Christmas Dinner tips

[emsmum79]

First timer for making Christmas dinner - any tips? 6 adults and 2 children.
All wisdom welcome!

Are you doing a traditional dinner? I make as much as possible on Christmas eve, so I do two pates (smoked mackerel and chicken liver), red cabbage, carrot&swede mashed up, mince pies, gravy and pudding then. Write a plan, as in actually write it down, taking into account your pans, oven trays and oven shelves/temperatures.

Yes, definitely a traditional dinner. The thought of how to get the timing right is making me feel a bit nauseous...!

Decide what time you want to eat at, and working backwards, write a list of when each item needs to do what when. On the day, just cross things off the list as you do them. No thinking involved.

Write down how long everything takes, and the start with what time you plan to serve and work backwards.

Write everything on the list, so for the turkey include preheating the oven, cooking, basting and resting time.

My DP's have always cooked the turkey the day before so it just needs to be sliced and warmed in the gravy on the day. You can also prepare veg etc the night before.

Do not have a drink until the turkey is carved!!!!

At least a week beforehand, get together all the crockery, glassware, pans and oven ware you are going to use. Make sure roasting trays fit in your oven. Do a rough plan of what will be cooking in which pan/dish and how it will all fit together, change the menu if necessary

Do a time table based on the size of the turkey & how long it needs to cook and rest, and with this, work backwards from the time you plan to serve the meal.

Most December food/cooking magazines eg Good Housekeeping will have a timetable to help you, so get one.

If at all possible lay the table on Christmas Eve.

Don't indulge in too much Prosecco early on!

I found a local hotel who sell cooked hot turkeys on the day, you just tell them what time you want to pick it up. So I do all the accompaniments and DH collects the turkey. Job done. Much easier!!!

The Turkey can rest for a long time under foil.

For bigger numbers of people I start potatoes in a deep fat fryer to make sure that they are sealed

If you have a slow cooker - make use of it!

Keep it simple and use an electric steamer for the veg if you have one. It saves on hob space and makes the timings easier.

Definitely make use of Christmas Eve to get ahead.
In fact I've made my gravy today and frozen it - check out Jamie Oliver's make ahead gravy.
Make sure you factor in time to bring your turkey up to room temperature before putting it in the oven. And if buying frozen, it can take days to defrost properly.
Get a steamer for your veg, so you are only using one ring on the hob.
Everything can go in the oven once the turkey is done, eg potatoes etc whilst turkey is resting.
It always takes longer to serve / plate up than you think!
Have a place in the kitchen for dirty pots so they aren't all over the place as you use them.
Try and enjoy it as much as you can! :-)

If its a large turkey cook it overnight or consider getting up in the wee hours to pop it in the oven. So you can take it out and leave it to rest while using the oven for everything else.

Allow 2/3 minutes per head to actually get people to sit at the table - getting changed - going to the loo - deciding where to sit - getting drinks

• pulling crackers

they can sit for an extra 10 minutes if necessary but food getting cold whilst they faff around house is enough to get me cross!

Amazing tips. Thank you. Timetable, working back etc is great.

**Do not have a drink until the turkey is carved!!!!

Whaaaattt? I should maybe have requested realistic advice only!

**You can also prepare veg etc the night before.

Other than peeling, chopping, what other prep can be done day before?

Agree with a PP- choose which dishes/trays everything will be going on then put them all into the oven to check they fit! I did not do this and stressed myself out having to rearrange half cooked potatoes etc on other dishes. Also if you're anything like me don't let people sit and socialise in the kitchen. Off to the lounge they go! Let me sweat and swear alone. I'm not hosting this year, I need another year to recover

You can par boil the veg and chill then it won't take much time the next day. You could make the gravy any time before too and chill or freeze, ditto pigs in blankets and stuffing.

You can lay the table and make sure all your serving dishes are ready the night before.

My top tips:
1 Detailed timetable as mentioned above.
2 Rest your Turkey under foil and towels. Not only will your turkey taste better but it frees up your oven for potatoes etc.
3 Ditch the starter. The last 15 mins of the main course cooking can be manic so it's nice not to be dependent on this all working in with starter prep, serving, eating.

I prep my roast potatoes, roast carrots and parsnips, pigs in blankets and stuffing the week before and freeze in disposable metal trays.
I just then gave to get them out of the freezer on Christmas eve to defrost.
I also make Jamie Oliver make ahead gravy.

I was going to add, prep your veg the day before and keep them in cold water in the fridge. Lay the table the night before too! And my advice is to definitely have plenty to drink whilst cooking! You care far less when you’re sloshed!

I usually have between 12-18 people on Christmas Day.

Prep a millions potatoes and parsnips by par boiling then covering in cold water.

Carrots and sprouts cooked al dente, cooled quickly, then just leave in fridge in serving dishes, can be microwaved at last minute. Same goes for red cabbage.

Roast meat off, cover and rest for a couple of hours, it will stay hot!

Heat up oven, roast potatoes and parsnips together, pop stuffing (buy pre made balls from butcher or do them yourself) in with pigs, make up gravy and have simmering.

Yorkshire puddings if you have them can be pre made, cooled then covered in red hot gravy.

If you use a foil tray for your turkey, still put it in a metal or glass roasting dish to support it, many foil trays are not sturdy enough for the weight of a turkey, but only good for cutting down on washing up!

If necessary put prepared veg into polythene bags rather than bowls of water, to save on fridge space.

Stir in a splash of port or sherry to bought cranberry or redcurrant sauce to zap it up a bit.

I would make carrot and parsnip mash the day before and reheat in microwave. Also stuffing - breadcrumbs onions butter and fresh herbs. Have that prepped and ready in tin foil to be heated. If you make garlic potatoes do them the night before so they are ready to cook on the day. I love freshly cooked turkey but agree you can cook that early on and it will keep warm in double foil.

Rest your turkey!!! For at least an hour. Wrap in foil and cover with a towel. Leaves the oven free for roasties/stuffing/Yorkshire’s.

Parboil the potatoes the night before and leave uncovered in the fridge. On the day heat the goose fat/oil in a 200 degree oven till smoking hot and put potatoes in. They will be the best roast potatoes you’ve ever had.

Prep all veg (peel/slice etc) and keep in water.

Make bread sauce the day before, dot with butter whilst still warm to prevent a skin and just microwave on the day.