Christmas Dinner - Help its my first!!!

MrsE_2

Penelope_Penguin wrote: »

But then you have no carcase for stock

Knorr:o:o:o

ETA

I don't have a pantry - but I didn't think it would be cold enough for fridge stuff?

I would love one for fruit/veg/eggs all that sort of stuff.

blueberrypie

borokat wrote: »

I think really everyone has different ideas about what constitutes the perfect christmas meal. A couple of years ago my sister and I cooked the xmas dinner as our parents were away. The key was preparation - do as much as you can on christmas eve.

We take this one step further and eat our Xmas dinner on Xmas Eve :-D

We started doing it a couple of years ago, and it works out really well. I spend Xmas Eve cooking, but it's much more relaxed because I've got the whole day and don't need to try to fit it in around everything else. Everyone is more up for a big meal in the evening than they would be at lunchtime or mid-afternoon, because the evening is when we're all used to having our main meal of the day. And the kids haven't been munching on their Xmas goodies, so they're more likely to eat a reasonable amount (and then I'm less likely to feel unappreciated LOL)

We have a lovely relaxed dinner, with nobody trying to eat fast and get back to their pressies, so we all sit around and chat. And on Xmas Day, we can all pick at whatever leftovers we want to eat - and nobody has to spend much time in the kitchen at all. I get to spend time with the family and play games with the kids etc, without having to think about when the next component of the meal has to go in the oven.

Since we started doing this, a few of my friends have decided to try the same, and all have felt it works well for them too :-)

kunekune

How very continental! Unfortunately, it wouldn't work for us because my OH is almost always still at work until lunchtime on christmas eve, and then his team probably goes out for a bit ... Christmas day itself is the first day of a ten day to two week break (no holiday club, and uni is closed, so I don't have any choice anyway).

SunnyGirl

blueberrypie wrote: »

We take this one step further and eat our Xmas dinner on Xmas Eve :-D

We started doing it a couple of years ago, and it works out really well. I spend Xmas Eve cooking, but it's much more relaxed because I've got the whole day and don't need to try to fit it in around everything else. Everyone is more up for a big meal in the evening than they would be at lunchtime or mid-afternoon, because the evening is when we're all used to having our main meal of the day. And the kids haven't been munching on their Xmas goodies, so they're more likely to eat a reasonable amount (and then I'm less likely to feel unappreciated LOL)

We have a lovely relaxed dinner, with nobody trying to eat fast and get back to their pressies, so we all sit around and chat. And on Xmas Day, we can all pick at whatever leftovers we want to eat - and nobody has to spend much time in the kitchen at all. I get to spend time with the family and play games with the kids etc, without having to think about when the next component of the meal has to go in the oven.

Since we started doing this, a few of my friends have decided to try the same, and all have felt it works well for them too :-)

We're doing this for the first time this year too. We usually go to my Mum's but as there's 6 of us, and my parents haven't been in brilliant health this year we're having a change. I'm planning a buffet for Christmas day itself so everyone can help themselves. My Mum & Dad will come down on Christmas day, and as there's no big meal, they can stay for as long or as little as they want to.

It's an idea that we are all happy with I just hope it all works out well. I must say I'm looking forward to being able to relax with the family on Christmas day itself instead of being in the kitchen (I've always cooked the meal with my Dad at their house).

maman

A few ideas which might help:

• Check you have all you need in way of tins, crockery, tablecloth, napkins, glasses etc well in advance to make it really easy on the day
• Do as much as you can on Christmas Eve so you can relax on Christmas day
• I'm a great believer in my kitchen timer. I make a timetable for when everything needs to go on/in and then I'm free in between times until last minute when greens go in.
• Do ask MIL's advice, she'll probably be only too happy to help.
• I find a steamer (or even some microwaveable veg :eek:) saves hob space but then that's probably not an issue for 4
• consider foil trays for roast veg, pigs in blankets etc which you can bin afterwards and save washing up
• I make my pigs in blankets soon and freeze them
• have a practice session in advance with a chicken
• Personally, I don't have a problem with frozen turkey. I think that by the time I've made stuffing and covered breast with streaky bacon it tastes great.
• Once I've dished up and sat down to eat that's me finished for the day (OH and whoever else see to washing up etc etc)

Stephen_Leak

Can I just pass on an Oz Clarke tip for wines for the traditional Christmas dinner - little short of an assault course of flavours.

Main course = Valencia Dry. Able to cope with all the different flavours, but without simply overpowering them.

For Christmas Pudding = Moscatel de Valencia. Try a mouthful of Christmas pud, Try the wine on it's own - Luscious, honey sweet. But try both together and it is somehow more than the sum of the parts. Trust me.

And a bottle of both should be available from any decent supermarket for less than £10 the pair.

Rummer

I always use an M&S butter basted turkey joint so that I know my turkey will be cooked through and moist. The veg and trimmings I prepare on xmas eve so that I have more time to just enjoy the family on xmas day. On the day there is nothing wrong with roping people in to help carry things to the table or to do other bits and pieces.

leed

I always bring out my Dec 1991 copy of Good Food magazine which has lots of the recipes for Christmas Dinner. If you haven't got one of those you will find most if not all in the Delia Smith Christmas cook book (get it from a library). Despite having done the lunch for many years I still work out the times for when things need to go in the oven together with a check list of what we are going to eat. I have been known to forget to cook /serve some part of the meal especially if it was in the microwave!

My other tip is get everyone involved in some way, fortunately my kids are 22 and 19 so able to do their fair share of the work, but even little ones can do things such as setting table, mashing and mixing stuff such as stuffings as well as doing the pigs in blankets.

I agree the turkey can be cooked earlier in day and left to rest, which in fact allows the juices to sink back into the meat - by the way I haven't put fat in with a roast chicken for many years, I put about an inch of water in bottom of roasting dish and it helps keep the bird moist and any juices left over at end of cooking (with fat drained off) are made into gravey with flour, vegetable liquid and gravey browning.

Try not to get flustered or panic - it doesn't matter if lunch is late just enjoy the day!

SUESMITH_2

i regard it as a sunday dinner. non of us are keen on turkey so we either have roast pork or a big rib of beef - far more of a treat that boring turkey. about a month before i write a menu and then i check my cupboards for all the ingredients, any i'm short of i start to buy - obviously only if they won't go off lol.

i never shop on christmas eve anymore - most veg etc will last a few days. christmas eve is my prep day, i do all my veg, make my puddings, in fact everything i can. by 5pm everything is done and i declare christmas has started and we have a take away so there is no cooking and very little wshing up to be done.

i will second the advice of no drink until its almost ready (i've learnt that from bitter experience)

good luck. do not be tempted to buy loads of food, it wont be needed and will only go to waste.

i also second delia if you are unsure of your timings, also her christmas book has lovely recipes in it including a good veggie section

mrsclarkie

Hi,
We usually get a stuffed turkey crown from MIL. I was quite nervous first year as it was our first christmas as mr and mrs and we decided we just wanted it to be us.

The turkey crown was great as it fit in the oven was a little stuffed and easy to cook. I did roasties, boiled, cocktail sausages and all the trimmings and was glad i'd given it a go.

Have been doing the turkey crown ever since when we stay home. Last year we went to friends and just had to bring dessert for 6 even though there was 21 of us