Italian Christmas Lunch

[Skribble]

Ok so what do Italians have for Christmas lunch/ dinner? I keep threatening pizza but would like something slighty more authentic .

Dunno but when we went to Italy at Christmas as children, all they wanted us to take was a leg of lamb and some smoked bacon!

Those were the days! Bet if you asked they'd love an English one!

No its me I am fed up with the traditional British lunch, I am rebeling and want to do something more Italian, but not sure what to do.

Saltimbocca (sorry if that's misspelled) is nice and easy.

could do a chicken version rather than veal.

The shame! We always do ours with chicken.

pork loin cooked in milk

probably not seaonably appropriate but I had it once and it was bloody gorgeous

Ooooh, with green beans and saute potatoes. Come and have a practise here first!

More information for that one please, Ms Wong!

yeah that does sound good doesn't it
I have a recipe by Marcella Hazan, will look it up nearer to christmas if you like

Do lots of lovely antipasti also

I want seasonaly appropriate, I want to stamp my 1/8278917485 part Italian foot and declare I am not doing the usual, might go for the easy option of a roast chicken and roast veg, instead of soggy carrots and all that stuff. I do do nice sprouts though .

Don't know about main course, but we always had a big antipasti before the turkey - salamis, roasted veggies, crostini etc.

And I expect this is peculiar to my (half Italian) family, but panettone for breakfast. Yum!

I am doing fantasic tomato tarts for staters but I might do smaller ones plus some other things and put it all in the middle rather than 1 big one each.

panettone for breakfast, fantastic, we always have some but never thought about breakfast.

AllBuggiedOut like those ideas.

I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!

Sorry to step in - just wondered what half AllBuggeredOut's Italian bit is from. Pure nosiness.

And, like you, our family can't have a Christmas without a Panettone.

Mostly I am getting fish recipes and suggestions because they go all out for fish on Christmas eve (Eve of the Seven fishes), Not into fish though.

Skribble, treat yourself to a copy of this book Marcella Hazan

That looks good, TBH I have loads of cook books , but always space for more.

I am thinking of a selection of Italian style antipastis and then a turkey/ chiken but with roastveg and other italian style additions. I don't want to freak out the inlaws too much , just a little bit. MIL has her way on Boxing day.

Buy Pandoro instead of panettone if you can find it. Cut it into thin slices. Pop them in a pan so that they get a bit brown (maybe even under the grill?) and crunchy. Pour double cream. It's delicious (I'm Italian, btw)

oh always room for one more

that book has a fantastic recipe for roast chicken where you stuff whole lemons in the cavity, it produces lots of gravy which you serve with taglietelle or parpadelle

I suppose I am just fed up doing what is expected, if MIL thinks I am not doing something normal she will say oh I will bring such and such then because FIL likes it and will miss it. Ah bugger off, live dangerously for once .

franca70 sounds yummy,

I like the sound of that roast chicken/

Suzy wong Is this the one you mean