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Christmas

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Original poster

So if you are few on the big day, do you still do Turkey and all the trimmings?

27 replies

Portofino · 07/12/2009 22:14

Or something simpler and/or more exciting. We haven't spent many Xmas days at home on our own (DH and now DD who's 5). I thought about going out for lunch but everywhere near us seems to be closed over Xmas.

I don't even like turkey! DD won't eat it but would eat the veg/roast potatoes. If i ask DH he says roast duck! I can't be arsed with roasting anything really. I am seeking inspiration for a "posh" lunch that involves the minimum of fuss. Not in UK either, or M&S would be cooking.....Any ideas?

OP posts:
differentID · 07/12/2009 22:17

Do you like duck? If so, I'd go with the duck.

GypsyMoth · 07/12/2009 22:20

where are you? whats traditional locally?

HuwEdwards · 07/12/2009 22:20

we have xmas lunch on our own evry year. Our families are close by and we visit up until about 3pm.

But then we go home, have the full monty (dinner that is) and do what we want.

Xmas Eve we spend with my family, Boxing day with my bf.

Original poster
Portofino · 07/12/2009 22:32

I don't mind duck, but I could maybe eat half a breast. Dh would have the other half and dd would just eat the veg. Seems like a waste!

OP posts:
OhYouMerryMerryKitten · 07/12/2009 22:36

We are 3 and are having turkey. Lots of left overs but none of it gets wasted. You don't have to make an effort for others for things to be worthwhile, effort for yourself is worth it too

differentID · 07/12/2009 22:37

If you don't think the duck will all be used, how about beef or a ham?

muggglewump · 07/12/2009 22:43

There's just DD and I.
We had duck last year and I'm thinking of pheasant (after considering fish and then something veggie) this year.
I enjoy cooking anyway and will often do a roast for the two of us and turn the leftovers into curry/soup/salads

Dorothyredboots · 08/12/2009 09:03

We are three and I'm doing the full monty except with a turkey crown (we only really like white meat anyway). I can give my Mum some to take home and we will have cold turkey on Boxing Day and curry, sandwiches etc to use the rest up. Have a home made Xmas pud too and we have the remains of that on Boxing Day, heated up in the oven. I agree with MerryKitten that it is good to make the effort, even just for yourself. I have planned lots of meals for the Christmas week and stashed them in freezer so that I can put my feet up for a bit and DH and I can still stuff our faces!

CMOTdibbler · 08/12/2009 09:08

Why not just buy a duck breast then ? You could pan fry it and do a nice sauce.

I think we are going to have pork as DH and I really like it. It's me DH and DS this year, and I'm really looking forward to knowing that we'll like what we've chosen. And DH and I have got a fab little bottle of Tokaii wine for afters

borderslass · 08/12/2009 09:22

we don't like turkey and tend to do a normal Sunday roast with the veg that we like.

girlywhirly · 08/12/2009 12:49

There are just DH and I for Christmas lunch, and we will have a big roast chicken as he doesn't like turkey. We have sausages, bacon, stuffing, gravy, roast potatoes, carrot and parsnip puree, mange tout, and fried apple slices with it. Warm mince pie and home-made vanilla ice-cream for pud. I can do some of it in advance, so less to do on the day, and I know what I'm doing as it's the same each year. No more effort than a usual roast.

I am never stuck for ideas for the left-over chicken, this year will probably use up the less attractive leg/wing etc morsels in a chinese style sauce and stir fried veg with noodles.

Have whatever you like. You don't need to stick to what is considered traditional. If you don't want a roast, why not make a posh stew ahead of time and freeze it? Then you only need to thaw it and re-heat it on the day with a bit of veg.

SofaQueen · 08/12/2009 12:58

We are 4, and DH hates turkey. We are having:

Terrine de foie gras with caramelized figs and toasted raisin/walnut bread

roasted venison in chocolate sauce, savoy cabbage with chili and pancetta, garlic mashed potato, french style petit pois

cheese

pumpkin creme brulee

Nothing is too complicated or time consuming, and not an unwieldy amount of leftovers.

cat64 · 08/12/2009 12:59

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onepieceoflollipop · 08/12/2009 13:02

Last year I was working so minimal time for dh or I to cook a "proper" dinner. We compromised by doing our favourite bits from a "normal" roast. iirc I did chicken breasts, roast potatoes, peas and carrots. Dh has to have gluten free and I bought him a fab garnish type dish (sausages, bacon rolls, stuffing etc) and he loved it.

We rarely have a roast anyway so that was a treat. Also we always go to my mum's at some point over the break and even if it is a few days late she does a "Christmas" dinner for us.

lovechoc · 08/12/2009 13:07

What about a Gammon joint out of Iceland? they do lovely joints at a reasonable price for all sizes of parties. We also eat on our own (3 of us) and just have something different every Christmas. Roast beef or gammon or even the turkey joints.

LadyOfTheFlowers · 08/12/2009 13:10

DH, me and 3 DSs age 4, 3 and 11m.

Having a full turkey this year - we had a crown last year and discovered you can have a whole bird for the same price so we will be having curry, sandwiches, all sorts with turkey in it after Xmas.

Veg, pigs in blankets and possibly yorkshire puds because we love them!

Christmas pudding with cream afterwards.

Kids are not fussy so will eat all of it so don't have to worry about having to make anything different.

Will get it all ready, as far as I can, the night before. Stick bird in when kids get us up at around 8am.

sarah293 · 08/12/2009 13:11

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EdgarAleNPie · 08/12/2009 13:14

it doesn't matter how few of us there are,

at my house -

salmon/ prawn entree, bread & cheese & 'theme' xmas (one year, eg. was Creole..we had jambalaya...another year greek)

don't like turkey. yuck.

at MILs..

Delia will be murdered again. stuffing Turkey, potatoes (either burnt or cold depending how the Rayburn is doing) stuffing (yes, i know i have mentioned it, she will make two trays.), sausages wrapped in bacon...sausages...roast veg....and then she will spend the next two days suggesting we eat whatever hasn't already been eaten at every opportuinty (even when we have just got up, have finished another meal, are going to bed..)

SofaQueen · 08/12/2009 13:16

Riven, sounds like what I end up having in real life! Since I'm in charge of the cooking and am tasting it all day, I usually have no desire to eat any of it, and would rather have some wine and a large plate of biscuits (not together, blech!).

onepieceoflollipop · 08/12/2009 13:20

Riven we used to have egg and chips on Christmas Day, when my mum used to only get the 25th and 26th off work. She used to get the proper chip pan out in honour of the day though.

As an alternative I sometimes had scampi from M&S instead of the egg.

She dispensed with breakfast, we had chocolates and selection boxes and occasionally a mince pie!

MollieO · 08/12/2009 13:35

Three of us - me, ds and my mum. Turkey crown (Ocado) and veg (veg box). Probably prawn cocktail for starters as ds seems to have developed a love for prawns recently. Something chocolatey for dessert and cheeseboard. Ds will eat a bit of everything but not much. Have ordered the smallest turkey crown I can find.

Last year we went out for Christmas lunch which was lovely but my mum isn't at all mobile at the moment so I think it will be enough for her to spend the day with us.

MamaGoblin · 08/12/2009 17:43

Just three of us here too, and DS is 21 months. If I were just pleasing myself, we'd have a small roast sirloin of beef, or fish. But DH is a traditionalist, and DS likes chicken and turkey. So turkey it is...

DH loves doing Stuff with the leftovers, but on previous years it got ridiculous, because his parents used to rear a few turkeys for friends and family, and they were always enormous. Took forever to roast and you couldn't get rid of the leftovers for weeks!

My parents aren't going to be with us this christmas, they're with the Other Grandchild in America. So they're coming next week before they travel, and instead of yet more bloody turkey, we're having what I'm poncily refering to as a Persian Feast. (fesenjoon, which is chicken in pomegranate and walnut sauce, and rice with a buttery crackly crust at the bottom, and probably something involving aubergines. ) So at least I get my non-traditional jollies then.

GrimmaTheNome · 08/12/2009 17:51

Full-scale xmas at the in-laws has whittled down over the years to just me and DH, DH and MIL. And she's 91 so not quite up to parboiling spuds, yet she doesn't want me to have to do it all . So now its M&S turkey breast roast and Aunt Bessies roast potatoes and the veg. Easy but still festive. DH went off poultry for a couple of years so then we had a nice beef roast instead.

oldraver · 08/12/2009 19:11

There has nearlt always been just the two/three of us apart from five other Christmas's when we have had a couple extra. We always do all the trimmings but because we love it not because its the done thing. For the last 7 years or so we have had a stuffed duck, we used to have Turkey then Goose but decided it was too big for the two of us

Have what you want, there's nothing to say you HAVE to have a full roast thingy

MrsJohnDeere · 08/12/2009 19:28

Only the two of us (we'll have lunch with the dcs but our main meal once they're in bed). We'll be having forerib of beef as neither of us are that keen on turkey.

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