At Christmas time the old age debate of what makes the perfect Christmas dinner rears is competitive head. Every family has their own Christmas day and dinner traditions that claim to make their day the best. From what time dinner is eaten, to post dinner activities and even whether the Queen’s speech should be an integral part of the day – which of course it should!
When it comes to the Christmas dinner there are hundreds of recipes and TV programmes that show case the ‘best ways’ to prepare and cook a up a festive feast. It may not be one of the key ingredients but what all the celeb chefs seems to have is a fantastic kitchen to create their masterpieces. To build the foundations to cook up the finest family dinner, it’s always a good idea to use the free kitchen planner tool. So don’t worry about the stress Christmas has on your kitchen this year, treat yourself to a new kitchen in January as a present to yourself for all your hard work, ensuring that next year’s Christmas is hassle free.
The all important Turkey
The Turkey is the spectacle of the Christmas dinner. If you get the Turkey right the rest is downhill, or so they say. First and foremost you need to choose a bird big enough to feed your guests on the big day and leave enough for Boxing Day bubble and squeak and of course Turkey and stuffing sandwiches. The big debate of how to cook your Turkey will continue as long as we have Christmas but when you’ve got a million other things on your plate (excuse the pun) the self basting method is a sure winner. Soften some butter and mix with dried cranberries, orange zest, rosemary, thyme and sage, then separate the skin from the meat with a table spoon and stuff with the butter. This will add a tasty fragrance through the meat and leave the skin perfectly crisp – make sure you leave the Turkey to rest for two hours so the meat is delicious and juicy.
The perfect Roast Potatoes
Crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside, the perfect roast potato is something to be admired. The trick is to part boil the potatoes and shake them up in a colander to create some lovely rough edges perfect for crisping up in a tray of oven hot seasoned goose fat.
The dreaded Sprout
Sprouts are one of those Christmas day traditions that you either love or hate, although I can’t say I’ve ever come across many people who love them! To make sprouts delicious it’s all about adding some extra tasty accompaniments, streaky bacon and chestnuts are a safe bet. Fry up the bacon and chestnuts and add part boiled sprouts for a few minutes before serving. If all else fails and you still hate the poor old sprout you can always just pick out the good bits.
