Need Christmas Dinner Advice? Ask Here...

The Hill Billy

Hi Folks:

With Christmas on the horizon - we'll probably have some posters who will be looking for advice on what & how to prepare, cook, serve etc.

So, if you are a Christmas Dinner Virgin Mary - ask away & hopefully we can help.

For forum regulars - please help & give your sage (& onion) advice...

realgolfgeek

forgive my novice question !!

The christmas Ham, if it's boiled on christmas eve, and glazed and roasted in the oven. Can you just leave it out wrapped in tinfoil overnight ?
What's the best way in heating it up the next day ?

The Hill Billy

You can indeed store it overnight wrapped in foil. I sometimes do this myself & when preparing the meal the following day I carve what I need & reheat the slices (again, wrapped in foil) in the oven just before I serve. It won't be as juicy as when cooked originally, but with everything else that has to be done - it is a shortcut worth taking if you have to.

realgolfgeek

excellent, and thanks for starting the thread.
I have a feeling I'll be back :eek:

realgolfgeek

told you I'd be back.

Would another method be boiling it the night before,
then glazing and roasting on christmas day, or does the boiling, glazing and roasting have to be done in one go ?

bluecherry74

I'm skipping the traditional turkey this year and doing a roast venison haunch. It's in my freezer as I write. My butcher gave me instructions on how to cook it properly and suggested a blackberry based sauce to make with the juices.

I'm not sure what kind of side dishes would go well with it. Any suggestions?

MissFlitworth

Can't comment on sides but I do think that given the day of it a little glace cherry Rudolph nose has to make an appearance somewhere

Animord

realgolfgeek wrote: »

told you I'd be back.

Would another method be boiling it the night before,
then glazing and roasting on christmas day, or does the boiling, glazing and roasting have to be done in one go ?

I think you'd be better off doing it all in one go. By the time you start to bake it the next day, it will, obviously, have gone cold and you are going to have to bake it for hours again to get it hot inside.

I cook ours on Christmas eve, we are ham lovers so it is an important meal all on its own as far as we are concerned! And I don't even re heat it the next day. It is served cold along side the turkey and other stuff - by the time you have hot gravy over it, it is fine.

Animord

bluecherry74 wrote: »

I'm skipping the traditional turkey this year and doing a roast venison haunch. It's in my freezer as I write. My butcher gave me instructions on how to cook it properly and suggested a blackberry based sauce to make with the juices.

I'm not sure what kind of side dishes would go well with it. Any suggestions?

Delia's spiced red cabbage would go well with it depending on what the blackberry sauce is like. The cabbage is quite appley and would stand up to the venison pretty well.

Skill Magill

During the year I cooked a turkey that had one of these already inserted into the bird and when it popped the meat was tasty and succulent.
Could anybody recommend where to purchase these little gadgets ?(it looks like a syringe)
Also, any thoughts on cooking it in a turkey bag?

Cheers

the beer revolu

On the ham thing : in our family, we have always served the ham cold.
It would seem all wrong hot to me - that's for cabbage, mash and parsley sauce.

HelpImAlive

I find it very hard to get the glazing on the ham right, have tried a couple of different recipes but none some to work for me. Anyone got a suggestion?

beertons

HelpImAlive wrote: »

I find it very hard to get the glazing on the ham right, have tried a couple of different recipes but none some to work for me. Anyone got a suggestion?

2 table spoons of honey, 1 teaspoon of brown sugar, and orange rind. Mix in a bowl and apply loosely to one side of the ham. Transfer to oven, 200, and leave for 20-30 minutes.

foodaholic

Skill Magill wrote: »

During the year I cooked a turkey that had one of these already inserted into the bird and when it popped the meat was tasty and succulent.
Could anybody recommend where to purchase these little gadgets ?(it looks like a syringe)
Also, any thoughts on cooking it in a turkey bag?

Cheers

Can't see a picture but I think your talking about a turkey timer. Avoca sell them for around €4ish. The middle part pops up when your turkeys internal temp has reached the correct level.

It's a great little gadget - no stress of wether the turkey is done or not and always juicy

foodaholic

I'm going to make twice baked soufflés for Xmas starters. Would I get away with making them on Xmas eve and reheating them on Xmas day

highly1111

We're having 13 adults on Christmas day! We're delegating a lot out but have a roastie question - would i be able to par-boil the spuds, toss them in flour and then store them overnight on Xmas eve and put them into the hot goose fat on Xmas day? (i toss them in flour to make them crispy - a nigella trick!)

Love this thread.

vicwatson

highly1111 wrote: »

We're having 13 adults on Christmas day! We're delegating a lot out but have a roastie question - would i be able to par-boil the spuds, toss them in flour and then store them overnight on Xmas eve and put them into the hot goose fat on Xmas day? (i toss them in flour to make them crispy - a nigella trick!)

Love this thread.

Yes, though the potato could go black.

As for the flour - no thanks, a good fluffing in the pot after the water is poured out and a good drying out over the heat does the trick.

highly1111

vicwatson wrote: »

Yes, though the potato could go black.

As for the flour - no thanks, a good fluffing in the pot after the water is poured out and a good drying out over the heat does the trick.

thanks - i normally double up and so both. Not much flour mind.

never thought about the spuds going black - hardly worth the hassle for all the time it would save.

thanks

Minder

Store the par cooked spuds in the fridge if you have the space. It will dry them out and make for a fluffier roastie.

Animord

HelpImAlive wrote: »

I find it very hard to get the glazing on the ham right, have tried a couple of different recipes but none some to work for me. Anyone got a suggestion?

I do mustard, cloves and brown sugar, it works fine every time. Depending on if you like cloves of course. You take the skin off the meat, leaving as much of the fat as you possibly can. Smother the fat in mustard, score it diagonally with a sharp knife, cutting the fat but not all they way through to the meat. Put a single clove in the centre of each diamond and then just put brown sugar over with your hands. It is messy and the sugar will fall off some places but just push it back on. Bake it very hot for the last half hour, depending on the size of the ham. It ends up looking like this, but I am a perfectionist so mine is way neater than this one. Some diamonds don't have cloves - the horror! :eek:

bluecherry74

Animord wrote: »

Delia's spiced red cabbage would go well with it depending on what the blackberry sauce is like. The cabbage is quite appley and would stand up to the venison pretty well.

Thanks - that sounds like it would work. Am also thinking of celeriac mash.

Animord

bluecherry74 wrote: »

Thanks - that sounds like it would work. Am also thinking of celeriac mash.

Mmmmm celeriac mash... be a bit careful of having too many different flavours going on the plate How is the blackberry sauce done?

bluecherry74

Animord wrote: »

Mmmmm celeriac mash... be a bit careful of having too many different flavours going on the plate How is the blackberry sauce done?

This recipe sounds pretty close to what my butcher spoke of, though obviously I'll be using the juices from the venison roast rather than venison steak.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4811/panfried-venison-with-blackberry-sauce

But you're right, I don't want too many flavours.

Animord

bluecherry74 wrote: »

This recipe sounds pretty close to what my butcher spoke of, though obviously I'll be using the juices from the venison roast rather than venison steak.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4811/panfried-venison-with-blackberry-sauce

But you're right, I don't want too many flavours.

Oh, I have just have a wave of overpowering hunger... that looks really good. I do a sauce like that for duck, but with pink peppercorns.

I am sure it will be great. Can I come?:P

nosietoes

bluecherry74 wrote: »

I'm not sure what kind of side dishes would go well with it. Any suggestions?

Slow cooked spiced Red cabbage is wonderful with venison
And sautéed Brussels sprouts with chestnuts would be a nice festive side as well

nosietoes

foodaholic wrote: »

I'm going to make twice baked soufflés for Xmas starters. Would I get away with making them on Xmas eve and reheating them on Xmas day

I used to make these when I was cheffing. Absolutely no problem doing first bake days in advance and then re bake wiht a tiny splash of cream on top sitting on grease proof. They even freeze!

RoryMurphyJnr

Any ideas on the best way to do stuffing?
We do very basic ones, bread crumbs, sage and onion, salt and pepper and egg to bind.
Use half the mix and then add sausage mix to the other half.
Always make a big patty with them on a baking tray.

any other suggestions without going the whole chestnut, fruit etc road?

Thanks
Rory

AshAdele

what size turkey to feed 8 adults?

I will also have ham and spiced beef so it doesnt have to be huge i think.
Also thinking of just doing the crown of turkey to save on oven space.

I cant wait for Christmas dinner!!!

diddlybit

Great idea for a thread, will definately be hitting it up for some advice once I get an idea of my numbers, which stand at either 2 or 11 :eek:

Animord

AshAdele wrote: »

what size turkey to feed 8 adults?

I will also have ham and spiced beef so it doesnt have to be huge i think.
Also thinking of just doing the crown of turkey to save on oven space.

I cant wait for Christmas dinner!!!

Small, 4kg, serves about 6-8 people
Medium, 5-6kg, serves about 10-12 people
Large, 8kg, serves about 12-16 people

The Hill Billy

It depends on what you want to do with the turkey really.

As Animord says - a 5-6kg bird will feed 10-12 people at one sitting.
However, I get a 6-7kg bird for two adults & two kids.
But we enjoy getting several meals out of it over the following few days.

So, if you like your cold turkey, so to speak, go for a bigger bird than would do you for just one meal.

AshAdele

ya i was hoping for some (but not too much) left overs

foodaholic

nosietoes wrote: »

I used to make these when I was cheffing. Absolutely no problem doing first bake days in advance and then re bake wiht a tiny splash of cream on top sitting on grease proof. They even freeze!

Thanks

boodlesdoodles

For my ham glaze I use a couple tbsps each of Dijon, grain & English mustard mad a couple tbsp honey. Mix well and smear all over the scored fat. I then crush Marietta biscuits very finely and sprinkle them over the glazed ham. It's the way my mother did it and her ham was always amazing.

fussyonion

This is probably going to be the most cliche question I could have possibly asked, but if someone can help then it's worth it.

When I have turkey in the pub (carvery), it's always moist and delicious and served on top of a bed of incredibly delicious stuffing.

I'm not too bothered about the stuffing because I'm pretty good at making that, but (and here comes the cliche predictable question) IS there a sure-fire way of making the turkey taste half as moist and delicious as the carvery?

No matter what I do (cover it in foil, don't cover it in foil, baste it every half hour, cover in streaky bacon, etc etc), it just always comes out dry.
I would be thrilled if it had as much succulence as the carvery turkey, but it probably won't.

However, if someone has a tip for me, I'd be thrilled!
Thank you

the beer revolu

fussyonion wrote: »

This is probably going to be the most cliche question I could have possibly asked, but if someone can help then it's worth it.

When I have turkey in the pub (carvery), it's always moist and delicious and served on top of a bed of incredibly delicious stuffing.

I'm not too bothered about the stuffing because I'm pretty good at making that, but (and here comes the cliche predictable question) IS there a sure-fire way of making the turkey taste half as moist and delicious as the carvery?8

No matter what I do (cover it in foil, don't cover it in foil, baste it every half hour, cover in streaky bacon, etc etc), it just always comes out dry.
I would be thrilled if it had as much succulence as the carvery turkey, but it probably won't.

However, if someone has a tip for me, I'd be thrilled!
Thank you

If your turkey is dry it's because you're over cooking it. It's that simple.

Animord

the beer revolu wrote: »

If your turkey is dry it's because you're over cooking it. It's that simple.

And it needs to rest when it comes out of the oven. Cover it with tinfoil and let it sit - it will stay hot for 45 minutes in a normal kitchen.

Loire

Made 2 Christmas cakes last night. The smell wafting through the house was unreal! Only thing, they came out a bit light in colour. I love a good dark cake...any ideas?

Thanks,
Loire.

Animord

What recipe did you use? Mine is a very dark and old fashioned cake and it is, from memory, a pound each of currants, sultanas and raisins, 8 oz flour, 8oz butter. Can't remember how many eggs. But is it basically fruit/nuts/citrus peel, held together with a bit of flour. As I say it is a very dark and rich cake.

Loire

Animord wrote: »

What recipe did you use? Mine is a very dark and old fashioned cake and it is, from memory, a pound each of currants, sultanas and raisins, 8 oz flour, 8oz butter. Can't remember how many eggs. But is it basically fruit/nuts/citrus peel, held together with a bit of flour. As I say it is a very dark and rich cake.

I ended up going with the Odlums one http://www.odlums.ie/recipes/odlums-recipes/cakes/simple-christmas-cake-4/ and mine turned out quite like the picture on their site. Just wondering what I could add to make it darker.

the beer revolu

fussyonion wrote: »

However, if someone has a tip for me, I'd be thrilled!
Thank you

also this is how I've done the turkey for the last number of years. It involves taking the legs and the back off the turkey and convincing family members that you haven't lost your mind in that you are planning to essentially boil your turkey!:eek:
You can bone, stuff, roll and roast the legs too, which are delicious.
There are lots of Youtube videos showing you how to prepare the crown and bone the legs. If you brown the crown well after poaching it, it looks like it came from the oven.

Animord

Loire wrote: »

I ended up going with the Odlums one http://www.odlums.ie/recipes/odlums-recipes/cakes/simple-christmas-cake-4/ and mine turned out quite like the picture on their site. Just wondering what I could add to make it darker.

Mine is definitely way darker than that. There is also treacle in mine, which would darken it and I'd say just more fruit.

sorry, reread your message, do you want to darken it now or do you mean you will rebake?

Loire

Animord wrote: »

Mine is definitely way darker than that. There is also treacle in mine, which would darken it and I'd say just more fruit.

sorry, reread your message, do you want to darken it now or do you mean you will rebake?

Thanks for that...treacle is what I need. I will be making new ones anyway as these wouldn't have a hope of making it to Dec 25th!

huskerdu

the beer revolu wrote: »

If your turkey is dry it's because you're over cooking it. It's that simple.

Very true.

I assume that carverys in pubs cook turkey crowns most of the time, or maybe all of the time.

The only difficult thing about cooking turkey is that turkey leg needs long slow cooking, and by the time its cooked, the breast is dry.

Cook them separately, and the problem is avoided,

Loire

huskerdu wrote: »

Very true.

I assume that carverys in pubs cook turkey crowns most of the time, or maybe all of the time.

The only difficult thing about cooking turkey is that turkey leg needs long slow cooking, and by the time its cooked, the breast is dry.

Cook them separately, and the problem is avoided,

Would the turkey legs be candidates for the slow cooker? I'm thinking 3 hours or so and then pop into the oven to roast when the potatoes are going in?

the beer revolu

huskerdu wrote: »

Very true.



The only difficult thing about cooking turkey is that turkey leg needs long slow cooking, and by the time its cooked, the breast is dry.

Cook them separately, and the problem is avoided,

If you bone, roll and stuff the legs, they cook really nicely in about an hour. Really!
It is the only way to go. In our family this was always done for as long as I can remember - long before I started to poach the turkey crown.
One leg on Christmas day - the other went in the freezer.
I love the rolled turkey leg but never cared for the leg meat on a roast turkey.

Loire

the beer revolu wrote: »

If you bone, roll and stuff the legs, they cook really nicely in about an hour. Really

Hi Beer,

How do you mean exactly? Are you talking about taking the meat off the legs and then inserting stuffing into the meat or something? Confused but intrigued

Loire.

the beer revolu

Loire wrote: »

Hi Beer,

How do you mean exactly? Are you talking about taking the meat off the legs and then inserting stuffing into the meat or something? Confused but intrigued

Loire.

You remove the legs.
Cut along the flesh.
Take out the bones.
Put stuffing in.
Roll.
Tie.
Like I said, lots of YouTube videos to show you how. I highly recommend it.

pampootie

The best turkey I ever cooked I accidentally put in to roast upside down. (nothing whatsoever to do with the champagne breakfast, you understand) So moist! Looked a bit funny through.

Am at my in laws for Christmas this year, first time in ten years I won't be cooking Christmas dinner which I love doing. This thread is making me a bit sad

the beer revolu

pampootie wrote: »

The best turkey I ever cooked I accidentally put in to roast upside down. (nothing whatsoever to do with the champagne breakfast, you understand) So moist! Looked a bit funny through.

Am at my in laws for Christmas this year, first time in ten years I won't be cooking Christmas dinner which I love doing. This thread is making me a bit sad

That would be the recommended way to roast a turkey - then turn over to brown the breast at the end.

Loire

the beer revolu wrote: »

You remove the legs.
Cut along the flesh.
Take out the bones.
Put stuffing in.
Roll.
Tie.
Like I said, lots of YouTube videos to show you how. I highly recommend it.

Thanks for that. There's something inside me though that likes picking up the big leg in my hand a tearing away at it like a dog :eek::D