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Christmas Dinner 2016

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    #32
    BetsyEllen
    Registered Users Posts: 1,360 ✭✭✭BetsyEllen


    The Black Oil wrote: »
    Thinking about brining the turkey, but I probably say that every year. Want to do a desert that's different to before, been browsing Darina Allen's Christmas book. Has anyone made a bombe? Looking up Jamie Oliver's apporach too, of course.

    The best dessert I ever made at Christmas was a sticky toffee pudding!
    Not really out of the ordinary I guess but I found it was the one that was most enjoyed by everyone.

    I used a slight variation on a Delia Smith recipe and it's now my number 1 dessert.

    With regards to a Bombe I remember Nigella Lawson doing an Ice Cream Bombe once on TV that looked incredible.


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    #33
    Dial Hard
    Registered Users Posts: 13,756 ✭✭✭✭Dial Hard


    BetsyEllen wrote:
    2 people have mentioned Spiced Beef now - please tell me more?

    It tends to be more of an outside Dublin, thing, ime. They used to queue out the door for it in the butchers when I lived in Tullow whereas none of my Dublin family or friends have it.

    As someone mentioned above, we don't do starters or dessert in my house. My dad cooks a full Irish which we have with champagne at about 10am. I make brown bread which we have with smoked salmon at around 3pm, so starters would definitely be overkill.

    Dinner is around 7 and we have:

    Turkey
    Boiled ham
    Sprouts (cooked in the ham water, of course!)
    Mash
    Roasters
    Carrots
    Peas
    Green beans & bacon
    Stuffing (no sausagemeat, family recipe)
    Gravy
    Cranberry sauce (also made by me)

    Cheeseboard/pudding an hour or so later, then a big round of turkey/ham sambos with Branston pickle on super-fresh Brennan's bread with real butter at around 1am.

    Can't wait!


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    #34
    OldMrBrennan83
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26,658 ✭✭✭✭OldMrBrennan83


    This post has been deleted.


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    #35
    Loughc
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 24,831 Mod ✭✭✭✭Loughc


    Patww79 wrote: »
    This post has been deleted.

    Go for a banoffee cheesecake?


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    #36
    OldMrBrennan83
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26,658 ✭✭✭✭OldMrBrennan83


    This post has been deleted.


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    #37
    Loughc
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 24,831 Mod ✭✭✭✭Loughc


    Patww79 wrote: »
    This post has been deleted.

    I will gladly taste test this for you! :D


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    #38
    Corvo
    Registered Users Posts: 3,698 ✭✭✭Corvo


    Dial Hard wrote: »


    Dinner is around 7 and we have:

    Awh man, can I come to your gaff? We have it around 2pm and its far far too early for me anyway. Just spend the rest of the day in a slumber.


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    #39
    Loughc
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 24,831 Mod ✭✭✭✭Loughc


    Corvo wrote: »
    Awh man, can I come to your gaff? We have it around 2pm and its far far too early for me anyway. Just spend the rest of the day in a slumber.

    I enjoy the post dinner slumber, plus the earlier you have the dinner it gives you time in the evening for the leftovers sambo. One of the best parts.


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    #40
    OldMrBrennan83
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26,658 ✭✭✭✭OldMrBrennan83


    This post has been deleted.


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    #41
    Jayop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,388 ✭✭✭✭Jayop


    I'll be doing the dinner as always but it'll be a chicken again in our house most likely. We do the sausage stuffing, ham, all different veg and potatoes but I just can't be bothered doing a big turkey that will mostly go in the bin.


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    #42
    Malari
    Registered Users Posts: 18,150 ✭✭✭✭Malari


    arian wrote: »
    Could try getting a meat thermometer and then roasting a chicken beforehand for practice. Momma's advice is best though :)

    Oh I have one ;) And I have cooked chickens before, just not very often, and not a huge turkey. I have been doing more roasts recently though, just to get used to it. And train myself not to spent an hour pacing and staring into the oven like a Great British Bake-Off contestant.


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    #43
    Dial Hard
    Registered Users Posts: 13,756 ✭✭✭✭Dial Hard


    Patww79 wrote:
    This post has been deleted.

    I don't even have my lunch in work that early!


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    #44
    humberklog
    Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 10,549 Mod ✭✭✭✭humberklog


    I'm down to do lunch. 14 people- all grown ups.

    Crispy duck with Chinese wraps with nice homemade christmassy oriental sauces, fresh spring onions and cucumber.

    Gonna have a cold lobster option to wrap with homemade 1000 island dressing.

    Prep it, cook it, chop it and leave it out for grazing.

    Flavours, smells and colours should work well for a 1 o'clock crowd.


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    #45
    Jayop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,388 ✭✭✭✭Jayop


    The starter is always where I struggle to come up with something exciting. The kids won't eat salad stuff or fish so we're left with fairly boring options.


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    #46
    BuffyBot
    Registered Users Posts: 24,924 ✭✭✭✭BuffyBot


    The Black Oil wrote: »
    Thinking about brining the turkey, but I probably say that every year. Want to do a desert that's different to before, been browsing Darina Allen's Christmas book. Has anyone made a bombe? Looking up Jamie Oliver's apporach too, of course.

    I brined a turkey crown a few Christmases ago, and from what I recall it certainly did help. Then again a crown is quicker to cook and keep relatively moist anyway!


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    #47
    BuffyBot
    Registered Users Posts: 24,924 ✭✭✭✭BuffyBot


    Jayop wrote: »
    The starter is always where I struggle to come up with something exciting. The kids won't eat salad stuff or fish so we're left with fairly boring options.

    Maybe some kind of starter sized-tartlets? Grown up fillings for the adults and fill ones for the kids with something more to their taste?

    Or something like mini skewers of grilled marinates chicken skewers with some dips that suit more adventurous and tamer palettes.

    Always tough when it comes to adult and kid dining so I've founds things that at least have most of the base preparation in common makes life a little easier.


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    #48
    Jayop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,388 ✭✭✭✭Jayop


    BuffyBot wrote: »
    Maybe some kind of starter sized-tartlets? Grown up fillings for the adults and fill ones for the kids with something more to their taste?

    Or something like mini skewers of grilled marinates chicken skewers with some dips that suit more adventurous and tamer palettes.

    Always tough when it comes to adult and kid dining so I've founds things that at least have most of the base preparation in common makes life a little easier.

    Caramelized red onion and goats cheese tarts are a specialty of mine but I can't think of anything kid friendly to fill theirs with. We did chicken skewers the last two years so I'll probably try for something else this year. Might do a light salad with goats cheese and pine nuts for the adults and something else for the kids that can be pre prepared.


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    #49
    BetsyEllen
    Registered Users Posts: 1,360 ✭✭✭BetsyEllen


    Jayop wrote: »
    Caramelized red onion and goats cheese tarts are a specialty of mine but I can't think of anything kid friendly to fill theirs with. We did chicken skewers the last two years so I'll probably try for something else this year. Might do a light salad with goats cheese and pine nuts for the adults and something else for the kids that can be pre prepared.

    What about a baked camembert? The kids would probably think it's great fun to dip bread into gooey cheese!
    And I would be delighted to get this as an adult.


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    #50
    Jayop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,388 ✭✭✭✭Jayop


    BetsyEllen wrote: »
    What about a baked camembert? The kids would probably think it's great fun to dip bread into gooey cheese!
    And I would be delighted to get this as an adult.

    My kids are fussy as hell and wouldn't eat cheese unless it's on a pizza or in the form of one of those horrible cheese strings.

    Honestoy don't know how they are so fussy as they were given loads of different stuff to try.


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    #51
    BuffyBot
    Registered Users Posts: 24,924 ✭✭✭✭BuffyBot


    Jayop wrote: »
    Caramelized red onion and goats cheese tarts are a specialty of mine but I can't think of anything kid friendly to fill theirs with. We did chicken skewers the last two years so I'll probably try for something else this year. Might do a light salad with goats cheese and pine nuts for the adults and something else for the kids that can be pre prepared.

    Pizza type tartlets for the kids? Mozzarella, something tomato-ey, pepperoni etc?


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    #52
    Jayop
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,388 ✭✭✭✭Jayop


    BuffyBot wrote: »
    Pizza type tartlets for the kids? Mozzarella, something tomato-ey, pepperoni etc?

    Yeah could be a good shout. I'll have to have a practice run before though. Christmas isn't the day to be gambling!


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    #53
    BetsyEllen
    Registered Users Posts: 1,360 ✭✭✭BetsyEllen


    Ordering my spiced beef in the morning guys!
    Emailed them earlier and it's €16 per kilo plus €9.50 delivery.
    And vacuum packed so perfect for the suitcase :D

    Thanks for the info!


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    #54
    The Hill Billy
    Registered Users Posts: 22,777 ✭✭✭✭The Hill Billy


    I'm from a very Dublin family (albeit a family of butchers going back several generations), but we've always had spiced beef. Mrs Billy never heard of it until she met me. Turned her nose up at it too until she had a revelation - "Jaysus! It's like mulled wine but meaty!"

    She doesn't really eat it though. I think she's a closet vegetarian but won't admit it because she knows that's grounds for divorce.


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    #55
    Gloomtastic!
    Registered Users Posts: 8,497 ✭✭✭Gloomtastic!


    My favourite thread of the year...... :)

    Christmas is coming early to the Gloomster house when the in-laws all turn up on the 9th December. Planning the big dinner for the Sunday. It'll probably be a more modest affair than the usual blow out because the day before is full of work so reduced prep time.

    Will have to buy the turkey frozen, thaw for 24 hours in the fridge, boned then brine the crown in buttermilk Like Dizzy. I've brined it the last couple of years and it is so juicy. Here's the link https://www.google.ie/amp/m.rte.ie/amp/744077/?client=safari

    Christmas Day we're home alone so we've been invited to friends for dinner. We're (ie me!) doing the starter - Gravadlax, the main is roast beef I believe. Not sure about pud yet.


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    #56
    leahyl
    Registered Users Posts: 14,287 ✭✭✭✭leahyl


    Mum always cooks the Christmas dinner so it's no different this year! However, I think I'm gonna try and do something different with the usual, boiled-to-within-an-inch-of-their-life, brussel sprouts - so gonna cook them with pancetta and maybe chestnuts....but have never had chestnuts before so gonna try them out before Christmas cos I'm cooking dinner for mums 70th birthday next week....so an opportunity to try!

    Would love to be able to do the ham in the oven but I'm nervous that nobody will like it and I'm not sure what glaze I would use.


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    #57
    arian
    Registered Users Posts: 220 ✭✭arian


    leahyl wrote: »
    I'm not sure what glaze I would use.

    One vote here for mustard & black treacle. No cloves :)


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    #58
    OldMrBrennan83
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26,658 ✭✭✭✭OldMrBrennan83


    This post has been deleted.


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    #59
    pwurple
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,449 ✭✭✭✭pwurple


    On ham I just love the cloves, such a beautiful diamond pattern. The glaze I do is more of a rub/paste. Brown sugar with wholegrain mustard, and a small bit of warm water.
    Oh yeah, and its boiled first, left to drain / cool a bit... and then into the oven with glaze on it.

    So delicious. Who wouldn't like it? 
    And even if for some bizaar reason they don't, it's sandwich material, and can be frozen.


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    #60
    Corvo
    Registered Users Posts: 3,698 ✭✭✭Corvo


    leahyl wrote: »
    Would love to be able to do the ham in the oven but I'm nervous that nobody will like it and I'm not sure what glaze I would use.

    Go for it, maybe get a small one.

    We use a wholegrain mustard and honey mix, but there are great pre-made ones out there. Something like a Tesco "Specially Selected" or whatever their luxury range is.

    Boil it first and then roast it.


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    #61
    leahyl
    Registered Users Posts: 14,287 ✭✭✭✭leahyl


    Oh definitely would boil it first! It's just my dad would be used to the usual boiled ham so don't know if he'd be too impressed with all this glaze business :pac: Anyway, I guess I can try it for my mums bday dinner and see what people think!!! Might just buy one of those Tesco/aldi/dunnes glazes and see how that works out :pac:

    Thanks for advice :-)


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