AIBU to not want turkey twice in one week? Alternatives needed!

[krimbopanic]

Posting here for max traffic as need to generate lots of ideas quickly.

We have a group of friends - 12 of us in total including 4 kids - who always have a pre-Christmas dinner party. Normally we do the full turkey dinner. It's our turn this year, but the only date everyone was free was just a few days before Christmas. We don't want to cook two turkeys in a week, and don't want to give up our traditional Christmas day turkey, so we need a Christmassy alternative for the pre-Chrismtas gathering, that won't disappoint the troops.

One guest doesn't eat red meat, and another doesn't eat fish.

It needs to be something relatively easy to cook, and able to stretch to 12 people easily without breaking the bank. Plus it needs to be a little bit Christmassy and special.

Any ideas?

Honey roast gammon, cauliflower cheese and roasties?

Duck or goose?

Chicken wrapped in bacon?

Well I was going to suggest roast beef or a salmon, but that's no good.

Erm.... I would do a buffet. Nice cheese, quiches, pigs in blankets, salads etc.
Maybe a big pot of leek and potato soup.

How about a 5 or 6 bird roast, or a lovely roast ham, or pheasants (although you'd need at least 6), or a slow roasted shoulder of pork. These are things that we have rather than turkey each year (other than fore rib of beef or beef/venison)

How red is red? Pork seems to be a grey (?pink) area.

We're having pulled pork because (a) it scales well (b) it doesn't need much doing to it when the guests have arrived and (c) it's tasty. Also celebratory without being formal - digging in to big sharing dishes (roast potatoes, coleslaw, apple sauce, crackling).

Roast ham Nigella coke ham, to be precise with cauliflower cheese.

Or maybe a Moroccan spiced roast chicken with jewelled cous cous and a lamb tagine - red meat avoiders avoid the lamb. Would look beautiful.

"How red is red?"

Trying to find out ... she always eats the brown turkey meat ... not sure if she eats ham.

Would the non-red meat eater be put out if s/he just had veg? If not, Jamie Oliver does a lovely fillet of beef wrapped in Parma ham. So easy. So delicious. We often do it for Festive dinners. And serve with spinach and red cabbage. I'll try and post a link for you.
Will they eat pork? If so, I've made a Delia pork fillet roast with apples and cider (again, will try to post a link). V.simple and can serve with usual trimmings.
If s/he is a pain in the arse maybe you can use Frankie Boyle's response to vegetarians (just kidding!).

I'd do a full pork loin - butterfly it, stuff it, roll it back up and wrap in pancetta.

Easy to carve, looks beautiful and Christmasy.

Should add that's what I'll be cooking on Xmas day (with an apricot and apple stuffing) along with a small Turkey as we have a shed load of family and only about half like turkey

We think the non-red-meat eater doesn't eat anything with more than 2 legs ...

I guess that means it has to be some sort of bird.

do lamb/beef and salmon and non fish can have meat and non red meat can have fish

tho liking the buffet idea

Well a goose won't stretch to 12...

What about guinea fowl? Delia does a lovely recipe with apples and calvados. You could fit 4 in a large Turkey roasting tray.

A duck (or other non-turkey bird) and a salmon. Neither are big enough for 12, but together they are, and everyone has something they like to eat.

Blondeshavemorefun we're homing in on the surf-and-turf idea - roast lamb and salmon.

Any suggestions for veggies that will complement both?

I'd keep it simple with new potatoes with a herb butter and some French beans or maybe petit pois.

I think Duck is a good idea, maybe with dauphinoise potatoes and veg.
I would do anything I could to make it easier for me though, I would rather be drinking wine than cooking.

I can't stand turkey, dry and tasteless. We have beef and gammon on Christmas Day. I don't mind eating either of those things cold the next day.

a chicken casserole?

Gammon roast, cheesy/leek potato bake, red cabbage & apple. Delicious!

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1365/potato-and-leek-gratin

(I leave out the ham as doing gammon)

A bit off topic, Durham , but if your turkey is dry and tasteless your are buying from the wrong place and cooking for too long! Fair enough to cook what you want, though - no law specifying turkey.

I was going to suggest a nice potato bake and then gammon or lamb, then so meting nice for the veggie. It's also be easy to shove in a chicken breast for the none red meat eater.

I would do a rib of beef and give the fussy one a giant mushroom or other veggie equiv.

Or you could do the fussy one a poussain/guinea fowl to herself?

dolphy potatoes as i call them, the ones with cream etc, and maybe green beans and honey glazed carrots

simple