Not having turkey for Christmas dinner

[MamaFi]

and if you're not what are you having?

We're having home-made parsnip soup then big prawns and smoked salmon then 10oz fillet steaks / potato dauphinoise / veg finished off with a massive belgian chocolate yule log and posh ice cream.

Are we bonkers... are we the only ones in the world not having turkey? Turkey meat/cranberry sauce/stuffing etc isn't my idea of a treat... I'm guessing I'm in the minority.??!!

Mmmm... I'm going to SofaQueen's. Foie gras and pears? Why oh why am I pregnant at Christmas?

We're having turkey for proper Christmas but roast beef fillet with dauphinise potatoes for fake Christmas (we do a fake version beforehand with whichever set of grandparents we're not seeing).

Everyone is welcome chez moi, and I'll have loads of foie gras. I make my own terrine de foie gras, and the minimum order is one liver (min 500g), so I'm actually giving away half of my terrine!

Ponymum: OBs in France allow their patients to have foie gras when pregnant as it is technically cooked (although very lightly).

We're having pheasant, after changing my mind from fish to something veggie.
I fancied meat, but something different that I'd not cooked before and this fits the bill.
No leftovers hanging around either which is a bonus.
I'm slow cooking it with apples, and still doing all the traditional trimmings.

We don't bother with a starter and I don't eat breakfast but I'll do smoked salmon and scrambled egg for DD, and there's Christmas pudding or mince pies for dessert, possibly a (bought) cheesecake, and plenty of wine for me

We're having roast rib of beef, Yorkshire pudding done in a roasting tin (as per thread in Food), roast potatoes in goose fat, and roast parsnips, steamed carrots, steamed sprouts, and parmesan-baked onions.

We'll start with dates wrapped in bacon, while we get the table ready and have a drink. To finish we are probably having Christmas pudding (MIL's favourite) with home-made prunes in Armagnac and whipped cream; or hazelnut cake with the prunes again; or chestnut meringues with shipped cream. Am hoping the prunes turn out OK. Don't have a pressure cooker to seal the jar I bought properly, so have to hope that the vast amount of booze involved will kill off anything unsavoury that shouldn't be in there.

Not having turkey either even though in laws are coming and it is what they like best In fact mil has a re-run and will cook turkey on new years day probably to make up for it
Thinking about beef and have noticed everyone is mentioning roast rib of beef. Any advice re. best place to buy ? and cooking instructions. Will do it with horseradish sauce and roast potatoes

love the variety of xmas dinners going on. dry turkey and sprouts just doesn't match up.

turkey - if it was any good, people would eat it all year round (ts still on sale of coure, but in fairly small quantities)

salmon - yummy

mushroom wellngton - delicious

big prawny smoked salmon creamy things with crudites and mummys special dip (try mixing creme fraiche and mayonnaise...with a dash of lemon, chives and garlic for a yummy dip..or i thought anyway)

when you ad it up, very far from a budget option...but much much nicer than turkey.

SofaQueen - Thanks for the invite! But isn't the problem with foie gras that when pg you are not allowed liver of any kind, cooked or not? Although I think that has somethig to do with avoiding getting too much Vitamin A, so I sometimes think, well how much is too much? Surely I can have a taste.

We get fresh foie gras from the kitchen door at our local Michelin star restaurant, though you are right, we have to buy a whole lobe and then figure out how to use it all. You should have seen the outrageous menu for our last anniversary dinner, or as we like to call it The Festival of Foie Gras.

Oh all delicious!! Edgar, you're so right, turkey is horrible.

lamb boned butterflied and stuffed with spinach and herbs.... roast spuds, squash and parsnip creamy bake, brocc, sprouts and gravy. Yumbo.

Rib of beef here too with yorkshire puddings etc.... We are having a crown of turkey too as a compromise, but i'm guessing it will mostly be used for curries etc and other leftover recipies.

M&S white chocolate bomb for pudding

Colette - farm shops or decent butchers for rib of beef (ours will come from cows we can see from home ), and make sure you get it on the bone.

We haven't started thinking yet but something veggie. If I get my way something spicy. If DP gets his way it'll be vegetarian haggis and all the roast trimmings.

thanks stealthsquiggle,

will try and get to a farmers markets

Goose with roast potatoes, Delia's braised red cabbage, and prunes in armagnac. DH loves goose, so we've had it every year since we got married.

I hate chrissy pud, so make a figgy pudding (from a recipie cut out of the Sunday Times about 5 years ago) with clotted cream.

I usually do a glazed ham on christmas eve, so that means I don't have to do ANYTHING on boxing day - cold ham with cold red cabbage and baked spuds!

Me too with rib of beef! Love it and a much nicer dinner.(And actually cheaper than a special poncy turkey!)

I actually hate turkey AND christmas pudding - amazing though what we still insist on eating purely for tradition! For years we had the usual turkey etc and never really enjoyed it. Stopped all that malarky about 5 years ago and haven't had it since...prolly never will again if I have my way!

Don't like turkey, don't like Christmas pud.

Do like lamb, do like chocolate fudge cake. That's what we're having.

This will be a first veggie xmas, just found a lovely recipe for cashew and mushroom roast thats got to be good!! I have a huge salmon in my freezer but for some reason i didnt getit filleted - what am i going to do with THAT??

"We get fresh foie gras from the kitchen door at our local Michelin star restaurant,"

You know I really, really do hate you.
Though if there's any left I will provide my address for you to send it
I can't buy it anywhere here, even if I could afford it.

i am doing shoulder of lamb with rosemary and garlic 94 hours in oven, job done) with roasties and veg.
DCs want melting moment things from Marks and green and blacks vanilla and chocolate swirl icecream- dh and I will have a Baileys trifle.
Bubble and squeak and Old Spot sausages for Boxing Day, then dry as hell cold turkey at PILS next day.

That's 4 hours not 94 hours (pissed already)

Turkey crown with some corn fed chicken thighs and some stuffed guinea fowl.
(DH gets stupidly cheap meat from work!)
Pigs in blankets, veggies, mash/roasties, yorkies. V tempted to do leeks now too.
Made Nigellas christmas cake and will make trifle too possibly.

DH, DC & in-laws will be having Turkey mainly because MIL is bringing the Turkey. I'm veggie so have made-up a sage & onion\mushroom wellington concoction (hope it turns out OK)

We'll have all the other traditional trimmings followed by Xmas Pudding, trifle, cheesboard with Port and perhaps Jamie Olivers suggestion of frozen grapes, chocolate & Grappa.

Can feel my waistband expanding already.