Never peel spuds but ALWAYS add black pudding to stuffing… Xmas Day hacks from top chefs like Jamie Oliver & Mary Berry
IT may be the most stressful time of the year, but a carefully crafted dinner can save even the most disastrous Christmas Day.
And who better to rustle up fab festive foods than our favourite TV chefs?
From Jamie Oliver’s renowned roasties to Nigella Lawson’s boozy cup, here are their top tips to make sure you pull off a cracker tomorrow.
Starters
The Hairy Bikers: Make easy party vol-au-vents by filling squares of puff pastry with smoked haddock and prawn, chicken and tarragon.
Delia Smith: No one wants an enormous starter today. A warm pear and walnut salad with Roquefort dressing and croutons is a light and very Christmassy appetiser.
Nigella Lawson: Parmesan shortbreads are an easy four-ingredient starter made of plain flour, Parmesan, unsalted butter and an egg.
John Torode: Top some puff pastry with black olives and goat’s cheese then bake for tasty tartlets.
Gordon Ramsay: Try cream of cauliflower soup for a warming starter you can make in advance.
Roast potatoes
Jamie Oliver: After an hour of roasting, take your potatoes out of the oven, half-squash each one with a fish slice or masher so they kind of push into each other and fill the tray, sprinkle with sage and olive oil and return to oven for another 25 minutes.
Nigella Lawson: Drench them in semolina after parboiling then cook them in very hot goose fat (which has a high smoking point) for fluffy and crunchy roasties.
Delia Smith: Steam potatoes instead of parboiling. Then, to test if they are ready for the oven, run a skewer along the surface. If it stays smooth, give it a few more minutes.
Marcus Wareing: Scratch spuds all over with a fork after parboiling them to create the maximum surface area to hit the hot fat, making for the crunchiest roast potatoes possible.
Heston Blumenthal: Boil your potato peelings with your spuds for added flavour.
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Vegetables
Nigella Lawson: Pimp up plain sprouts with pancetta, vacuum-packed chestnuts, marsala wine, parsley and lots of butter.
Tom Kerridge: Simmer carrots in a cooking liquor of water, butter, sugar, salt and star anise for a spicy-sweet buttery glaze.
Marcus Wareing: Never roast parsnips because it makes them tough. Instead, fry in oil, butter, thyme and seasoning before glazing with honey.
Yotam Ottolenghi: Boiling sprouts makes them lose too much of their flavour, so instead roast them in olive oil with salt and black pepper.
Delia Smith: After parboiling your parsnips coat them in flour, salt, pepper and Parmesan and roast in the oven for a wicked savoury flavour.
Turkey
Gordon Ramsay: The trick to knowing if the meat is cooked is to insert a skewer into the thickest part of the leg and check the juices are running clear, rather than pink. Check 30 minutes before the calculated roasting time because ovens vary.
Jamie Oliver: Remove turkey from fridge 30 minutes before you cook it. That way it won’t shrink as much when it goes into a hot oven.
John Torode: Make sure you use the fan setting of your oven rather than the standard setting. This will help the moisture to circulate and ensure that the bird does not dry out.
Nigel Slater: Start the bird on its breast and turn it over halfway through roasting. This will keep the breast meat deliciously moist and juicy.
Raymond Blanc: Rest the turkey for as long as you cook it. If your turkey takes 90 minutes in the oven, then you should rest it for 90 minutes. This will make the meat more tender and succulent and the juices will be distributed more evenly.
Gravy
Jamie Oliver: Deglaze your roasting tin with a spoonful of jam before adding flour and meat juices to make your gravy. It will give it a beautiful shine and a little extra sweetness.
Nigella Lawson: Make sure your gravy stays warm by filling the jug with boiling water for ten minutes, drain, dry then fill with gravy.
Marcus Wareing: Finish off your gravy by whisking in a knob of butter for some added flavour and shine.
Tom Kerridge: Add a big splash of dry sherry to really pimp your gravy.
Raymond Blanc: The key to great gravy is to taste, taste, taste as you’re making it.
Sides
Mary Berry: Cook your stuffing in a separate dish rather than in the bird so it goes nice and crisp. Use apricots and chestnuts for added festive flavours.
Jamie Oliver: Take your pigs in blankets to the next level by glazing them in Worcestershire sauce and runny honey near the end.
Nigel Slater: Want a twist on traditional pigs in blankets? Make sticky cranberry sausages by cooking your sausages with red onions, cranberry jelly, fresh or frozen cranberries, orange zest and olive oil.
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall: Give your stuffing a meaty hit by using turkey liver. Combine chestnuts, celery, onion, butter, prunes, parsley, egg, the turkey’s liver — trimmed, washed and finely chopped — and fresh breadcrumbs.
Tom Kerridge: Including black pudding in your stuffing makes it extra special.
Drinks
Nigella Lawson: Make a Christmas Cup — a cocktail of prosecco, cherry brandy and dry ginger ale.
Jamie Oliver: Pop a few fresh berries, strips of citrus peel or little herb sprigs into your ice cube tray before filling it with water, then freeze for festive ice cubes.
Delia Smith: The trick to the perfect mulled wine is a generous splash of Grand Marnier. The orange liquor creates a sangria-like effect.
The Hairy Bikers: A favourite tipple is Christmas pudding vodka. Infuse the spirit with mixed dried fruit, caster sugar, cinnamon sticks, mixed spice, cloves, nutmeg and the zest of an orange and lemon.
Nigel Slater: Do pomegranate prosecco for the morning by adding clementine, cardamom pods and pomegranate juice to the fizz.
Get bready for Boxing Day
TURKEY and all the trimmings may be traditional for Christmas Day but it seems most of us are already dreaming of the Boxing Day leftovers – served between two slices of fresh bread.
Almost 70 per cent of us prefer a festive sandwich to the actual roast, according to a new poll by Primula cheese.
Here, sarnie guru Max Halley, author of Max’s Sandwich Book, conjures up some tasty Chrimbo combos.
MINCE PIE BRIOCHE: THERE’S always at least one box of mince pies too many but don’t flinch at the idea of a sweet sandwich.
Toast and butter a brioche bun. Mash up one whole mince pie, then add a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Sprinkle with cereal to add the crunch – Crunchy Nut Cornflakes are ideal.
PIGS IN BLANKETS TOASTIE: IF making in a sandwich toaster, spread the mayonnaise outside instead of butter. The oil and egg content of mayo means it browns perfectly and adds extra crunch.
And try mixing some cranberry sauce into mayonnaise. Spread on the outside of two slices of sliced bread.
Chop the pigs in blankets and add to the unspread side. Crumble a generous portion of stilton over the meat. Add some chopped pickled walnuts and toast.
HAM AND SPROUT SLAW: A LOVELY fresh bloomer is best for this recipe.
Make a sprout and clementine salad: Peel and slice a clementine, cutting across the whole fruit to make thin slices. Then shred the raw sprouts and mix together.
Butter the bread and add mustard mayonnaise. Add two generous slices of ham, pile on the sprout and clementine salad and top with a handful of crumbled crisps.
The festive flavours such as pigs in blanket crisps work perfectly.
TURKEY WITH BUBBLE AND SQUEAK: CHOOSE a bread with plenty of crust. Ciabatta rolls are perfect for this.
Make gravy mayonnaise by boiling down leftover gravy, leaving it to cool and mixing with mayonnaise.
Mash up roast potatoes and veg, fry into a bubble and squeak patty. Combine three slices of turkey, gravy mayonnaise and patty in the buttered roll.
NUTTY DELIGHT: THIS toasted sarnie combines with the leftovers from a cheese board for a creamy, nutty feast.
Add some Dijon mustard to mayonnaise and spread on the outside of white sliced bread.
Slice the nut roast and add along with sliced chestnuts and crushed hazelnuts. Add leftover stuffing and whatever pickle you had on your cheeseboard.
Grate and mix together leftover cheeses and sprinkle liberally. Toast the sandwich.
CHRISTMAS PUD TOASTIE: A RICH and delicious toastie for anyone with a sweet tooth.
Spread brandy butter on the outside of two slices of fresh white bread.
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Mash up a generous portion of Christmas pudding and add a little more brandy butter.
Toast and serve with the plain yoghurt dip, to take the edge off the sweetness.