Christmas is
almost here again, my grandchildren are wild with excitement and anticipation…
Letters are
already winging their way to Santa and some have been making Christmas cookies
and helping to stir the plum pudding. They love to hear stories of Christmas
when I was a child and are incredulous when I tell them how a little mandarin
or clementine in the toe of my Christmas stocking was a huge treat to be eaten slowly
and enjoyed segment by segment.
In fact one of the
biggest challenges nowadays is to encourage children to think of those less
fortunate and perhaps wrap up some of the toys and clothes they have outgrown
to share.
Hopefully you’ve
ordered a nice plump, free range turkey or goose for Christmas day and decided
on the accompaniments. Many people start with the idea of doing something
different this year but if you have family coming home for Christmas they
usually don’t want you to change a thing. The traditional Christmas dinner is
sacred in many families and that is what memories are made of, the favourite stuffing,
Mam’s gravy, plum pudding, trifle and Christmas cake…
Every detail must
be the same, I’ve given recipes for traditional turkey and goose on the Irish Examiner website in the past. My new favourite
way to cook the turkey is to dry brine it the day before then
roast it over the tray of stuffing so the juices can drip into the dish and
flavour it deliciously. It cooks much faster than a whole bird and you don’t
have to forgo the stuffing either.
Try to find duck, goose
fat or good lard to roast the potatoes. The flavour will be a revelation. Peel,
blanch and refresh the potatoes on Christmas Eve, dry and keep them in the
fridge in a covered box. Sprouts can be halved or better still quartered and
blanched in boiling water for 2-3 mins, then drained and plunged into ice to
stop them cooking. Drain them well and refrigerate, ready to be reheated in
boiling salted water just before Christmas dinner. Don’t forget lots of melted
butter and freshly cracked black pepper to serve. I also love celery in a rich parsley
sauce, another dish that can be tucked away in the freezer a week or two ahead.
Cranberry sauce can also be made weeks in advance, make more than you need for
presents or gift hampers for even busier friends.
Bread sauce can
also be made several days ahead and reheated, even frozen, if that works better
for you.
In our house we
have both plum pudding and trifle, everyone loves Mummy’s plum pudding. Once
again think about making an extra one or two for gifts to share with someone
less fortunate.
If you decide to break
with tradition why not try my Christmas meringue wreath served with pomegranate
seeds and verbena leaves, it too can be made ahead and decorated before
serving.
A glazed loin of streaky
bacon is our secret favourite dish at Christmas it is super succulent and juicy
and a fraction of the price of ham. The best discovery is that it can be
reheated if cooked and glazed ahead.
So with all that preparation
done you too can really enjoy Christmas day… Remember to allocate responsibility
of different aspects of the festivities to different members of the family of
all ages, thus sharing the fun and passing on the skills to the next generation
– laying the table, arranging the flowers, as well as the cooking.
Have a wonderful fun
filled Christmas with family and friends and look out for your neighbours too.
All your favourite
Christmas recipes and many more besides are in my book Darina Allen’s Simply
Delicious Christmas published by Gill Books.
