Christmas Food & Drink

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cambsno

Well-Known Member
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!!
 

slowmotion

Quite dreadful
Location
lost somewhere
I bought into the whole Delia goose fat bollocks a few years ago. It didn't lift the bird into Raymond Blanc territory. My homemade bread sauce was not nearly as good as the packet stuff from Birdseye either.
 

Electric_Andy

Heavy Metal Fan
Location
Plymouth
My mum does her turkey for 5 hours on low. They always turn out very juicy. They are free range and local. Not sure what's going to happen this year. If I'm at home i may get a swan
 

Eziemnaik

Über Member
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
 

vickster

Legendary Member
Dunno...but for me it won’t be Turkey...or goose...or duck...or chicken...or beef...or pork...or lamb...or guinea fowl...or pheasant...
maybe a salmon encroute this year...wasn’t convinced by nut roast last year...
I am quite fond of a higgedy cauli cheese pie though :mrpig:
 
Christmas dinner is usually whatever takes my fancy on yellow sticker on Christmas Eve... :blush: Last year it was duck, the year before a pork loin joint on the bone, the year before monkfish wrapped in serrano ham...

Although this year, I'm not sure whether I'll go and join the traditional bun fight. Depends what the situation is, really. But I have options in the freezer, so it's no biggie. Beef rib, turkey breast joint (stuffed with sausagemeat and dried fruits) or a shoulder of lamb.

I always cure a side or half side of salmon as well, as it always goes down a treat.
 

numbnuts

Legendary Member
It's just another day...
 

jayonabike

Powered by caffeine & whisky
Location
Hertfordshire
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.
 
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
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.
 

CanucksTraveller

Macho Business Donkey Wrestler
Location
Hertfordshire
Turkey must be the most bland thing you can possibly eat for a celebration meal. It's like someone had a competition to find the most boring thing you could conceivably eat, and the winner was a suggestion of the usual roast that you have every Sunday, but with a bigger chicken.

It's not even traditional!
 
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Turkey must be the most bland thing you can possibly eat for a celebration meal. It's like someone had a competition to find the most boring thing you could conceivably eat, and the winner was a suggestion of the usual roast that you have every Sunday, but with a bigger chicken.

It's not even traditional, the idea that it is traditional is a relatively modern construct.
I'm pretty sure that Jesus ate turkey for his Christmas dinner. Its too easy to knock religious traditions these days. Have some respect!
 

Dave7

Legendary Member
Location
Cheshire
Dunno...but for me it won’t be Turkey...or goose...or duck...or chicken...or beef...or pork...or lamb...or guinea fowl...or pheasant...
maybe a salmon encroute this year...wasn’t convinced by nut roast last year...
I am quite fond of a higgedy cauli cheese pie though :mrpig:
mmmm I do like salmon encroute.
But I do like turkey as well.
Roast spuds MUST be golden brown.
 
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