Spec me Xmas Dinner

DireEmblem

DireEmblem

DireEmblem

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So this will be the first year I don't go home for xmas, so I'm going to make dinner for me and my sis.

I'm currently making a shortlist of ingredients, then I will check recipes and start to collect what I need.

1) Turkey.
2) Pigs in Blankets.
3) Stuffing of some meat variety.
4) Roast Tatties
5) Mash (might skip this one)
6) Roast Parsnips
7) Sprouts
8) Carrots
9) Swede
10) Broccoli
11) Peas
12) Gravy
13) Cranberry sauce
14) Apple sauce

Trying to think what else - Yorkshire puddings maybe?
 
yes to Yorkshires ... but always challenging as you can't open that oven, but turkeys usually resting at that point (meat thermometer ?)
porks sausagemeat+sage&oionion in the rear cavity
bread sauce is our regular (simmered onion+bread crumbs) rather than cranberry.
veg (different 3) - usually just sprouts + roast tatties+parsnips.
 
Yes, well I think the veg and meat keeps a few days, so will make enough for boxing/day after.

I just need to be careful, I only have a fridge freezer, so won't be able to get a big bird.
 
As a rough guide - Jamie Oliver is an absolute master of roast meals - I've learned an incredible amount from his videos. But I've had to practice many times to understand how make meals e.g. a roast chicken dinner.

Roast Turkey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oh_tJdRz_c
Roast potatoes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1bXQlWLl7U
Gravy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNll42vExkc
Other veg: you can just boil - I would stick to carrots + one green veg (broccoli or sprouts) to keep it simple.
Other bits: Pigs in blankets or stuffing balls, you can buy off the shelf, easy - oven cook for 25 mins along with the turkey.
Sauces: for me, gravy is most important, but cranberry works well with turkey

For me, the turkey + gravy + roast potatoes are the KEY factors in a great roast meal. If you get those right, the rest fits in like a glove.

Good gravy takes practice, but if you chuck chopped onions and other veg around the turkey and take them out when they turn brown (about 40 mins into roasting?) + mix in a pan with a stock cube + cold water stirred with cornflour, you can make an amazing gravy.
 
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I’ve learnt over the years that less is more, focus on good quality and great cooking.

We’re having

1) Turkey crown with stuffing
2) Pigs in blankets (home made)
3) Roast potatoes in goose fat
4) Roast parsnips
5) Sprouts
6) Carrots
7) Peas
8) Gravy made with juices of the slow cooked turkey
9) Cranberry sauce
10) Yes to Yorkshire’s!
 
All sounds a bit standard roast dinner to me. I would be christmassing that up a bit.

I am also a big Jamie Oliver fan, not the man, his cooking.

I shall be doing
Chorizo and pear red cabbage Chorizo & pear red cabbage | Jamie Oliver Christmas recipes
Parmesan sprouts Parmesan Brussel Sprouts | Vegetable Recipes | Jamie Oliver
Veg megamix Roast Vegetables Mega mix | Vegetables Recipes | Jamie Oliver Recipes
Stuffing Pork stuffing | Pork recipes | Jamie Oliver Recipes
Turkey crown Turkey crown with roast garlic & pancetta stuffing recipe - BBC Good Food

Along side roast pots and pigs in blankets(lots of), maybe some peas/broccoli if wife moans about green veg.

PS, Yorkshire puddings are for Sunday dinner and are wrong. :p
 
I'd focus more on quality, your list sounds very boring right now. I'd also get as much done in advance as you can like the gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce.
 
Gravy tip courtesy of Rick Stein: If you're par boiling potatoes to roast, save the salty starchy water to make your gravy rather than faff with flour.

I'm thinking of brining my turkey this year, anyone got any good brining recipes?

My veg selection will be:
Peas
Carrots
Brussels sprouts
Roast parsnips
Roast potatoes

Extras:
Chestnut and apricot sausage stuffing
Crispy bacon rolls
Bread sauce
Cranberry sauce
Gravy
 
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I'm having:
Roast duck with a cherry sauce
Roast potatos (in the duck fat)
Roast parsnips
Sprouts
Broccoli
Peas
Cauliflower
Braised red cabbage
Carrots (raw)
Pigs in blankets
Yorkshire puddings
Gravy

Starter is a roasted celeriac soup.
Fish is smoked salmon and caviar on toast.
Main as above.
Dessert is Christmas Pudding and custard as well as kheer.
Then cheese.

Yum!
 
Apple sauce seems a bit out of place to me, but I don't much like it anyway.

Whilst I really like sprouts (and they made me fart, which is hilarious) we normally go for sprout tops instead. Wash them well then add then to a saute pan with butter, water to cover the bottom of the pan to about 2cm depth & seasoning. Cook with a lid on until soft. Drain and serve. They're delicious.

This year we're doing Tom Kerridge's Treacle cured beef with rich red wine gravy and several trimmings:

Peas (steamed)
Carrots (steamed)
Broccoli (steamed)
Brussels tops (cooked as above)
Swede (boiled then mashed with butter and plenty of black pepper)
Roast potatoes cooked in rapeseed oil
Roast parsnips (parboiled then coated in a 50:50 mix of flour & finely grated parmesan, fried until coloured then roasted)
Pigs in blankets
Chestnut and sausage meat stuffing
Yorkshire puddings. There's 2 types of people, those that think yorkies go with every roasted meat and those who are wrong

We deliberately do extra veg as we really like bubble & squeak.
 
chroniclard said:
All sounds a bit standard roast dinner to me. I would be christmassing that up a bit.

I am also a big Jamie Oliver fan, not the man, his cooking.

I shall be doing
Chorizo and pear red cabbage Chorizo & pear red cabbage | Jamie Oliver Christmas recipes
Parmesan sprouts Parmesan Brussel Sprouts | Vegetable Recipes | Jamie Oliver
Veg megamix Roast Vegetables Mega mix | Vegetables Recipes | Jamie Oliver Recipes
Stuffing Pork stuffing | Pork recipes | Jamie Oliver Recipes
Turkey crown Turkey crown with roast garlic & pancetta stuffing recipe - BBC Good Food

Along side roast pots and pigs in blankets(lots of), maybe some peas/broccoli if wife moans about green veg.

PS, Yorkshire puddings are for Sunday dinner and are wrong. :p
Click to expand...

That all sounds amazing, until I get to the Jamie Oliver bit. He didnt really do well with his restaurant chain, and you don't see him much on the tv nowadays(I vaguely remember him on a show about how chicken nuggets were made). Have you tried it before?
 
DireEmblem said:
That all sounds amazing, until I get to the Jamie Oliver bit. He didnt really do well with his restaurant chain, and you don't see him much on the tv nowadays(I vaguely remember him on a show about how chicken nuggets were made). Have you tried it before?
Click to expand...

Have done many of his recipes before, most are spot on, I like his cooking style. However as mentioned, he is a bit of a tool, I wont watch him on TV. :p
 
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