What do you do for Christmas dinner?

Justamum

Boodle wrote: »

Fab - are they vegan? :T I had assumed packet stuffings would be but when Caterina mentioned making her own stuffing, I started to doubt the packets - I have been dicovering how many innocent-looking things have so many hidden things in them! I will have a peep when shopping tomorrow

As long as you steer clear of the sausagemeat ones you should be fine. They do have hydrogenated fat in them though (the suet), but as stuffing is eaten in small quantities occasionally I suppose the odd bit of hydrogenation won't matter

northwest1965

floss2 wrote: »

Think we're having beef wellington this year as there will probably only be 2 of us.

Last year we had goose (5 of us), 2007 was pheasants (3), 2006 was a huge 3-rib of beef joint (4) and 2005 we had a turkey crown (4) & froze the remnants, as we all went to Italy for a skiiing holiday on Boxing Day.

I am thinking of doing a beef wellington for Christmas Day. Can anyone tell me which is best. Puff or shortcrust pastry? Is it just a matter of taste?

Paulie'sGirl

Hi all,

There's just the two of us this year, and we're having a week away in a cottage between Xmas and New Year since we have the freedom for once

Breakfast will be pastries, probably pain au chocolat or pain au raisen with fresh coffee (I love my french style hob coffeemaker) and bucks fizz.

I'll prep the veg on Xmas Eve, cos I really enjoy sitting at the dining table peeling and chopping to music! Christmas Eve I'll also bake a medium gammon either Nigella style with coke with a "toffee" glaze or Delia style in cider studded with cloves, smeared with grain mustard and brown sugar.

Christmas day I'll do either beef or free-range chicken as we too don't like turkey. I'll do roast spuds in goose fat, one big yorkie, carrots vichy, maple roasted parsnips for OH, sprouts for me, mashed swede, and a green vegetable - probably green beans.

I'll make pickled red cabbage to go with the leftovers. We like living off the leftovers for several days and being creative.

Pud will be mini bought puds with double cream. I wanted to make them but family crisis got in the way. OH doesn't eat nuts, and I don't think its a Xmas pud without them!

I have my big Tesco shop coming on the 17th, and I'll pick up the meat from my butcher and the veg from the market closer to the time. I just loathe supermarkets at this time of year.

Merry Christmas everyone, which ever route you take to the table!!

PGxx

gailey_2

Last 2xmases been hard financially.

Year before last we abandoned traditional turkey for 1st time as just too costly as with poultry we liek to buy higher welfare burds such as free range or least rspca freedom.

So That year we brought a

goose crown from lidls was tasty.
leg of lamb
large free range chicken
and a lobster for same price as turkey.

Last xmas we had duck and chicken-free range

This year im wondering if I start saving now should I slash out on something special if I save up could do it.

Looked at norfolk bronze black turkey direct from farm but its about 50quid seems alot and dont think its the bigger one.

I loved the goose but small oven dont think I could fit a whole goose in our oven unless I cooked it in someone elses which would be odd request.

Whats everyone else decided or done in past.

Want to be happy this year despite being broke and not feel we missed out.

falady

Hi Gailey,

I know what you mean about turkeys being SO expensive! We also buy higher welfare poultry after seeing the Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall programme about how chickens are kept.

However, at christmas, my in laws are given a bernard matthews frozen turkey by their work. They bring it round to us and we host christmas, and use the turkey as the meat in the meal. I feel uncomfortable using the lower welfare bird, but on this occasion, price wins out. We simply don't have £30 + for a free range turkey. Plus I'm not even keen on turkey anyway! I'd rather try a goose or something different, but the parents are quite traditional, so we stick with good old bernard matthews.....

Ali x

parsonswife8

Want to get a frozen goose from Lidl this year, having had one about 3 years ago and enjoying it. I keep the fat for roasting potatoes. Yum!:T

Winged_one

We are thinking about a Lidl goose as well this year.....

Or else a free range duck from a local producer - which will probably cost us about €15-20 (as opposed to €30+ for a free range turkey, for just 3 of us).

gailey_2

Thanks huys our lidls dident seem to have goose xmas just gone.
I assume all geese free range in their nature similar case with ducks.

Turkey such a huge expense for 1 day perhaps ist my fault for being fussy but would rather not eat if I knew it had awful life was ex veggie for 13years but at time when everyone else is eating turkey feel like letting family down.

Might do some more research locally see whats availiable.

I love duck and goose was traditional bird but our ovens so small.
Wouldent fit whole bird in there.

Farway

gailey wrote: »

Thanks huys our lidls dident seem to have goose xmas just gone.
I assume all geese free range in their nature similar case with ducks.

.

Sorry to spoil it, but most ducks these days are not free range, not sure about geese

The only free range you can bet on,which is not marked as such is lamb / sheep, because they just die indoors

purpleheather2810

I thought geese normally came up smaller than turkeys? Or is it just that my mum buys a monstrous turkey?! Last year she has the good sense to buy two smaller ones...