No turkey on the day

[TwinsandTrifle]

We're boycotting turkey on the day this year. For ease, (it hogs the oven) and because, we have it every year, and it's just not that great, truth be told.

We've had (previously, over many years) goose (lovely, takes up even more oven space not much else to do with leftovers) a three bird galantine (took up all oven space, and disappointing compared to expectations) lobster and fruit de mer (delish, but felt a tiny bit wrong for Christmas dinner).....

So. This year, we're thinking of having a turkey dinner, probably out, in the run up. Then, on the day, a tarted up chicken and roasted gammon. DH thinks we can do these both the day before, and they'll be fine to be warmed just prior to serving then piping hot gravy tipped all over. I'm feeling a little underwhelmed by this, we have roast chicken frequently, although I will go to a bit more effort with herb butter under the skin, bacon lattice, nice stuffing. It's still a roast chicken though, if you see what I mean.

Has anyone else done the meat on Christmas Eve? Has it tasted as good the next day? Can anyone suggest anything lovely that would serve well the next day that might be a little more worthy of the occasion than chicken and gammon?

Thank you

We are going away this year for xmas, but the xmas before covid I paid a bloody fortune for a massive free range, farm reared blah blah turkey and it was shite .

We had Rib of beef last year which was nice but ex always fucking over cooks it.

So if I had to do a joint it would 100% be a gorgeous roast Gammon basted in something rich and sweet. Plus the kids love it and there is zero waste as it can go on sandwiches with a bit of cheese and piccalilli

My friend make a Christmas pie instead of a roast, goes down a treat apparently!

Roast beef is nice for Christmas. We had it last year as it was just the 4 of us for once.

I would do venison. It's lovely with potatoes and red cabbage.

We usually have a roast duck. Good compromise between massive goose and not very special chicken.

My family always cook their turkey on Christmas Eve but don’t warm it up, just have cold meat and food trimmings. It might be why I’m not a fan of turkey.

If it’s just the two of us, we will have duck which doesn’t take up as much space in the oven. We’ve also made a slow cooked pork loin with cranberry on Christmas Eve before now and picked at that, but we don’t have it on meal as the duck is sufficient for us. We will also cook some festive ham - either a ginger beer one or a coca-cola one. DH had some ginger beer ham with his duck Christmas dinner last year. We did an orange and hazelnut stuffing, so the ginger beer ham went nicely with that too.

We cheated last year and had shin of beef from the Tesco festive food selection. It was amazing. Will.probably do the sane this year unless we have guests, in which case I will do a wellington of some sort. I usually prepare it the day before and just bung it in the oven Jon Christmas day. Always enough oven space for potatoes etc.

I loathe Turkey and refuse to cook it at Xmas.

Instead I either do a large rib of beef or a pork loin that I "open out" and fill with a cranberry stuffing and roll it all back up.

Love them both.

The pork is cheaper and easier to "size" appropriately however and takes up less oven space. It's probably a bit more festive too...

Beef wellington? Can prep day before? Still goes with the trimmings and feels special I think.

We always have it cooked on Xmas eve then reheated on a hot plate with scalding gravy on the day. It tastes the same, but I miss the ceremony of carving at the table. I’m not the cook though so don’t get to choose !

I always do a turkey and a beef for meat eaters then DH cooks himself a lentil loaf. Lots of Yorkshire puddings, sausage meat, stuffing, roast potatoes, mash, and 4 veg. I don't cook at all on Boxing Day. I have cold buffet.

I'm doing sous vide herby turkey breast, which will be moist and flavourful but will need no attention whatsoever on the day.

I'll confit the legs in goose fat a couple of days beforehand and then stick one of the thighs in the oven to crisp up on the day. It'll be nice and simple to do, too.

I've just made a batch of spiced apple jelly, so I think I'll glaze a nice fatty ham with that (after parboiling it with oranges and bay leaves) on Christmas Eve. That will reheat perfectly on the day.

Never have and never will have Turkey on Xmas day since I became an adult and in charge of the day. I've cooked a chicken,a gammon joint and joint of beef or pork, depending on what I fancy near the time and who's coming. Neither of these have been expensive, too large or hard to cook, and there's always plenty to feed the 5 of us plus parents, in-laws and sisters family of 4. I don't think Turkey is that nice, it's dry, overrated and overly expensive. To be honest I'd rather have a nice Indian on Xmas day as I think Xmas dinner is overrated anyway but I'm always outvoted 😌.

There is no way I would have re-heated roast of any kind. It never tastes the same. Very school dinners.

I would rather have a gorgeous festive casserole, something slow cooked in a rich winey gravy. That sort of thing reheats much better.

Gammon defo can do the day before. Chicken id just do before everything else goes in. Potatoes only take an hour. Chicken (don't carve it) can rest under foil and tea towels for an hour no problem. Then when you carve it, pop it on a plate in the oven whilst you plate up.

We always have goose, @TwinsandTrifle, and I use the leftovers in a sticky Asian dish - shred the meat into a mixture of runny honey, soy sauce and Chinese five spice, then fry in a little bit of sesame oil, until dark and sticky. Serve with rice.

Works with leftover pork, lamb, chicken or duck.

I do my turkey first then let it rest, wrapped well in foil and towels. That frees up the oven for the rest. Would that help with your space? It always stays hot.
We always have turkey and gammon, gammon is cooked and glazed day before and then bunged in oven to finish when turkey comes out and rest goes in.

If I wasnt having turkey i would do a chicken if i wasnt having that then probably lamb as its DHs fave, not festive though!!

I also cook the turkey first then wrap it up really tightly with a double layer of tin foil when it comes out of the oven to leave space to cook the potatoes and everything else.....it stays surprisingly hot.

Otherwise I'd buy a smoked gammon joint and boil it in ginger beer on Christmas Eve, then take it out and cool. Score it and spread with a mix of brown sugar and mustard and put it in the fridge then you can just oven cook it to heat everything through and caramelise the outer on the day. We do the gammon on Boxing Day quite often and it's always a hit.

Really???
It’s bloody July!!

stitchin was about to say the same 🙈😂. It's still the middle of summer 🌹🌱🐝

@catwithflowers
Glad it’s not just me thinking this…
Thought I might be accused of being a killjoy!
How can you have such elaborate plans about ONE day thats still 5 months away?

I did turkey once and won't bother again.

Why can't you cook on xmas day? I normally do rib of beef or sometimes duck.

Is it just the two of you, or how many there? Of it just the two of you what about pheasant? Fillet of beef in different versions has been a go to here due to ease but equally we have had duck, goose, guniea fowl etc.

Beef Wellington (Gordon Ramsey's)... OH preps it the day before and it's bloody lovely.

Have you hit your head? the day today is Tuesday. Its the 27th of JULY 2021. It is NOT December. Now stop it I tell you stop it.