The key to a successful Christmas dinner is undoubtedly planning. Easily as stressful as the busiest Saturday night service, but with all the weight and expectation of a meal that only comes round once a year, it’s important to give yourself the best possible chance of success.
We have always strayed away from turkey in our house, opting for a more traditional baked ham or roast beef as the centrepiece, but whatever protein you choose it’s important to make sure you give yourself plenty of time. Hams have the bonus of being better cooked the day before. Simmering the joint slowly on Christmas Eve then chilling means all you have to do on the big day is score and glaze the fat, roasting quickly on a high heat. This method also frees up that all important oven space for your roasties.
Choose a dry, floury potato like a Maris Piper or King Edward and always par boil your spuds in salted water before roasting in pre-heated fat.
Vegetable prep is the real key to a stress-free Christmas day and I like to prep as much as I can the day before, peeling sprouts to be pan fried with pancetta and chestnuts, chopping carrots and parsnips for roasting in honey and braising my red cabbage with bramley apples and redcurrant apples. All bang in season at this time of year. Getting these jobs out of the way early means there’s much more time to relax and socialise when everyone arrives on the day.
As a bare minimum I like to make sure I buy British produce for my Christmas dinner (and all my other meals) but it’s nicer to seek out a local farmer and see what they might be offering as you can guarantee your meat or veg will be fresher than anything you get in the supermarket. It also provides the opportunity to ask questions, get cooking tips and make connections with your local community. And isn’t that what Christmas is all about anyway?
