Christmas lunch - what are you cooking and drinking?

[Ahleckz]

Surprised we haven't got a Christmas Lunch thread yet... What is everyone cooking (and drinking)?

A vegan in the household, so need to make two things for each course! Hopefully do all the shopping tomorrow morning in Lidl, went in today at 8am and it was well stocked and empty.

Starter
Celeriac soup with sourdough (vegan)
Smoked salmon, fennel & celeriac salad

Main
Roasted duck with a cherry sauce & all the trimmings (including (vegan) Yorkies!) and (vegan) gravy. (https://www.theguardian.com/food/20...ohansen-scandinavian-christmas-dinner-recipes)
Some sort of seitan roast Wellington... (vegan) (https://veganhuggs.com/vegan-holiday-roast/)

Pudding

Christmas pudding & custard
Chocolate and Cinnamon rice pudding and caramelised almonds (vegan) (https://www.theguardian.com/food/20...gan-spiced-chocolate-kheer-with-almond-chikki)

Cheese

I went to the cheese monger yesterday, and the queue was stupid and I can't be bothered going back so I'll save the fancy cheese for hogmanay and just get Stilton, Goats, Brie and Cheddar from the supermarket.

Drinks

Sparkling - Juve & Camps Gran Reserva Brut Nature Reserva de la Familia 2016 Cava.
Red - Gusbourne Pinot Noir, Savage Follow the Line, and will pick up some Beaujoulais and another couple of random bottles from Majestic tomorrow.
White - Random bottle or two from Majestic.

Dishoom Cocktail Mix (https://store.dishoom.com/permit-room-collection)
Case of Brewdog mix.
Got a bunch of Overtone beers chilling in the fridge.
Caol Ila 6 for whisky.

 

[Ahleckz]

Got a chicken from Daylesford this year. Other half is vegetarian so turkey for one is pointless

For dessert we've doing a burnt basque cheesecake with an orange and cranberry sauce. Have a Christmas pudding available, but suspect we might just avoid.

where’s this cheesecake from?

 

[Ahleckz]

Starter - Smoked salmon, melba toast with a rocket, pistachio and cranberry salad.
Vegan option - vegan pate, with salad.

Main - Porchetta, stuffed with garlic, rosemary, thyme and fennel.
Vegan option - Red cabbage parcels with macadamias, mushrooms and chestnuts.

Trimmings - Roasties, roast parsnips, carrots (raw for me, roasted in maple syrup for her), peas, cauliflower (vegan cauliflower cheese for her), broccoli, pigs in blankets (and vegan ones), Yorkshire puddings, gravy, apple sauce and English mustard.

Pudding - Christmas pudding and custard. Chocolate and banana molten cake with hazelnut and date sauce.

Cheese!

 

[Ahleckz]

Not vegan myself but out of interest how do you make the vegan pate?

I've used this recipe before, and will probably do so again this year. Will double the thyme, salt and cognac.

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 shallot
• Pinch of salt
• 2 cloves garlic
• 18 button mushrooms
• 2 tsp rosemary
• 2 tsp thyme
• 2 tsp sage
• 2 tbsp cognac
• 400g cooked lentils
• 150g toasted walnuts
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp beetroot puree
• dairy-free butter (optional)

1. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan.
   
   
2. Roughly chop the shallot and add to the pan. Add a pinch of salt and cook the onions until they are translucent.
   
   
3. Roughly chop the garlic cloves and add to the pan. Cook this off and add the chopped button mushrooms. Stir until everything is well cooked. Add the rosemary, thyme, sage and cognac.
   
   
4. Add the contents of the frying pan to a food processor along with the lentils, walnuts and soy sauce. Pulse the mixture until combined then add in the beetroot puree. Process until almost smooth, add an extra splash of cognac if needed.
   
   
5. Transfer the mixture to a jar, adding on a thin layer of dairy-free butter to the top (optional). Refrigerate for a few hours before serving. Best served with good quality bread.
   
   from - https://www.bosh.tv/recipes/faux-gras

 

[Ahleckz]

dietary diverse household ?
.. aforementioned delia xmas pudding recipe , we use too, is veganish (couple of eggs) - also one of the few uses of a microwave.

Sort of. My girlfriend is fully vegan. All our dinners are normally vegan, and delicious. However I’m not ready to give up my Christmas meat. However, all the trimmings will be vegan and we’re making a vegan Yule log this afternoon.

 

[Ahleckz]

So what’s everyone cooking this year? I’ve got 5 meat eating adults, a meat eating kid, a vegan adult and a hungry golden retriever round the table this year.

Smoked salmon and maybe a tempura oyster with a Bloody Mary salsa if I can find some frozen oysters in shell. Can’t be bothered trying to shuck 8 oysters!

I’ve got a 2.6kg rib of beef from Farmison which I’ll slow roast for around six hours and then sear after the cook. I’ve bought this cut a few times now, and it’s brilliant.
Also going to do a slow roast bit of pork as worried there won’t be enough beef. Will just flavour with anise, sage, bay, cloves and slow roast. Crack up at the end for crackling. Will just buy whatever Tesco has when I go in closer to the day.
All the trimmings.

Whisky Parkin for pudding.

Also a vegan option, but not sure yet. She’ll send me an Instagram picture I need to make a few days before I’m sure!

 

[Ahleckz]

Finalised the menu. I like to do a bit of fancy plating, but still deliver what looks and tastes like a Christmas lunch. Having 7 people this year, on kid and one vegan.

*Scottish Lentil Soup, Croutons, Toasted Nut, Seed & Herb Garnish.

*Christmas Cured Gravadlax, cured Cucumber, with Smoked Trout Rillettes
*Faux Gras with Jackfruit ‘Fish’ Rillettes

*6 Hour Roasted Beef. Honey Mustard Glazed Ham
*Orange & Whisky Glazed Roasted Tofu
*Roasted Sage & Marjoram Potatoes, Carrots, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Minted Peas, Roast Parsnips, Sprouts in Butter, Pigs In Blankets, Yorkshire Puddings, Gravy.

*Whisky Parkin with Ice Cream.
*Christmas Pudding with Custard.
*Cheese.

I think it should be quite manageable:
The soup, croutons and nut/seed/herb garnish can all be made the day before.
Gravadlax and marinated jackfruit ‘fish’ will be started tomorrow and then easily finished on the day. Rilettes take minutes. The faux gras can be made a few days in advance.
Beef literally gets seared and then put in an 60c oven for 6 hours. Pork will be boiled in the morning and then roasted for about 30 minutes.
Tofu is marinated overnight and then roasted.
Veg is nice and easy!

Parkin will be made by her the day before and then just finished with some whisky caramel sauce before serving.
Times like this means I wish I had a microwave but guess I’ll have to steam the Christmas pudding on the hob! Tbh, im the only one who wants it!
Cheese will just be cut and popped on a chopping board in front of a sleeping Ahleckz I suspect!

I’ve got no idea why we’re having soup, apparently it’s a tradition from her side! Waste of stomach space I reckon..