duck fat
Mashed potatoes with too much cream and butter for anyone to need to know about
Sprouts lightly boiled and pan fried with bacon and goose fat
Slow braised red cabbage with apples
A rich red wine gravy
And a nice light stuffing that my mum made.

Tiramisu and plum pudding with brandy butter for dessert.

There was only 3 of us, so we didn't need any more than that. The duck worked out pretty well - probably overcooked, but it tasted lovely and the skin was amazingly crispy!

Sparks

Faith wrote: »

Hmm, random recipe thread sounds good, yeah!

And done...

The Hill Billy

The Hill Billy wrote: »

Sticking just to the food & drink (I'm sure nobody wants to know the full ins & outs of my Christmas Day activities...

After I've kicked off the turkey in the oven we'll have breakfast in my parents' house which will consist of several large G&Ts, smoked salmon & brown bread, fistfuls of cold spiced beef.

For dinner back in our place (we don't bother with starters & head straight for the main event), while sipping on a glass of sherry or four I'll be cooking free-range turkey & ham, roast spuds/carrots/parsnips, steamed brusslers & plain ol' sage & onion stuffing. I will make the gravy with some of the stock from the giblet soup that I'll have made on Christmas Eve.

Wine will probably be a Barolo.

Dessert will probably be a cheesecake made by Mrs Billy. She's not fully decided on this yet though.

Digestif will be a Grappa di Nebbiolo.

Later in the evening I'll make sambos with the cold meats for Mrs Billy & My Boys. I usually get through a turkey leg & half a jar of pickled onions. Mug of strong tea will be essential.

All went as planned. Also did red cabbage & butternut Squash. Dessert was a Baked Baileys cheesecake with raspberry coulis. Wine was a Minervois.