Who's cooking Christmas dinner this year?

rjbell

rjbell

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Sorry I'm sure this is too early but I'm doing the dinner this year and already started thinking about it.

Anyone else?
 
Again wife but it's going to be a full house with my parents, daughter and grandsons.
 
Aunt Bessie! Am rubbish at cooking so any way to cheat and I'm there. Good luck to anybody that takes on the Christmas dinner!
 
I have 8 adults to kids not to bad. We have dinners about 3 times a week it's the only time the kids will eat veg so I'm a dab hand now . just need to do more of everything. going to get a buffet server.
 
That will be me, mainly because I enjoy cooking it, and secondly because my OH doesn't cook roast dinners. This year (like last) will be inventive rather than expensive, with slow cooked, cheaper cuts of meat and plenty of the foraged walnuts and chestnuts which we have gathered. Our Christmas pud, will be the Heston "Hidden Orange" pudding which we picked up for an indecently low price last January in the sale. I also fancy making a ham hock terrine, but modifying it so it tastes like "jambon persille", which is a very tasty terrine from Burgundy.
 
Me..but I do most of the cooking anyway. With just the two of us we've developed our own traditions that merge and develop upon family traditions from both sides.

Christmas Eve - something fishy, often a cold platter with smoked/cured fish.
Christmas Day - three course, based around a roast duck. A turkey is just too big for two, and tbh it's not that special/exciting any more. As much of the veg as possible will be from the allotment and will almost always include braised red cabbage.
Boxing Day - mustard glazed gammon joint. It's simmered in homemade cider one or two days before and allowed to cool in this liquor until it's dried off for roasting. This keeps it incredibly moist and tender.

Doing two roasts means plenty of leftovers for the week after.
 
Alastair said:
Me..but I do most of the cooking anyway. With just the two of us we've developed our own traditions that merge and develop upon family traditions from both sides.

Christmas Eve - something fishy, often a cold platter with smoked/cured fish.
Christmas Day - three course, based around a roast duck. A turkey is just too big for two, and tbh it's not that special/exciting any more. As much of the veg as possible will be from the allotment and will almost always include braised red cabbage.
Boxing Day - mustard glazed gammon joint. It's simmered in homemade cider one or two days before and allowed to cool in this liquor until it's dried off for roasting. This keeps it incredibly moist and tender.

Doing two roasts means plenty of leftovers for the week after.
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I'm making braised red cabbage this year for the first time. In fact I've never even tried it but I'm sure I'll like it.
 
rjbell said:
I'm making braised red cabbage this year for the first time. In fact I've never even tried it but I'm sure I'll like it.
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Give it lots of time.. cook it slowly. It's even better the second day. We usually make a very large pan and freeze portions, goes well with bangers and mash.
 
We'll both be doing it. When, is another matter. The kids both have jobs and will be working Christmas Eve and Day.

We may postpone it to Boxing Day, this year.

looks like a turkey crown with as many trimmings as can fit on the dining table, side board and heated trolley...
 
As I said in the humbuggers' thread, the food aspect is the only part of commercialmas that we enjoy (probably me more than Mrs Nod, truth be told!). We will be sharing the prep and cooking duties and will be taking lunch over to Mrs Nod's Mum's place for the eating. Marks and Sparks are providing the main courses (well, the stuffed turkey thing and the veggie option - we'll be doing "proper" trimmings [although we'll probably get the pigs in blankets ready rolled]). Less driving than the last few years - just out and back to MiL's rather than collection, retrieval to here then a return trip later.
 
We've got the family (8 adults) Christmas eve and my mother Christmas day. No *firm* idea yet other than Christmas pud, but might well go for lamb: turkey is ALWAYS a disappointment, just because the meat doesn't taste especially great..
 
Which one?

Our standard Christmas is a fancy light dinner Christmas Day for just me and the Mrs, I cook the main, we share the other courses.

On Boxing Day, the family 'Christmas dinner' that has to be traditional enough for the occasion without crashing into the aftertaste of yesterday's Christmas dinner for everyone else. Nic cooks - I generally look after the roast.

This year - Christmas dinner with all the kids this Saturday because the stepson is off to Austria for the ski season to work as a chef, so he and I will be cooking that.

And on Boxing Day - because the family has grown to 2 sittings, me and the Mrs are cooking a serving each, with all the family choosing per course.
 
SWMBO does the vast majority of it, shopping, preparation etc etc but I do the important bit ........... putting the Turkey in't oven. :cool: (a bit like being in charge of a BBQ, it's a man thing! (y) )
 
Alastair said:
Me..but I do most of the cooking anyway. With just the two of us we've developed our own traditions that merge and develop upon family traditions from both sides.

Boxing Day - mustard glazed gammon joint. It's simmered in homemade cider one or two days before and allowed to cool in this liquor until it's dried off for roasting. This keeps it incredibly moist and tender.
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That gammon sounds divine !
 
I'm responsible for the dinner in this house. it always takes me all day to prepare for serving at 3.10 prompt, and it's always magnificent.

It's the one time of the year when I truly love to be in the kitchen. :)
 
stevewestern said:
That gammon sounds divine !
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It is :D

The poaching liquor is enough cider to cover the meat, with bay leaves, juniper berries and peppercorns. The real trick is in letting the meat cool in the liquor so that cider flavours and moisture is drawn right into the centre of the meat. The roasting glaze is a thick paste of honey and Batts English mustard painted over after the rind has been removed and the meat's been studded with cloves. Roasted until the glaze starts to blacken and caramelise. Because the meat is already cooked from the poaching and the can be prepared for it's short roasting ahead of time it's a very good recipe for entertaining.
 
gremlin16 said:
I'm responsible for the dinner in this house. it always takes me all day to prepare for serving at 3.10 prompt, and it's always magnificent.

It's the one time of the year when I truly love to be in the kitchen. :)
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3.10

That's very specific!
 
viv1969 said:
3.10

That's very specific!
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I can't remember the last time I watched Lizzie's christmas message. I'm guessing that's the focal point of the day that's defining dinnertime.
 
I will be doing everything again, from shopping to cooking... and its one of the most enjoyable parts of the year! I could not face going to someone else's for Christmas dinner.

Have bought a Kelly bronze turkey for that last 10 years, although last year was a crown (they also do very small turkeys for 2-4 people) - fantastic flavour, quick to cook too.

This year its just wife, kids and outlaws. Same menu as always - have spreadsheets which I adjust each year to make the day simple, telling me what time to put oven to x temp, when to put stuff in etc... so I can enjoy the morning but still have it ready bang on 2. Always make the gravy and cranberry sauce on Xmas eve and prep as much as I can then. Roasties must be in goose fat and they go in just after the turkey comes out to rest for an hour, along with sausages, sausages and bacon, red cabbage, at least 2 stuffings (i tend to cheat and just use M&S ones but may do something different this year), then roast parsnips and carrots (with honey added at the end with thyme). Sprouts with bacon and chestnuts, bread sauce (M&S again). Tea will be turkey and trimming sandwiches with some party type food, smoked salmon and cheese.

Sadly for someone who loves Christmas (often start listening to Christmas songs from Oct 1st) I don't like Christmas pud, christmas cake and don't really like mince pies!!
 
Well my two sisters decided without asking me that we were going out for dinner this year, so naturally I have agreed, two sisters vs me, I know when I'm beate and it's not worth disagreeing, even if I am not exactly looking forward to where has been booked
 
Alastair said:
It is :D

The poaching liquor is enough cider to cover the meat, with bay leaves, juniper berries and peppercorns. The real trick is in letting the meat cool in the liquor so that cider flavours and moisture is drawn right into the centre of the meat. The roasting glaze is a thick paste of honey and Batts English mustard painted over after the rind has been removed and the meat's been studded with cloves. Roasted until the glaze starts to blacken and caramelise. Because the meat is already cooked from the poaching and the can be prepared for it's short roasting ahead of time it's a very good recipe for entertaining.
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Sounds lovely although the mrs has some weird phobia about apples so won't be replicating it more the pitty. We've always cooked a ham Christmas eve.
 
It's always my responsibility, as with every single one of the other 364 days of the year. It's not that my wife is useless, she's pretty good at reheating leftovers and frozen ready meals.
 
Son in law we have been asked to their house this year. Boxing day my two daughters their partners and my two grand daughters coming to our house so my wife and I will do the cooking.
 
rjbell said:
Sounds lovely although the mrs has some weird phobia about apples so won't be replicating it more the pitty. We've always cooked a ham Christmas eve.
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It would probably work well with red wine, spice up the wine and throw in an orange - braised in mulled wine!
 
keenan said:
It's always my responsibility, as with every single one of the other 364 days of the year. It's not that my wife is useless, she's pretty good at reheating leftovers and frozen ready meals.
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I hope she sees this!
 
Have now decided on a goose as the main meat for the day then getting a kelly bronze breast roast to have with it and to go towards leftovers. Not had goose for a few years but love the amount of fat you get off it.
 
cambsno said:
Have now decided on a goose as the main meat for the day then getting a kelly bronze breast roast to have with it and to go towards leftovers. Not had goose for a few years but love the amount of fat you get off it.
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Could do two ducks - more meat, less bone, same amount of fat?
 
not me I'm working the 25th :( this year
 
I'll be doing all the cooking, as usual. After cooking a whole wild Canada Goose last year, I'm going a little easier this year and doing a simple Beef Wellington for the two of us.Or may just go and get 2 Cornish Hens and have them instead. The more difficult decision will be what wines to open and enjoy :)
 
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