Christmas dinner ideas
Starters
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Put 100g butter, shallots, garlic, orange and thyme in a pan and fry gently for 8 mins.
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Add the chicken livers and cook gently for another 4 mins.
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Add the port or marsala and cook for a further min, then tip it all into a blender.
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Blitz until smooth, season, then add the remaining butter and blitz again.
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Sieve into a pretty bowl and put it straight into the fridge.
Retro prawn cocktails
Who can say no to Marie Rose sauce? We certainly can’t, and prefer to serve this seafood starter in unadulterated fashion.
These retro starters can be made an hour in advance and handed round with drinks before dinner
Ingredients
- 4-6 Little Gem lettuce hearts
- 350-400g/12-14oz cooked, peeled prawns
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 tbsp coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- mustard and cress, to serve
For the marie rose sauce
- 100g mayonnaise
- 25g tomato ketchup
- Tabasco sauce
Method
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To make the Marie Rose sauce, blend the mayonnaise with the ketchup and a couple of shakes of Tabasco in a bowl. Trim the bases of the lettuce hearts, discard the outer leaves and separate the leaves – they need to be about 10cm long and you want about 24 in total. Reserve the tiny hearts for another salad.
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Wash the prawns and pat dry between double layers of kitchen paper. Toss in a bowl with the olive oil, lemon juice, parsley and a little seasoning.
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Lay the leaves out on serving plates, cup-side up. Drop several prawns into each. Dollop ½ tsp sauce on top, then scatter over some mustard and cress. These can be prepared 1 hr in advance, in which case cover with cling film and set aside in a cool place.
Smoked salmon salads
Keep things light before the onslaught of roast dinner with all the trimmings. Stocking smoked salmon in your fridge is a wise choice at Christmas.
This speedy salad can be whipped up as an impressive starter - the fish is completely lifted by contrasting flavours
Ingredients
- 200ml tub crème fraîche
- 3 tbsp hot horseradish sauce
- 1 tbsp vodka (optional)
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp honey
- 250g pack cooked beetroot (not in vinegar), finely diced
- 8 large slices smoked salmon
- 24 red chicory leaves
- 60g baby rocket salad
- few snipped dill sprigs
- fingers of toast, to serve (optional)
Method
- Fold the crème fraîche with the horseradish and vodka, if using, with a little seasoning. Chill.
- In a bowl, mix the vinegar, olive oil and honey. Toss half the dressing through the beetroot and chill until ready to serve.
- Before serving, divide the slices of salmon between 8 plates, then top with a spoonful of the crème fraîche and bring up the sides of the salmon to make a ‘flower’. Arrange the salad and beetroot round the salmon, scatter with the dill. Grind over some black pepper, drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve with toast, if you like.
Christmas soup
Serve a warming bowl of soup for a light yet satisfying Christmas starter. This creamy celeriac and hazelnut soup includes a drizzle of truffle oil for added luxury. Or capture more seasonal flavours by blitzing chestnuts and parsnips into a silky smooth blend and topping with crispy bacon pieces.
Rustle up this healthy vegan celeriac and hazelnut soup as a starter on Christmas Day. Truffle oil adds a bit of luxury, or leave it out for a simple supper on a winter's night
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- small bunch thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 onion , chopped
- 1 fat garlic clove, chopped
- 1 celeriac (about 1kg), peeled and chopped
- 1 potato (about 200g), chopped
- 1l veg stock (check the label to ensure it’s vegan – we used Marigold)
- 100ml soya cream
- 50g blanched hazelnuts , toasted and roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp truffle oil, plus an extra drizzle to serve
Method
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In a large saucepan, heat the oil over a low heat. Tie the thyme sprigs and bay leaves together with a piece of string and add them to the pan with the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 10 mins until softened but not coloured.
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Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 min more, then tip in the celeriac and potato. Give everything a good stir and season with a big pinch of salt and white pepper. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil, then simmer for around 30 mins until the vegetables are completely soft.
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Discard the herbs, then stir through the cream, remove from the heat and blitz until completely smooth. Stir through 1/2 tbsp truffle oil at a time and taste for seasoning – the strength of the oil will vary, so it’s better to start with less oil and add a little at a time.
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To serve, reheat the soup until piping hot, then ladle into bowls and top with the hazelnuts, some black pepper and an extra drizzle of truffle oil.
Traditional turkey ideas
For some, there’ll never be a centrepiece that can replace turkey. If you want to stay traditional, make our classic roast turkey recipe with a rich red wine baste. For something a little different, try our newest version – roast turkey stuffed with flavoursome shallots, lemon and thyme. Placing pancetta under the skin will keep the meat beautifully succulent and add a hint of saltiness. If you're serving fewer people, a turkey crown can often be more suitable than a whole bird. We've added flavour and moistness to our turkey crown with a dry-brining recipe.
Guarantee a succulent roast turkey on Christmas Day with our simple, traditional recipe. Don't forget the stuffing and all your favourite trimmings
Ingredients
Method
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Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Put the onion and a large sprig of bay in the cavity between the legs. Now pack half the stuffing into the neck end, pushing it towards the breast. Secure the neck skin in position with skewers and tie the turkey legs together at the top of the drumsticks to give a neat shape.
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Weigh the turkey and calculate cooking time at 20 mins per kilo, plus 90 mins. (You may need to use your bathroom scales.)
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Put a large sheet of extra-wide foil in a large roasting tin, then put the turkey on top. Smear the breast with the butter, grate over half the nutmeg and season well. Cover the breast with bacon, pour over the wine, then loosely bring up the foil and seal well to make a parcel.
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Roast in the oven, then 90 mins before the end of cooking, open the foil, discard the bacon, and drain off excess fat from the tin. Leaving the foil open, return the turkey to the oven to brown, basting with the juices several times. Then 30 mins before the end of cooking, place pigs-in-blankets and stuffing of your choice around the turkey, or cook in a separate lightly oiled tin.
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To test whether the turkey is cooked, push a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh – the juices should run clear. If they are pinkish, cook for 15 mins more, then test again.
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Transfer the turkey, stuffings and pigs-in-blankets to a platter, cover with foil, then a couple of tea towels and allow to rest for up to 30 mins before carving. This gives the juices time to settle back into the meat, ensuring that the turkey will be juicy. Garnish with sprigs of bay.