Xmas dinner in Oz

Mellor

Ok, so maybe its a little early, but better early than late in my eyes.

What's the best place to get the ingredients for a christmas dinner in Sydney. I know most Australians don't do the whole two roasts with trimmings, but its my first year away and I'm planning of doing the works.

The Veggies
Spuds, carrots, peas, cranberry sauce can be picked up from the supermarket. I rather somewhere a little cheaper, but its not a big deal.

Sprouts. Say what you want about them, but its not xmas without sprouts. The problem is that these mini cabbage are winter veg and so pretty much impossible to find in Oz. Anybody have a solution


Turkey and Ham
I seen some in woolies the other day. But they looked terrible. First of all, they were smoked not fresh. Secondly they were ridiculously expensive. Where can I find a fresh (boneless) ham and a fresh turkey. For the sake of convince, I'd prob rather a boned and rolled turkey or a large crown.

Stuffing
We all know the diaster that is sausages over here, so I don't have much hope for finding sausage meat (plain or pre-mixed for stuffing). But hopefull somebody can here.



Ideally what I want is a good butchers, in the eastern suburbs that sells sprouts.


I suppose we can use this thread for any Xmas related "Where can I find........."

brendansmith

2 questions

1) Do people put sausage meat in stuffing? :eek:

2) Do some butchers actually sell sprouts? If so wtf?

Also good luck

Mellor

Sausage meat is the main part of real stuffing (I don't consider breadcrumbs, onions, sage alone to count as stuffing)
lol no, Butchers never sell sprouts. I'm just wishing considering they'll be almost impossible to get. Frozen might be an option.

Mahatma coat

oddly enough I was able to find all that about 3 years ago in Brisbane, YOU MUST SAY PORKMINCE when you are buying it for your Stuffing otherwisde you get a spiced BEEF type substance.

Sprouts were Getable, and were gotten despite my protestations ( I believe that if the Devil made you Suck his C*** it would taste of Sprouts) fresh from the saturday Farmer Markets.

Unfortunatley for you My mate the Butcher lives in Brisbane tho

samhail

have you considered having roast potatoes as well as mashed

and what ever you do dont forget the gravy !

writetojd

I work in IGA in a sh1tehole of a town in W.A. and we have sprouts. We have most of the necessary veg I think. You mightnt have them due to quarantine or some other reason like that.

As for the dinner, might make a stab at it this yr. 2nd christmas away from home but last year my mates and I met up and had an Aussies christmas dinner. The hostel Im in though has nearly no europeans though so it will be a very different christmas.

Good luk finding sprouts Mellor

hussey

Mellor wrote: »

The Veggies

Sprouts. Say what you want about them, but its not xmas without sprouts. The problem is that these mini cabbage are winter veg and so pretty much impossible to find in Oz. Anybody have a solution

Yeah look harder! You can get them in any decent veg shop, my housemate eats them every week (freak) and she loves them! .. you can easily get them

I seen some in woolies the other day. But they looked terrible. First of all, they were smoked not fresh. Secondly they were ridiculously expensive. Where can I find a fresh (boneless) ham and a fresh turkey. For the sake of convince, I'd prob rather a boned and rolled turkey or a large crown.

When you say fresh? as in not cooked? all ham's over here are precooked, you can get them un-smoked easily, ask a butcher, I've had this for a few years and taste fine.

We all know the diaster that is sausages over here, so I don't have much hope for finding sausage meat (plain or pre-mixed for stuffing). But hopefull somebody can here.

I went to David Jones food court and they have pork sausages and taste great, I made stuffing with them recently (for thanksgiving) and very happy with results

I'm in Newtown and everything (inc I think decent pork sausages) are available in marrickville metro
http://www.marrickvillemetroshopping.com.au/
If you want a decent butchers try St. Peters Butchers,
and decent pork sausages try the butchers across from woolies (I think it is called fresh cut deli)
we did Xmas in July and got our Turkey and Ham from St Peters - was great.
and sprouts should be still going in the veggie shop

If you want, I'll be dropping by there tomorrow for a weekly shop - I can confirm all of the above and have a chat with the butcher for ya (just pm me if ya want)

after cooking 2 xmas dinners now, I am a veteran!

Mellor

samhail wrote: »

have you considered having roast potatoes as well as mashed

and what ever you do dont forget the gravy !

lol, sorry, obv having Roasts, and gravy, plus cranberry, and a fancy dessert.
And about 10 cases of extra dry



Hussey, thanks for all that. I'll jsut look harder for the sprouts. i'll try find a actual veg shop and not a supermarket.

All the hams are pre-cooked? WTF (is it a heat thing)
What about turkeys?

hussey

Mellor wrote: »

All the hams are pre-cooked? WTF (is it a heat thing)
What about turkeys?

Yeah I was shocked when I found out and thankful someone told me, I had plans to boil it then bake it, in the end I just baked it!
Could have turned out a disaster if I boiled it for a few hours!
I actually find it fine, took a couple of hours off the prep and tasted fine!
Although not as good as my mothers

No turkeys are turkeys here!