What do you cook Christmas day?

[kiely32]

Hi all!
My DH cooks Christmas dinner this year but this year I am going to take over 😆 I want to make it the best ever! So please share your tips and ideas here 🎄🎁🍾

That makes no sense! Was meant to say DH cooks every year but I am going to this year.

We are going to do our own version of this.

We've done it before and you can make it ahead and jut get out to defrost Christmas eve morning
Works well with chicken instead of turkey too :)

If I do a proper Christmas dinner I'll do duck (not turkey as there aren't many of us), Delia red cabbage, Delia bread sauce, roast potatoes, roast parsnips, sprouts, Danish caramelised potatoes, Delia cranberry sauce.

For pudding I'll do Delia's Christmas pudding with both brandy butter and brandy cream. Tend to do random selections of dried fruit instead of what Delia says depending on what I have in the house - pudding is made weeks in advance and fed with brandy for ages.

90% of this can be made in advance during the week ahead and as you can see, there is a strong Delia theme!

If I need to do something quick but grand (usually means I am working) then I do tournedos rossini but minus the foie gras because we are not cruel to ducks in this house. Takes 20 min in the kitchen, massively expensive and v adult but once a year only and you get the rest of the day out of the kitchen

We usually have a housefull.

I don't like turkey and given I'm cooking I reserve the right not to have it.

I do a huge rib of beef with Stilton and port gravy that feeds 10 of us and looks spectacular.

Lots of leftovers for yummy roast beef and horseradish mayo sarnies - happy days!

Mmmm all sounds so good! I was thinking about Beef Wellington but I don't think I will get away with that on Xmas day. I'm off to search for Delia's recipes!

You can't go wrong with Delia! I did Nigella one year and it was a massive disappointment.

If you do Beef Wellington, the Guardian runs a 'Perfect' series and has done a 'Perfect Beef Wellington' which is amazing - did it for New Year once and it was gorgeous.

Past few years we've had capon it's beautiful so tasty

I'd say don't feel you have to do something just because it's tradition. We've ditched out on bread sauce, red cabbage, Christmas pudding because no one really wanted them. Do think about the leftovers, we don't generally want those either so we keep it small, but some people like lots of them.

Usually a steak pie (we're Scottish, it's the law where we live) , a roast beef, a roast chicken and a gammon joint. Mashed, roast and dauphinoise potatoes. Carrots, peas, sprouts and cabbage. Yorskhires and gravy. Last few years we've had 16 + for Christmas. This year I'm cooking bugger all as I'm sick of everyone coming to us and contributing nothing but empty plates so we're going out just us and the kids.

We never wanted bread sauce until DM did the Delia version - it's now compulsory

Agree on leftovers though - not done a turkey in years as we are small in numbers, no-one likes it and all those sodded leftovers. Duck or goose much better (Lidl frozen duck last year was a bargain)

I always do beef Wellington on Christmas Day, we all love it.

I do it with carrots, roasties, flower sprouts, parsnips, red cabbage and red wine gravy.

We've had a big organic chicken for the last 3 years. We all prefer it to turkey. It's served with roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, cauliflower cheese, carrot and swede, sprouts with chestnuts and pancetta, pigs in blankets, and stuffing.
I had thought about a cockerel though this year; has anyone else tried it?

What bit of Scotland do you live in ayeoktgen? I'm east coast, and steak pie is strictly new years's day for us.

mintthins I'm originally east coast, but in the west just now and steak pie is the meal for all occasions especially funerals, randomly!

Yes, steak pie is definitely New Year's Day fodder IMO, not for Christmas.

Depending on numbers, I may do Guinea fowl for 2, turkey or beef for many. Last year I did a beef Wellington which went down very well on the 25th but we did have turkey earlier in the week as there were more people to feed.

We are fairly traditional here. Usually turkey and sage and onion stuffing, roast potatoes etc

Duck breasts are also gorgeous and very easy. Garlic potatoes and steamed vegetables. Or fillet steak could be another tasty easy to prep main course.

We e had turkey and gammon before but this year we are having beef. I don't usually do a starter or no one is hungry for the main meal.

Roast beef
Roast potatoes
Roast carrots
Sprouts with bacon
Peas
Yorkshire puddings
Stuffing
Pigs in blankets

My favourite Christmas meal that I cooked was the year of the Scottish referendum. I did courses from each country of the UK to celebrate.

Started with little West rarebit canapés with fizz.

Main event was venison Wellington, with the venison surrounded by haggis. (Scotland)

Then a boozy cherry trifle (Kentish cherries from the summer bottled in Kentish gin), local cream etc. (England)

Cheese was from Northern Ireland (though we did cheat and allow some Ireland, sorry for being so politically incorrect).

Bushmills whisky for later.

This year we are doing a cooked breakfast then nibbles for the rest of the day, cheese, seafood etc then I will cook an Xmas dinner on Boxing Day.

We do a Finnish Christmas meal (on Christmas Eve though, eat leftovers Christmas Day) so:
A big ham/gammon with mustard and breadcrumb crust
Potato casserole
Swede casserole
Carrot and rice casserole
Smoked and salted salmon
Blazed salmon
Pickled herring
Christmas bread (sweet dark bread)
Beetroot salad

Pudding is all the ice cream we can eat.

We have a big chicken from the local butchers, pigs in blankets, roast spuds, parsnips, carrots, broccoli and the inevitable sprouts.
Last year my BIL was the only one who wanted Christmas pudding, so I got him a mini one and the rest of us had yule log and/or ice cream.

Morning husband does bacon butties

If dinner is going to be a bit late we've had a bit of Xmas eve left over ham on a fold over

Christmas dinner is roast chicken, roasties, honey carrots n parsnips, husband makes Nigellas gingerbread stuffing, sprouts in bacon n garlic, and pigs in blankets (just to make sure the pork quota for the day is well and truly met )