Christmas Dinner 2016

Dizzyblonde

It's time to start planning the festive fare, so if anyone wishes to share or request recipes and ideas, this is the place to do it

Last Christmas I cooked Neven Maguire's buttermilk brined turkey crown and it was so good I'll be doing it again this year : http://www.rte.ie/lifestyle/recipes/2013/1209/744077-buttermilk-brined-roast-crown-of-turkey/

Corvo

What's everyone's ideas on stuffing then?

My father always wants a kind of herb / breadcrumb mish mash of a stuffing, that I find bland. Last couple of years I've been setting aside some sausage meat and making a spicy one, with finely diced fresh chilli in it. Any ideas welcome, something a bit more exciting than the usual fare.

dee_mc

We do the traditional potato and bread stuffing (equal parts buttery mash and breadcrumbs, sauteed onions, dried herbs, more butter to bind and white pepper to taste) in stuffing ball form (none in the bird, just half and onion and half a lemon shoved where the sun don't shine to keep things moist). Delicious.
The only variation I do on it is to reduce the potato content and add chopped dried apricots and dried cranberries and a good pinch of cayenne pepper - lovely with the turkey but also very nice with porksteak or chops. But I'm not allowed do that at Christmas because tradition!

BetsyEllen

I love stuffing and will eat any variation.

However I always go back to good old sausage meat combined with sage, onions and breadcrumbs.
You just can't beat it, especially at Christmas!

Has to be rolled into balls and baked, if it's cooked in one big pot it's too mushy.
Chestnuts could be nice in it for a bit of texture I'd imagine.

Corvo

BetsyEllen wrote: »

I love stuffing and will eat any variation.

However I always go back to good old sausage meat combined with sage, onions and breadcrumbs.
You just can't beat it, especially at Christmas!

Has to be rolled into balls and baked, if it's cooked in one big pot it's too mushy.
Chestnuts could be nice in it for a bit of texture I'd imagine.

Thanks, I might very well give that go (with added chilli of course to sate my obsession with the stuff)

BetsyEllen

Corvo wrote: »

Thanks, I might very well give that go (with added chilli of course to sate my obsession with the stuff)

Sounds lovely!

Sometimes I buy the Tesco Finest pork and apple sausages and take the meat out of them. I find the apple lovely in it; the sweetness would be nice against the hit of chilli

Dont be at yourself

Just me, my wife and our toddler for Christmas this year, so thinking of foregoing the turkey and going for a goose instead. Anybody done similar before?

Whispered

Potatoes! Good old roosters? or what would you recommend for mash and roasties. May get frozen to save the hassle mind you.

Also only one adult eating turkey here this year so better to get a small whole turkey or a crown? I'm thinking crown as leg meat isn't a hit here really.

BetsyEllen

Dont be at yourself wrote: »

Just me, my wife and our toddler for Christmas this year, so thinking of foregoing the turkey and going for a goose instead. Anybody done similar before?

In the past when it was just me and my grandparents, I cooked a chicken.
Far tastier than a turkey in my opinion!

Goose would be a lovely change. However I think they're quite expensive?
I'd be delighted if someone served one for Christmas day, would love to try it.

Dizzyblonde

Corvo wrote: »

What's everyone's ideas on stuffing then?

My father always wants a kind of herb / breadcrumb mish mash of a stuffing, that I find bland. Last couple of years I've been setting aside some sausage meat and making a spicy one, with finely diced fresh chilli in it. Any ideas welcome, something a bit more exciting than the usual fare.

Bazmo's stuffing balls recipe in the Cooking Club has long been a favourite in the forum. I've made them and they're great

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=81099163

catho_monster

BetsyEllen wrote: »

Sometimes I buy the Tesco Finest pork and apple sausages and take the meat out of them. I find the apple lovely in it

Me too! These sausages, Bazmo's recipes.

trixychic

Thanks Loughc for putting me onto this thread.

Hi guys. This will be my first year hosting Xmas day. I have 5 adults (including me) and my 2 boys (who will probablyway brwsf and butter on the day- picky eaters).

Can't wait toread all the hints and tips. Xxx

Corvo

trixychic wrote: »

Thanks Loughc for putting me onto this thread.

Hi guys. This will be my first year hosting Xmas day. I have 5 adults (including me) and my 2 boys (who will probablyway brwsf and butter on the day- picky eaters).

Can't wait toread all the hints and tips. Xxx

My biggest tip is to make the whole thing enjoyable. I see way too many people (my own family included) get totally stressed out. Although I will be eating in my parents, I'll be responsible for a lot of the cooking. So I make it relaxing. I don't rush and slap and bang pots etc. I pop on some music, I open a bottle of port and pour a glass and casually work away. And it makes it 100 times better.

BetsyEllen

Corvo wrote: »

My biggest tip is to make the whole thing enjoyable. I see way too many people (my own family included) get totally stressed out. Although I will be eating in my parents, I'll be responsible for a lot of the cooking. So I make it relaxing. I don't rush and slap and bang pots etc. I pop on some music, I open a bottle of port and pour a glass and casually work away. And it makes it 100 times better.

Organisation is the key to keeping it stress free I find.
Prepare what you can in advance - the stuffing can be done the day before, rolled into balls on a baking tray and refrigerated.
The spuds can be peeled and left overnight in water; Delia Smith actually advises you can roast them the night before, but take them out halfway through. Then just cover the roasting tray in foil and store at room temperature and just pop them back in the oven the next day for 30 mins; haven't tried this myself but her article I read assured readers they come out perfect!

My Mum roasts her turkey the day before - controversial I know
However I find it great and do it myself with roast chicken now.
Roast it, slice it up, make your gravy.
Lay the meat out in a shallow dish and cover with the gravy. Cover and refrigerate. Pop it in the bottom of the oven for the last half hour of cooking the next day to heat it up. The gravy keeps it lovely and moist.
I know that might not be for everyone but anytime I do it with chicken, I receive compliments on how tasty it is!

BuffyBot

I think the key is don't try and do it all. Make some things, buy some things. There are lots of good quality products you can use as sides/deserts/mains/starters to help you lighten the load. Even when it comes to the stuff you choose to make, lots of dishes can be made in advance.

As said above, don't stress. Make a plan and a mini-timetable so that you know what needs to go on, and when. It's the cook's Christmas too, and they shouldn't be chained to the cooker while everyone else has all the fun.

The Hill Billy

I'll prep all my veg & the stuffing the day before. I'll also make giblet stock as the base for my gravy on Christmas Eve. The ham & spiced beef will be boiled too. The ham will be sliced & reheated in the oven while the turkey is out resting on Christmas Day.

My lot are savages for the turkey & roast spuds so we don't bother with starters or desserts. It makes my life easier, so I don't complain. We'll probably lash into a tub of Roses for a sugar hit later.

If you're doing your first Christmas dinner...
Try to prep as much before Christmas Day.
If you are responsible for the food - you are the boss in the kitchen, so don't let others interfere.
Don't drink too much before dinner.
If it saves you some heartache - use Bisto for gravy or any other shortcut that'll save you from having a meltdown.
Work out your timings for each item you are cooking & give yourself some extra time for the tricky bits.
Treat yourself to the best roast spud & a nice bit of juicy breast.
Leave others clean up afterwards while you put your feet up & enjoy a glass of something & scoff all the hazelnut toffees.
Enjoy yourself.

Mellor

When ever I come home from Australia for Christmas, I usually do a starter for the dinner.
Last year I did scallops with chorizo crumb and cauliflower puree. Trying to think of something different this year. Although, I do love scallops.

BuffyBot

Mellor wrote: »

When ever I come home from Australia for Christmas, I usually do a starter for the dinner.
Last year I did scallops with chorizo crumb and cauliflower puree. Trying to think of something different this year. Although, I do love scallops.

I've done a riff on this before (though not for Christmas) using baby spinach in lieu of pea shoots :P

http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/recipes/apple-salad-scallops-recipe

Mellor

Interesting, never thought of apple with scallops. Usually go for salty/meaty/spicy. So chorizo or bacon.

can you get soft shell crab in Ireland? That would freak the kids out.

pwurple

Can't believe someone thinks breadcrumb stuffing with herbs is bland. Maybe ramp up those herb quantities and caramelise your onoins and garlic for ages before they go in to the breadcrumbs. Don't forget to season like billy-o. It can take a lot of salt and pepper. My dad showed me how to make stuffing that way when I was small, he is the best christmas cook around. It's light and fluffy and has buckets of flavour.

I've had the mother in law stuffing before, bread, sausage and spud. She doesn't like garlic or herbs, so it's just stodge. Yuck.

Goose, i love it. This is the first year in a decade we won't have goose. It won't serve the nmbers any more. I've always used the ballymaloe recipe for cooking it, and had it with a kind of red currant sauce. You take red currant jelly, and stir in chopped fresh mint, rind of an orange, and some fresh orange juice to loosen it up a bit. It is devine with goose, goes really well with the richness of it. Thnk that one is Delias concoction, cant be sure.

So yeah, we are going spiced beef cooked two days previously, a small glazed ham cooked the day before and a turkey in the oven that day.

I think I might make the spiced beef part of the starter... like a spiced beef canape on a crouton with horseradish maybe? Can't get enough spiced beef! It's the xmas brekkie too, on rye toast, so I don't want to overload. Canape should be enough.

Dessert is trifle. And the kids make it. Billions of hundreds and thousands on top. I skip the custard actually there, so it is jelly sponge, with whipped cream. Simple simple.

Malari

I'm hosting for the first time this year! It's a very small crew, so shouldn't be that bad, but the main thing I'm concerned about is timings and the turkey itself (yeah, after some consideration, I'll go the traditional route!). I don't often do roasts so I'll be depending on advice on 'doneness' from Momma :pac:

I'm very good with prep and doing lots the day before, etc, but you know you think the spuds will take X amount of time and it just throws me when they need just 10 minutes more crisping, which means something else doesn't go in the oven, etc. Ah well! There'll be plenty of booze to keep everyone distracted

Also we never do dessert. There will be plenty of sweet baked goods on offer, but not straight after dinner. Just help yourself when you like.

And starters are usually an informal canapé affair an hour before dinner, so that takes a bit of pressure off. I'm actually looking forward to it!

BetsyEllen

2 people have mentioned Spiced Beef now - please tell me more?

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo

BetsyEllen wrote: »

2 people have mentioned Spiced Beef now - please tell me more?

It literally smells like Christmas and is really tasty. I have only ever bought it 'spiced' but sure you can make it yourself. Spiced doesn't mean hot like chilli, but aromatic almost like a mulled wine (think that's a fair comparison?). Buying it spiced means all you have to do is boil the meat in a pot on a low simmer for hours and let it cool.

I get mine in the English Market. It's a winner.

Malari

I love spiced beef! It's amazing in sandwiches the next day with some horseradish. I get mine in the market too, and I'll cook it the night before. The smell just IS Christmas for me.

Mellor

pwurple wrote: »

Can't believe someone thinks breadcrumb stuffing with herbs is bland. Maybe ramp up those herb quantities and caramelise your onoins and garlic for ages before they go in to the breadcrumbs. Don't forget to season like billy-o. It can take a lot of salt and pepper. My dad showed me how to make stuffing that way when I was small, he is the best christmas cook around. It's light and fluffy and has buckets of flavour.

Bland is probably just a reflection of the recipe or person who made it. There's lots of ways to get flavour in.

That said, I much perfect sausage meat stuffing (never had it with potato). I just think the breadcumb version lacks substance of the heavier sausage version. But that's down to preference. Being light and fluffy is a positive to you.

beertons

I'm heading to the mother in law's for Christmas, so all I'm cooking is roast potatoes in a tray of goose fat. And Bazmo's stuffing balls.

I'll look over all the rest when herself is at mass. I'll clock in the night before.

BetsyEllen

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

It literally smells like Christmas and is really tasty. I have only ever bought it 'spiced' but

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

It literally smells like Christmas and is really tasty. I have only ever bought it 'spiced' but sure you can make it yourself. Spiced doesn't mean hot like chilli, but aromatic almost like a mulled wine (think that's a fair comparison?). Buying it spiced means all you have to do is boil the meat in a pot on a low simmer for hours and let it cool.

I get mine in the English Market. It's a winner.

Oh good lord it sounds AMAZING!! I wonder if I could pop one in my suitcase to take to England? I'd imagine it would be grand, it's only an hours flight...I think I'll order one, thanks all - my parents will love this

arian

Malari wrote: »

I'm hosting for the first time this year! It's a very small crew, so shouldn't be that bad, but the main thing I'm concerned about is timings and the turkey itself (yeah, after some consideration, I'll go the traditional route!). I don't often do roasts so I'll be depending on advice on 'doneness' from Momma :pac:

Could try getting a meat thermometer and then roasting a chicken beforehand for practice. Momma's advice is best though

The Hill Billy

For me, Christmas just isn't complete without spiced beef. One of the highlights is picking at a huge plate of it & drinking mid-morning G&Ts in Nana Billy's kitchen with my brothers & sisters.

pwurple

Ah spiced beef. It's a brined, wet spiced and then dry spiced piece of beef, aged. There are loads of places that do it in the English Market, it's a bit of a Cork speciality. A few of them ship it. My favourite spot for it is O'Mahoney's. http://www.englishmarket.ie/traders/meat/omahonys/

You can buy it cooked too, but i love the way the it smells of cloves while cooking, really feels like christmas when it's simmering away.

The closest thing I found to it is the jewish meat you get in those awesome New York City delis... Pastrami, but that is smoked a little bit too, spiced beef usually isn't smoked.

The Black Oil

Thinking about brining the turkey, but I probably say that every year. Want to do a desert that's different to before, been browsing Darina Allen's Christmas book. Has anyone made a bombe? Looking up Jamie Oliver's apporach too, of course.

BetsyEllen

The Black Oil wrote: »

Thinking about brining the turkey, but I probably say that every year. Want to do a desert that's different to before, been browsing Darina Allen's Christmas book. Has anyone made a bombe? Looking up Jamie Oliver's apporach too, of course.

The best dessert I ever made at Christmas was a sticky toffee pudding!
Not really out of the ordinary I guess but I found it was the one that was most enjoyed by everyone.

I used a slight variation on a Delia Smith recipe and it's now my number 1 dessert.

With regards to a Bombe I remember Nigella Lawson doing an Ice Cream Bombe once on TV that looked incredible.

Dial Hard

BetsyEllen wrote:

2 people have mentioned Spiced Beef now - please tell me more?

It tends to be more of an outside Dublin, thing, ime. They used to queue out the door for it in the butchers when I lived in Tullow whereas none of my Dublin family or friends have it.

As someone mentioned above, we don't do starters or dessert in my house. My dad cooks a full Irish which we have with champagne at about 10am. I make brown bread which we have with smoked salmon at around 3pm, so starters would definitely be overkill.

Dinner is around 7 and we have:

Turkey
Boiled ham
Sprouts (cooked in the ham water, of course!)
Mash
Roasters
Carrots
Peas
Green beans & bacon
Stuffing (no sausagemeat, family recipe)
Gravy
Cranberry sauce (also made by me)

Cheeseboard/pudding an hour or so later, then a big round of turkey/ham sambos with Branston pickle on super-fresh Brennan's bread with real butter at around 1am.

Can't wait!

OldMrBrennan83

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Loughc

Patww79 wrote: »

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Go for a banoffee cheesecake?

OldMrBrennan83

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Loughc

Patww79 wrote: »

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I will gladly taste test this for you!

Corvo

Dial Hard wrote: »

Dinner is around 7 and we have:

Awh man, can I come to your gaff? We have it around 2pm and its far far too early for me anyway. Just spend the rest of the day in a slumber.

Loughc

Corvo wrote: »

Awh man, can I come to your gaff? We have it around 2pm and its far far too early for me anyway. Just spend the rest of the day in a slumber.

I enjoy the post dinner slumber, plus the earlier you have the dinner it gives you time in the evening for the leftovers sambo. One of the best parts.

OldMrBrennan83

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Jayop

I'll be doing the dinner as always but it'll be a chicken again in our house most likely. We do the sausage stuffing, ham, all different veg and potatoes but I just can't be bothered doing a big turkey that will mostly go in the bin.

Malari

arian wrote: »

Could try getting a meat thermometer and then roasting a chicken beforehand for practice. Momma's advice is best though

Oh I have one And I have cooked chickens before, just not very often, and not a huge turkey. I have been doing more roasts recently though, just to get used to it. And train myself not to spent an hour pacing and staring into the oven like a Great British Bake-Off contestant.

Dial Hard

Patww79 wrote:

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I don't even have my lunch in work that early!

humberklog

I'm down to do lunch. 14 people- all grown ups.

Crispy duck with Chinese wraps with nice homemade christmassy oriental sauces, fresh spring onions and cucumber.

Gonna have a cold lobster option to wrap with homemade 1000 island dressing.

Prep it, cook it, chop it and leave it out for grazing.

Flavours, smells and colours should work well for a 1 o'clock crowd.

Jayop

The starter is always where I struggle to come up with something exciting. The kids won't eat salad stuff or fish so we're left with fairly boring options.

BuffyBot

The Black Oil wrote: »

Thinking about brining the turkey, but I probably say that every year. Want to do a desert that's different to before, been browsing Darina Allen's Christmas book. Has anyone made a bombe? Looking up Jamie Oliver's apporach too, of course.

I brined a turkey crown a few Christmases ago, and from what I recall it certainly did help. Then again a crown is quicker to cook and keep relatively moist anyway!

BuffyBot

Jayop wrote: »

The starter is always where I struggle to come up with something exciting. The kids won't eat salad stuff or fish so we're left with fairly boring options.

Maybe some kind of starter sized-tartlets? Grown up fillings for the adults and fill ones for the kids with something more to their taste?

Or something like mini skewers of grilled marinates chicken skewers with some dips that suit more adventurous and tamer palettes.

Always tough when it comes to adult and kid dining so I've founds things that at least have most of the base preparation in common makes life a little easier.

Jayop

BuffyBot wrote: »

Maybe some kind of starter sized-tartlets? Grown up fillings for the adults and fill ones for the kids with something more to their taste?

Or something like mini skewers of grilled marinates chicken skewers with some dips that suit more adventurous and tamer palettes.

Always tough when it comes to adult and kid dining so I've founds things that at least have most of the base preparation in common makes life a little easier.

Caramelized red onion and goats cheese tarts are a specialty of mine but I can't think of anything kid friendly to fill theirs with. We did chicken skewers the last two years so I'll probably try for something else this year. Might do a light salad with goats cheese and pine nuts for the adults and something else for the kids that can be pre prepared.

BetsyEllen

Jayop wrote: »

Caramelized red onion and goats cheese tarts are a specialty of mine but I can't think of anything kid friendly to fill theirs with. We did chicken skewers the last two years so I'll probably try for something else this year. Might do a light salad with goats cheese and pine nuts for the adults and something else for the kids that can be pre prepared.

What about a baked camembert? The kids would probably think it's great fun to dip bread into gooey cheese!
And I would be delighted to get this as an adult.

Jayop

BetsyEllen wrote: »

What about a baked camembert? The kids would probably think it's great fun to dip bread into gooey cheese!
And I would be delighted to get this as an adult.

My kids are fussy as hell and wouldn't eat cheese unless it's on a pizza or in the form of one of those horrible cheese strings.

Honestoy don't know how they are so fussy as they were given loads of different stuff to try.

BuffyBot

Jayop wrote: »

Caramelized red onion and goats cheese tarts are a specialty of mine but I can't think of anything kid friendly to fill theirs with. We did chicken skewers the last two years so I'll probably try for something else this year. Might do a light salad with goats cheese and pine nuts for the adults and something else for the kids that can be pre prepared.

Pizza type tartlets for the kids? Mozzarella, something tomato-ey, pepperoni etc?