Christmas Food & Drink

[Beebo]

Turkey farmers are worried as no one will need a big turkey this year as the rule of 6 will mean a small one will do.
The big ones in my local butcher are £80!

 

[numbnuts]

mmmm I do like salmon encroute.
But I do like turkey as well.
Roast spuds MUST be golden brown.

I'm have that when it is ready

 

[cambsno]

Basics for restaurant quality spuds:

-get a right var, either maris piper or edwards will do

-golf ball size is the one to aim for

-boil in lightly seasoned water untill ALMOST falling apart, toss lightly when draining, to fluff up the edges VERY IMPORTANT STEP

-HOT oil in baking tray - either heavy based iron or alu would be my fav

-just before putting spuds in put a couple of whole heads of garlic in sliced in half and some rosemary

-season spuds as they go into the tray, and back into the oven

-turn a couple of times to get maillard reaction going on all sides

-cook untill golden brown, DRAIN THE EXCESS OF OIL after finishing

Never understood the garlic thing! I don't mind garlic in some things but not a roast dinner!

Normally use goose fat although todays beef dripping was excellent!

 

[cambsno]

Tip for sprouts - Prep that morning when doing other prep, boil whole for 4 mins or so depending on size. Still need to be undercooked in middle then put in a bowl of cold running water to stop cooking. Cook some bacon cubes/diced and add vac packed chestnuts and put to one side. Then just before serving pan fry the sprouts in butter for a few mins, then add the other bits to warm though!

 

[Reynard]

Always beef dripping for roasties for me. I fry my chips in beef dripping too.

 

[All uphill]

Tip for sprouts - Prep that morning when doing other prep, boil whole for 4 mins or so depending on size. Still need to be undercooked in middle then put in a bowl of cold running water to stop cooking. Cook some bacon cubes/diced and add vac packed chestnuts and put to one side. Then just before serving pan fry the sprouts in butter for a few mins, then add the other bits to warm though!

Then place in the rubbish bin where they belong...

Yuk.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Thought it may be worth a thread to share tips and ideas for Christmas... only 2 and a bit months to go!!!

I love the whole buildup - planning, shopping, and eventually, the cooking! Tend to be a bit of a creature of habit and quite traditional too.

Kelly Bronze are great turkeys, although I have had to resort to M&S last 2 years as didn't get order in on time! A bit more than supermarkets but proper free range and great taste. That said am tempted by a goose this year, although have done this before a few times and keep telling myself to stick to turkey!!

No Christmas threads before December. Have you no dignity?

 

[Eziemnaik]

Never understood the garlic thing! I don't mind garlic in some things but not a roast dinner!

Normally use goose fat although todays beef dripping was excellent!

Spuds without garlic are like cauliflower without cheese.
Yes, you can have it but why???

 

[Beebo]

View attachment 551837
No Christmas threads before December. Have you no dignity?

We’ve already eaten 3 packets of mince pies at Chez Beebo. Yummy.

 

[Julia9054]

Then place in the rubbish bin where they belong...

Yuk.

I’ll have yours. Bloody love sprouts!

 

[vickster]

Never understood the garlic thing! I don't mind garlic in some things but not a roast dinner!

He’s Spanish, they’re quite fond of garlic

 

[Dave7]

Gave up on turkeys years ago, we always have a cockerel, much more flavour and not dry at all. We love the run up to Christmas also, the wife made her Christmas pudding back in August and I made a batch of boozy mincemeat 3 weeks ago. The wife will be making her Christmas cake in a few weeks as well.
Thinking of bbq’ing the bird this year, it at least bbq’ing something to go along side it, maybe a goose or rib of beef.

I’ll have yours. Bloody love sprouts!

I can live without them so you can have mine as well.
MrsD is always saying ......you should eat eg sprouts/raddish/green cabbage....... they are good for you.
I tell her...... there are LOTS of things that are good for you and that I actually enjoy.

 

[figbat]

It's about this time of year I start compiling my Christmas baking spreadsheet. This involves identifying what baked goods I fancy preparing this year, what days they will be needed for - for example in previous years there have been various family or other gathering that I have prepared stuff for - then preparing a plan for test baking anything new to me, procuring all the ingredients and baking on the right dates.

In the past this has included panettone, stollen, lebkuchen, yule log, various loaves of bread, mince pies, tiramisu, sausage rolls (using homemade sausage meat and puff pastry), spiced biscuits, shortbread, (English) muffins, gingerbread, macarons, panforte, torrone, ricciarelli.... and so on.

This thread is a timely reminder to make a start for this year. Sadly we'll probably not have the mass gatherings to cater for but I'm still keen to get stuck in. My family don't like traditional Christmas cake or pudding, hence the various German and Italian alternatives. I'm a big fan of panettone so I'll probably do one of them this year, just need to decide on what goes in it (cherry and chocolate looking favourite). I also love stollen, especially homemade, but I'm the only marzipan-lover at home... maybe I'll do a klein one.

 

[Nibor]

Undercooked spuds are inedible for me. They contain toxins which are destroyed by cooking but people have different sensitivity to it and I seem to be on the "pale and interesting" end of the spectrum.
Put your very par boiled and fluffed spuds into a pan of sizzling oil on the hob before putting in oven. This seals the outside and prevents them sponging up the oil.

Supds are in the same plant family as deadly night shade.

 

[fossyant]

Dunno this year. We had a quiet Christmas last year and looks to be even quieter this year, and Boxing Day and New Years. Smallest turkey possible I think - not much bigger than a chicken as don't want to be eating the stuff for days.