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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

If you're not having turkey...

126 replies

Fortuny · 29/11/2022 15:32

What are you having? Doesn't even need to be a roast. Looking for inspiration.

We're only ever 3 adults, last year I did the whole traditional dinner for the first time. Although it was nice, I couldn't help but think it wasn't worth the effort, cost or hype.

OP posts:
PeloFondo · 30/11/2022 10:22

Going to an Indian restaurant
Will have ALL the starters Grin then some form of chicken curry with naan

Doodadoo · 30/11/2022 12:00

TuxedoJunction · 30/11/2022 09:22

It’s a bit more than just spuds. It’s a one pot meal made from jambon, mushrooms, Reblochon cheese (lots of), onion and potatoes all cooked in white wine.

Show quote history

I love the sound of this dish. Is there a recipe you recommend?

Doodadoo · 30/11/2022 12:06

@TuxedoJunction Also, where can you buy Roblochon cheese? I've never heard of it!

Heronatemygoldfish · 30/11/2022 12:16

Tartiflette sounds wonderful (if the bacon's left out!). Sounds incredibly rich. Says the woman who is having roast goose with stuffing, red cabbage and every veggie known to an English supermarket.

Doodadoo · 30/11/2022 12:20

Heronatemygoldfish · 30/11/2022 12:16

Tartiflette sounds wonderful (if the bacon's left out!). Sounds incredibly rich. Says the woman who is having roast goose with stuffing, red cabbage and every veggie known to an English supermarket.

It does sound like something you cook and then can't leave alone lol. I suspect that I would be a glutton around a dish like this. I'm a pretty poor chef though, so I would need a blow by blow recipe to follow.

FelixDoublyDelicious · 30/11/2022 12:23

Pork Belly with chips I expect

IToldYouAmillionTimesAlready · 30/11/2022 12:26

There'll be 3 of us this year - all adults. We're going to have beef Madras, Chicken Rogan Josh, naans and samosas. And a lot of beer!

TuxedoJunction · 30/11/2022 15:07

Doodadoo · 30/11/2022 12:06

@TuxedoJunction Also, where can you buy Roblochon cheese? I've never heard of it!

Hi, you can buy the cheese in most of the big Supermarket - Sainsburys/Tesco etc.

I make it from memory now, but the bbc has a good recipe for it 😊

walkinginsunshinekat · 30/11/2022 15:13

Beef in a slow cooker, cheap cut, brisket probably, have tried it earlier and its yummy.
Was going for some roast Venison i was given earlier in the year but no one wants to eat Bambi

One year i'm going to do Goose.

Always4Brenner · 30/11/2022 15:19

Main dinner Christmas Eve then Christmas Day Boxing Day nibbles loads of them

orbitalcrisis · 30/11/2022 15:50

My dad used to do turkey occasionally, but I usually do ham. A couple of years ago I did goose. I've only done turkey once and that was because I was in the US so it felt traditional, that and it's dirt cheap over there! Or free if you go and shoot yourself a wild one.

Laquila · 30/11/2022 21:49

Can anyone share their a good ham recipe, please? I was going to do a turkey but now I'm wondering whether to do a biggish chicken and a ham instead. I'm not a bad cook at all but I've never made Christmas dinner and am weirdly nervous!

If anyone has any recommendations for reliable freezable side-dish recipes too I'd be very grateful - I'd like to get the red cabbage and cranberry sauce done and on the freezer at least. Can you freeze stuffing?! Open to ideas for other sides 😀

DogInATent · 30/11/2022 22:01

@Laquila
Gammon from the butcher. Start a couple of days before needed, I usually start this on xmas eve for boxing day. Gammon into the slowcooker with an onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, and enough cider to just cover it. Cook for 3-6 hours. Switch off and allow to cool in the liquid (this is important it means the meat is very moist). Keep it in the liquid in the fridge. On the day you're serving it. Remove from the liquid. Pat dry. Slice off the skin. Score the fat. Stud with cloves. Paint with a honey-mustard mix. Roast in a hot oven for 45-60 minutes until the glaze has caramelized.

Liorae · 30/11/2022 22:11

Sole Bonne Femme. Simplicity is king.

Faz469 · 30/11/2022 22:12

We are having chicken this year because dp is cooking. When I cook its usually beef wellington

Fuckitydoodah · 30/11/2022 22:22

For the first time ever we're not having turkey. I've ordered rib of beef from the local farm shop. Probably still do all the usual trimmings though, with Yorkshire puds too.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 30/11/2022 22:31

One of the following options;

Whatever's yellow stickered at 8.45am on Christmas Eve

Whatever the butcher's has at 9.37am on Christmas Eve that'll fit into the air fryer

Duck

And DP will be very happy to have gammon at some point (smoked, simmered, basted - no honey, because that stuff is absolutely rank - and roasted) - as long as I don't have to have it for my Christmas Dinner - and when it does happen, it comes with homemade pease pudding, I am happy to oblige with doing a bit of cooking when he's going to be doing the majority of it throughout.

Rupertgrintismyguiltypleasure · 30/11/2022 23:11

Chicken and honey roast gammon 😊

Doodadoo · 01/12/2022 02:06

DogInATent · 30/11/2022 22:01

@Laquila
Gammon from the butcher. Start a couple of days before needed, I usually start this on xmas eve for boxing day. Gammon into the slowcooker with an onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, and enough cider to just cover it. Cook for 3-6 hours. Switch off and allow to cool in the liquid (this is important it means the meat is very moist). Keep it in the liquid in the fridge. On the day you're serving it. Remove from the liquid. Pat dry. Slice off the skin. Score the fat. Stud with cloves. Paint with a honey-mustard mix. Roast in a hot oven for 45-60 minutes until the glaze has caramelized.

Is that you Auntie Eileen? This is precisely what my aunt does! She's a brilliant chef though and one of her traits which I did not inherit is her expertise in the kitchen. I manage to make a horse's arse of anything I stick in an oven.

'Just stick it in the oven'!

Like fuck!

Doodadoo · 01/12/2022 02:10

NeverDropYourMooncup · 30/11/2022 22:31

One of the following options;

Whatever's yellow stickered at 8.45am on Christmas Eve

Whatever the butcher's has at 9.37am on Christmas Eve that'll fit into the air fryer

Duck

And DP will be very happy to have gammon at some point (smoked, simmered, basted - no honey, because that stuff is absolutely rank - and roasted) - as long as I don't have to have it for my Christmas Dinner - and when it does happen, it comes with homemade pease pudding, I am happy to oblige with doing a bit of cooking when he's going to be doing the majority of it throughout.

Honey on a ham is one sure way to ruin it. A woman after my own tastes! (Quite a rarity lol)

Diplidocus4 · 01/12/2022 22:46

Doesn't anyone do cola ham ?
That's my favourite way of cooking ham !
I'm working Christmas Day so it's sandwiches, possibly something evening time though .

Chickdaft · 01/12/2022 23:13

Duck with a plum gravy, and all the usual sides from pigs in blankets, roasties done in the duck fat, stuffing balls with a centre of redcurrant wrapped in procuito, thin carrots in orange juice, brocolli, parsnips and something with sprouts so that my sis hating sprouts won’t notice……😂

Fairyfield · 04/12/2022 18:09

Not even going to attempt to get a reasonably priced turkey this year.

Will probably have venison casserole served with pears, mash and red cabbage. We had it in Germany a few years back. It was delicious and very Christmassy... Rudolph for Christmas as my teenage son pointed out!!

BigglyBee · 05/12/2022 21:28

Fairyfield · 04/12/2022 18:09

Not even going to attempt to get a reasonably priced turkey this year.

Will probably have venison casserole served with pears, mash and red cabbage. We had it in Germany a few years back. It was delicious and very Christmassy... Rudolph for Christmas as my teenage son pointed out!!

I hadn't thought of that, I'll have to make sure my turkeys are safe. Although good luck to anyone who tries to steal them, they are savage!

BarnacleNora · 05/12/2022 22:09

Side of beef and a turkey roll (no idea why, none of us really fancy turkey but mum feels like it needs to be there I suppose and it's alright cold with cranberry sauce). Meaty sides like chipolatas and devils on horseback (liver and bacon) as well as at least two types of stuffing.

I couldn't give a shit as long as there are plentiful helpings of my mums roast potatoes. We don't ever really have family roast dinners the rest of the year so when we all get together for Christmas that's all we really want! And she does do EXCELLENT roasties!

My first Christmas just with my fiancé (rather than spending it at one of our parents') we'd bought a duck to have. Finished our tour of various families and living out of suitcases, came back late Christmas Eve and found that our fridge had broken in our rented house and everything inside it was ruined. Was a very shabby first Christmas dinner on our own and I still have never had duck for Christmas dinner. And it took til February to get the bloody fridge replaced!

I know nobody asked but I shall as usual be tackling the labour intensive (but so worth it) Mary Berry trifle, complete with custard from scratch and LASHINGS of kirsch. Good old boozy Berry GrinGin