Head Chef Melanie offers some top tips for Christmas Day
Christmas will soon be here and although everyone cherishes the time to be with family, being in the kitchen can be super stressful.
But it really doesn’t have to be, so here are a few of my top tips to make your preparations for the big day a little less stressful and more enjoyable giving you more time back to spend with your family and friends and less of it in the kitchen!
Prep is the key word here! My strong advise is don’t leave it all to the last minute with everything bubbling over on the stove, timers going off every 5 minutes and there is never enough room in the oven. You can do so much a few days before and then you have time for breakfast, and present opening.
If you are not that confident or this may be your first time cooking the Christmas Dinner then make a plan from the start to eat later. We don’t ever eat until at least 2pm. Eating later will definitely help you get it all under control.
My biggest friend also is my plug in hot plate. I could not live with out one. In fact I own three now! They are so good to rest the meat on, keep your gravy and veg warm honestly, invest in one and you will never look back. I use my hot plate nearly every night in the winter, it just really helps to keep everything warm so I can cook a lot more in advance. Years ago all our mums had a hostess trolley. I guess this is the modern version now!
Vegetables
Seasonal green veg – always a winner and better if you can buy as fresh as you can. If you can I would always recommend serving at least 4 types of green veg and carrots and if you are feeling creative how about some delicious sticky caramelised beetroot!
My suggestions would always be to include Broad Beans, green beans, petit Pois, baby carrots, runner beans and Tenderstem Broccoli. Also Edamame beans are great as they are loaded with protein and great for digestion.
Brussels are a given although I hate them myself. I have honestly tried roasting, smashing, puree, and sautéing and to me they are still a Brussel and they just don’t do it for me. But in general for the British Population they are the go to Christmas item not to be missed on the plate.
The day before…
My advice is to cook ALL your veg the day before. Cook all the green veg in hot salted saucepans, bring to the boil and cook just until they start getting soft. As they are cooking fill your sink up with lots of cold water and a few handfuls of ice. Once the Veg is almost cooked (still a little bit snappy but not soft chuck the whole lot into the cold sink (this is called ‘shocking them’). This will help retain all the lovely flavours. Then once they have completely chilled down, drain them and transfer into a microwaveable dish so then all you have to do the next day is reheat for a couple of minutes so they are piping hot again, add a few blobs of salted butter, sprinkle some toasted almonds over the top if you are feeling creative and then all your veg is done and ready to serve and your not getting all steamed up and loads of pans are everywhere to be washed up. This really does save all that hassle and stress on the day.
Same for your carrots. I love the little chantenay ones – I find them a lot sweeter however they do take a lot more time to peel. A lot of the greengrocers and good supermarkets such as Waitrose often have the heritage carrots these days (multicoloured) which are really lovely and look great. But be careful not to boil them all together as they do lose a bit of colour in the water and will change your lovely orange carrots to a murky brown so best to cook separately. Follow the same method as the veg above and serve with some salted butter and I love to sprinkle toasted sesame seed over the top.
Brussels, Buy them fresh, peel them back, score them (two slices on top) then boil them. Or you can buy frozen – they are just as good but all the prep has been done for you. Pre- cook them in a pan until they are soft then heat up a saucepan with lots of lovely salted butter, toss in some pancetta, some rosemary, salt, pepper and chestnuts and then add in the sprouts. Cook them for about 10 mins they leave to cool. Put them aside either in your fridge or outside in a sealed box overnight, then about 10 minutes before serving, turn the gas on bring it all up to a heat again and there you have the famous Brussels. The key is not to overcook them. If you do they become mushy.
Sweetheart cabbage is also delicious. Chop it up and then toss it in a pan with lots of salted butter and I love adding a few pine nuts and sprouting beans to the mix!. Again do this the day before and reheat through in your saucepan on the stove just before serving like the brussels.
Roasties – The nations favourite. – you can prepare these well in advance, even freeze them!
Now lots of people have their own ideas about how to make the best roastie, but in my humble opinion I do have a very good tried and tested delicious recipe that guarantees failsafe crispy roasties.
Firstly you must buy the best roaster – which is the Maris Piper. Nothing else will compare I promise!
Then, peel, quarter and put under running water in the pan until the water runs clear. This process is removing all the unwanted starch that makes your Potatoes ‘gloopy’.
Prepare your tin. Put a big piece of baking paper (Parchment) into your pan. Then add lots of lovely olive oil or the traditional goose fat and a big blob of salted butter, sprinkle in some salt and pepper and put in a hot oven (180) whilst your potatoes are boiling.
Add a good pinch of salt to the water and bring to the boil. Keep watching and prodding until your potatoes are starting to turn soft. DO NOT overboil. Once they are turning remove and drain in a colander. Then return them into the hot saucepan and transfer them a couple of times between the pan and the colander giving them a careful shake. You will then start to see them fluff up.
Now, quickly take out your hot pan from the oven and very carefully toss in your potatoes. Careful the oil will be hot so avoid splashing. If you have chosen to make big size potatoes you can always use a pair of tongs to carefully place them in the pan. Shake the pan about a bit so they get covered and put back in the oven. Add fresh rosemary and cook for about 20 minutes or until you just start to see them go brown.
Take them out as they start to turn (should be about 20 mins) and let them cool naturally. Now you have the perfect Roasties ready to cook later.
Once your turkey has been cooked put the roasties back in the hot oven and blast them for another 15-20 minutes as your turkey is resting. Saves all that hassle, and stress on Christmas day.
Parsnips – you can’t have Christmas without proper crispy parsnips. I personally love to serve them slightly different then just boiled and roasted. I marinate these beauties in a lovely mix of good olive oil and honey the day before. Just peel and cut up either in batons or thick rounds, chuck them in a roasting tin lined with parchment paper the rub them in the marinade. Let the magic happen for a day or so then roast them very slowly in the oven (120 / 5) for at least an hour. You can do all of this the day before and then just put them in the oven to come back to temperature or the microwave.
Turkey
There are a lot of thoughts about where to buy your turkey and how big should it be. Personally I have given up on buying the whole bird and now opt for a crown instead. So much easier to cook, carve and eat. I always buy one from the local farm or butchers so I then know the provenance of the bird. If your family want legs you can also get these separately.
What size to buy?
- 2-2.5kg serves four to six
- 3kg serves six to seven
- 3.5kg serves seven to eight
- 4-4.5kg serves eight to 10
- 5-5.5kg serves 10-12
- 6-6.5kg serves 12-15
Preparing your turkey
For years and years, I have followed the same method and I share this with lots of my friends as I believe this is the best way to cook it. Don’t be afraid of this method it really does work and it makes it so tender and tastes absolutely delicious.
Two days before
Find/buy a large bucket or pot (with a lid), fill it with water and submerge the bird. So every part of it, whether it is the whole bird or just the crown. Make sure the water covers the skin.
Then add..
- 2 x large oranges (cut and quartered)
- 1 x small handful of whole black peppercorns
- 1 x large bunch of fresh parsley (Stalks and leaves) torn with your hands
- 3 x Cinnamon sticks
- 1 x large tablespoon of Caraway seeds
- 4 x cloves
- 1 x small handful of Mustard seeds
- 4-5 Star anise
- 4 x large tablespoons of caster sugar
- 4 – 6 big blobs of Maple syrup
- 4 – 6 big blobs of runny honey
- 1 x piece of fresh ginger cut into quarters
- Good sprinkling of salt
Don’t worry if you don’t have all these ingredients – but try and get as many as you can.
Seal/shut the box tightly and leave it for a minimum of 2 days if you can.
Christmas Morning
Carefully empty all the contents out of the box and pat dry your turkey.
Cut up sticks of celery, some green beans, chopped onion, and carrots and put in your pan. Then place the turkey on top of this. This helps to air the turkey from below and cooks it nicely all over and make some delicious gravy later.
Rub all over the turkey salted butter, and then pour over the top of your turkey lots of maple syrup. You will thank me later for those who eat the skin!
Follow the timings as per the instructions.
Gravy
There are a lot of recipes for the ‘best gravy ever’ but in my humble opinion I think ours could be one of the best! Once your turkey is cooked and its out of the oven make sure you keep all the lovely juices and vegetable that the turkey has been cooking and resting on.
Once the turkey has finished cooking take it out of the pan but leave all the juices and vegetables behind. Make up your gravy how you normally do or if you have bought a nice one open it up and pour this in the tin. Then add a bit more hot boiling water, and grab a bit of nice sherry or wine. Put the pan over the stove and slowly stir until it starts to bubble. At this stage I normally put a few twigs of rosemary into the gravy. Leave it alone now until you are ready to reheat it up and serve. Once you have everything ready to serve, go back to your pan and heat it up again, then sieve it through a colander and serve it in a hot jug.
Desserts
Everyone loves a dessert and there are so many delicious ones to choose from. But whatever you choose, I would always make sure there is Christmas Pudding, something Chocolaty and something citrus to cover all palates. In my household Christmas is definitely not Christmas without the delicious Trifle that has been passed down a few generations. I am sure the secret is the glug of Alcohol, I use Marsala but you can you use a brandy or similar – but make sure it’s a sweet one. The trick is to layer the bottom with trifle sponge or homemade Victoria sponge, pour over a good helping of alcohol, add the Jelly and let it set for a few hours in the fridge.
Then once its properly chilled down add the fruit. We love pineapple in ours but you can use any kind of tinned fruit. Spoon over custard (homemade or birds is just as good), whip up double cream and load it over the custard and decorate with glace cherries, coloured sprinkles or whatever takes your fancy. And how good does this taste the next day. I always sneak a spoonful on Boxing day breakfast… shhh don’t tell anyone!!
Don’t forget the yummy brandy cream and seasonal berries! And if you fancy being a bit more creative then how about these adorable little sweet tartlets filled with Brandy Cream and strawberry Santa hats
Breakfast (Christmas morning & Boxing day)
I always make sure I get up in plenty of time to have Christmas morning Breakfast. Freshly baked bread or delicious Brioche toast, croissants, scrambled egg, super crispy streaky Bacon, Cumberland Sausages and smoked salmon is my absolute favourite breakfast ever.
Condiments and Sauces
Don’t forget to make sure you have stocked up on these! Here is a list to help remind you..
- Tomato Ketchup
- Mustard
- Bread Sauce
- Brown Sauce
- Cranberry Sauce / Jelly
- Jam / Marmalade (breakfast)
- Chutney (Christmas evening / Boxing day)
- Mint Sauce (if you are having lamb)
- Gravy Granules
The Table
Everyone has such different ideas, themes and designs, but my advice would be whatever you decide keep it simple, stylish and uncluttered.
Crockery, Cutlery and Glassware
And if you don’t fancy washing anything up, then you can always ask us about hiring all your tableware which will get delivered a few days before Christmas and collected dirty a couple of days after Christmas! No washing up at all! What a treat!
Personally our local villages often have so much to offer and shopping locally really does mean you keep your village alive, businesses going, and keeping your carbon footprint Low.
So it all leaves me is to wish you all a very happy Christmas and from myself and all the team here at Lavender Catering have a fabulous 2022 and please keep checking back as we will be creating and sharing some more fabulous menus and top tips in the future.
And please do feel free to contact us if you would like any further help.
Melanie Williams (Executive Head Chef) Lavender Catering.
www.lavendercatering.co.uk / Tel: 01372 800626 / EM:feedme@lavendercatering.co.uk
