What are you cooking this festive season?
 

So, what is everyone cooking during the Christmas season?




I'm going to be making some smoked salmon blinis to have with a few drinks and then picked up plenty of vegetables for a roast dinner. I love parsnips so got plenty of those and picked up a bag of chestnuts that I do in some butter with brussel sprouts.
Always got to have pigs in blankets too.

I'm thinking of doing a pineapple cake of some sort for pudding with some custard or a pear and chocolate crumble.


For new years day it will be party buffet food.



How about you?

Re: What are you cooking this festive season?
 

Christmas Day Turkey and Roast Pork Roast spuds Stuffing Cauliflower cheese sweetcorn bread sauce yorkies and gravy
Boxing Day Rib of Beef Roasted. Roast spuds mixed veg yorkies and gravy
Due to becoming an Air Fryer convert and as boring as everyone else who is one I will be making my own Mince pies sausage rolls and cheese straws in it hahaha

Re: What are you cooking this festive season?
 

Oh yes! Can't forget the bread sauce. I love that.

Re: What are you cooking this festive season?
 

Probably roast chicken. None of us are fond of turkey.

Re: What are you cooking this festive season?
 

Christmas Day - Roast duck, sauce (orange or something like pineapple and cherry)
Boxing Day - Venison
Bank holiday Tuesday - Curries
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My plan for my special Christmas dinner for friends before Christmas
Antipasti - cold meats, salami, prosciutto, etc.
Prawns in garlic butter
Breast of partridge, saute potato, baby veg, Marsala sauce
Manasman beef curry - sticky rice
Dessert - Salami dolce (Chocolate cake that looks like a salami)
Cheese - ordered a nice selection to be delivered on the day.


I have a 40 year old port from Aldi (hope it's OK) and will go to Majestic to sort out other wines to match the courses. Maybe we can drink some of the Prosecco we have been hoarding. (We keep being given bottles but the two of us won't finish it in one sitting.)

Re: What are you cooking this festive season?
 

Same here. I found turkey can be too dry.
Chicken for us with Pigs in blankets.


I do like a bit of breast :D

Re: What are you cooking this festive season?
 

If you brine your Turkey for 24 hours and spatchcock it it keeps it moist

Re: What are you cooking this festive season?
 

I'm coming round to your house then. That feast sounds absolutely tasty!
I do like a bit of Venison.


If I can find some I'm going to do lobster as my starter.

Re: What are you cooking this festive season?
 

I'm cooking nothing on Christmas day. I'm going to the Chinese restaurant on Lee-on-Solent sea front and having a Chinese feast.No preparation,no cooking,no washing up,no left overs.Did it 3 years ago and it was a great meal.

Re: What are you cooking this festive season?
 

Sounds good. And no stress too. Talking of good places not too far from you, I was in Port Solent two weeks ago at Koh Thai. Fantastic thai food.




But back on topic, I was thinking of trying to do a Beef Wellington but need a good quality piece of beef and they can be expensive.

Re: What are you cooking this festive season?
 

Well it has to be undercut/fillet. Donald Russel do a Wellington my Dad says it is really nice

Re: What are you cooking this festive season?
 

I'll be doing a small turkey crown that I bought frozen several weeks ago when there was a suggestion that they might be difficult to get nearer the day.

Been watching the prep on the food channel to make sure that there'll be no dried out ness including the suggestion of resting the bird breast down to re-absorb all the juices. I'll do the cheffy carve method of taking the entire breast(s) off in one go and then carving across the grain like you do with a roast.

All the traditional accompaniments including my special pigs-in-blankets made with disks of premium sausage meat wrapped in panchetta and home made stuffing baked separately.

Re: What are you cooking this festive season?
 

Not a lover of turkey in our household.

Roast Beef
Roast Potatoes
Roasted Parsnips
Cauliflower Cheese
Swede
Beef Dripping Yorkshire Puddings
Chantenay Carrots
Gravy

Boxing Day is my favourite day food wise as we get all the savoury bits out.

Re: What are you cooking this festive season?
 

My wife will be cooking xmas dinner (the usual turkey etc).

I always make jam tarts every year, for us to eat over xmas. :)

Re: What are you cooking this festive season?
 

I know you can get frozen lobster at Costco. Their frozen prawns are pretty good and unlike most of the supermarket ones a 1kg pack has 900g defrosted weight in prawn. I go for the 21/25 as it's a nice size before the prices really start going up.
I love venison. Sika is our regular favourite as it has a wonderful, not to strong taste. Treat a bit like good quality beef and serve rareish - a bit more done that I would do beef but less than lamb. I will likely have to use roe or fallow though as sika is far less common. (I MUST GET TO THE FARMER'S MARKET EARLY!! I MUST GET TO THE FARMER'S MARKET EARLY!!!)

Re: What are you cooking this festive season?
 

Thankyou. I'm going to take a look tonight. Will probably pick up the smoked salmon, some dill, and some prawns as everyone likes prawns. :)


I do quite like good butter on sour dough bread too so will be picking up a couple of loaves.

Re: What are you cooking this festive season?
 

We traditionally have cold cuts, pate, pickles and salad for lunch, then the big meal at 6pm.

This year it will be a leg of lamb with all the trimmings. Turkey and gammon are not our thing.

Re: What are you cooking this festive season?
 

Our only prepared meal on Christmas Day is the big one around 2-3pm. Roast turkey and, this year, slow cooker roasted beef. We’ve moved house and no longer have a range with a wide & half oven, so having to slightly re-think the way I normally do things. Christmas pudding was done in the slow cooker in October. Will be served with brandy-laced white sauce, or pouring cream or custard for the lightweights. :D

After that is a leftovers free-for-all for anyone who gets hungry.

Re: What are you cooking this festive season?
 

As Ilive alone Christmas day for me is no different than any other Day. It could be a pork chop, piece of lamb or steak or whatever.

I see no reason to gorge myself for a particular day, I'll still eat well just as any other day.

I may have a couple of treats though and seasonal drinks.

I did, for about 5-6 yrs, cook a full turkey dinner (etc) for 6 of us but a few have died and some are unable now to attend due to health problems.

IMHO Christmas pudding should be served with white brandy sauce, not custard.

Re: What are you cooking this festive season?
 

I'm giving this discussion a bump up to the top so that people can tell us what they are festive meals people are going to prepare this Christmas.

Re: What are you cooking this festive season?
 

At our parents this year so its going to be turkey and beef with all the trimmings.

Re: What are you cooking this festive season?
 

Same as last year (Post #14).

We will have one less this year as my middle daughter now has a little son, so they are having christmas day at home.

Re: What are you cooking this festive season?
 

We will be having our son, daughter, son-in-law, grandson, son-in-law’s father for Christmas dinner, so traditional turkey (from a local farm), with pigs in blankets, roasties, Brussels Sprouts (cooked with pancetta and balsamic vinegar), cauliflower cheese, Yorkshire puddings, parsnips, sweet potatoes, various stuffings, washed down with Boekenhoutskloof The Chocolate Block red wine.

Re: What are you cooking this festive season?
 

My sister is doing Christmas dinner this time so it'll be down to her.

Makes a nice change to have it cooked for us.