Turkey, Beef or something else???

Skintski

It has to be turkey for me. Both my brother and I still return home for Christmas every year as we love being in the family house and now my husband and his Mum joins us as well.

The turkey is always referred to as Bruce and is always inspected by us once he has arrived at the house from the butchers. I think the Bruce thing was because Mum bought such a massive turkey one year that we felt he deserved a name and it's just stuck.

Murphybear

If anyone fancies something different for 1/2 people Lidl have got wild boar, moose steaks and kangaroo pieces as well as lots of different cuts of venison including en croute.

HOWMUCH

We will be having the traditional turkey and all the trimmings for us, and a lovely large beef joint for new years day.......

pinknfluffy28

We try to have anything BUT turkey! Last year we tried goose, nice, but it really didnt go very far.

This year will be a nice lamb joint, alongside our annual honey glazed gammon.

dd2 (7) has also requested lobster!?! But as my budget doesnt stretch that far I will be cheating and getting a couple of lobster tails and just add a bit to prawn cocktail starters.

themull1

Buzzybee90 wrote: »

I think what makes it special for us is the trimmings - my parents have roast every week but it's the pigs in blankets & bread sauce that make it :P

And of course the desserts, only have them on special occasions!

I can't get away with bread sauce, i love cranberry sauce though, and pigs in blankets are a must. As are sprouts.

Poddly

It has to be turkey for us and gammon too. We buy a big free-range bird from the local farm, it is expensive but I am often cooking for 12 + people and we all love eating it for a few days afterwards, the rest gets put in the freezer, and I make stock with the bones so it all gets used. Already have gammon joint in freezer as they were on offer in Costco this week.

Turkey is accompanied by roast potatoes and parsnips, gravy (usually made in advance from Jamie Oliver recipe), home-made stuffing, bread sauce, cranberry sauce, pigs in blankets, sprouts and carrots, or maybe swede and carrot mash. Followed by Christmas Pudding with custard, cream and brandy butter, and an alternative for pud-haters such as sticky toffee pud. Very traditional but that's how we like it.

mum26

There are eight of us and we always sit round the table for meals so we rebel at Christmas and have a buffet! We set it up at lunchtime and the children can help themselves as much as they like and are allowed to eat in the living room too if they want. I cook a big gammon on Christmas eve and we have gammon,egg and homemade chips on boxing day. Dp is working Christmas eve, boxing day and 27th but is off for new year so we will do a big roast then. We've had a Christmas eve "picnic" since DD1 was a toddler. Dp used to take her to visit his family and exchange gifts while I got the last jobs done at home and I'd have a "picnic ready" for when they got home (all the bright brash stuff kids love - paper umbrellas and fancy straws etc) and now we always do it even though we've sadly lost lots of those who would be visited, its nice to keep that feeling of having seen everyone is OK xx

Fliparoo

We normally have Chicken and all the trimmings, but this year we're going to have a Curry for Christmas Dinner. I'm going to get Naan Breads and Poppadoms and Pickle Tray so it doesn't just feel like a normal mid-week meal.

Cliecost

Poddly wrote: »

...usually made in advance from Jamie Oliver recipe...

Simo429 wrote: »

...I've provided the gravy using Jamie Oliver's recipe using chicken wings...

What is this gravy recipe I'm reading all about?????

Chrishazle

Surprised no-one has mentioned partridge - one per person. OK, not cheap (I pay £3 per bird frozen, more for fresh), cover the breast with streaky bacon and roast at 200C for 20 mins, remove bacon and cook further 5-10 mins, lovely tasty meaty bird (you'll be amazed how much breast meat there is on this apparently small bird!!).

Another slightly different option is guinea fowl - tastier than chicken, especially the mass produced supermarket variety even when fresh rather than frozen.

Personally, I would not bother with pheasant - you have to lard it otherwise roasting it drys the meat, plus there are so many little bone/sinew things in the legs you get very litle meat from them. Just the breasts casseroled - lovely, but IMHO forget the roast!