8 simple tips for a stress-free Christmas dinner - Rick Stein (2024)
Food galore, drinks flowing and being surrounded by friends and family. It really is the most wonderful time of the year.
To many, the thought of having to cook Christmas dinner can be a daunting task – especially when doing it for the first time. To help, we’ve put these tips together with the help of our expert chefs from our kitchens.
Organisation
This is number one on our list, and the most important tip of all. In the days leading up to Christmas make sure you’ve got absolutely everything you need, from the obvious like a turkey, potatoes and pigs in blankets, to checking you’ve got enough oil to cook with and plenty of salt and pepper for seasoning too. We recommend getting all your food and drink shopping done by December 22nd – that way you can avoid a last-minute trolley dash around your local supermarket.
As turkey is a lean meat, it can become dry quite quickly, so Ian recommends to brine your bird for around 12 hours before popping it in the oven to cook. During this process, it’llabsorb extra moisture, which in turn helps it stay moist and juicy, and the brining liquor will also help to season the meat. To do this you’ll need a large pot or bucket, filled with a 10% salt water mix, 2 tbsp of sugar and lots of aromats (black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, a couple of bay leaves and orange peel).
Have you got the right equipment for the job?
Make sure you’ve got plenty of oven trays, pots and pans and serving dishes. Oh, and not forgetting a new roll of extra-long tin foil – super handy for helping to keep things warm before you serve dinner. Another thing to check is your knifes – make sure they’re nice and sharp, as this will make cooking faster and easier.
Prep your veg the night before
Peel potatoes, carrots, parsnips and any other veg you’re having and leave them in pans of cold water overnight. This will save you a lot of faff and additional mess on Christmas morning. If you’ve got lots of space in your fridge (unlikely), you could even pre-cook your potatoes and parsnips on Christmas Eve to save even more time.
Plan exactly how long everything takes to cook and make yourself a to-do list. EG/ Turkey goes in the oven at 7.30am, check it at 8.30am and lower the temperature and so on…
Keep it fun, get the family involved
Christmas is all about seeing family and friends, and enjoying quality time together. So, why not get everyone involved in the Christmas dinner process (just make sure you forget the old proverb ‘too many cooks…’).
Buy a Christmas Pudding to cook in the microwave
By doing this you’ll save over an hour, as cooking your pudding this way should only take 5-10 minutes. Giving you back some vital time to host or concentrate on juggling the other five things you’ll no doubt be cooking. You’ll find our Christmas pudding, made to Rick’s special recipe, here.
Wash as you go
If like us, when you cook a roast dinner you use every pot, pan and utensil in sight, clean up as you go (where possible). Even if this just means packing the dishwasher before carving the turkey, it’ll insure you get to relax and enjoy the after-dinner festivities with your family – rather than being chained to a washing-up bowl for an hour after you’ve eaten.
If you want any hints or tips for your Christmas dinner, tweet us @ricksteinrest
If you want to make things even easier, roast the turkey the day before! Roast the turkey, then slice it and place it in a dish with a drizzle of gravy on top and cover in foil, then refrigerate. Reheat in the oven on the day and it will be beautifully moist.
If you want to make things even easier, roast the turkey the day before! Roast the turkey, then slice it and place it in a dish with a drizzle of gravy on top and cover in foil, then refrigerate. Reheat in the oven on the day and it will be beautifully moist.
All cut vegetables should be used within 2 to 3 days.
Carrots, celery, and radishes will last up to 5 days when stored in water but if storing that long, be sure to replace the water each day or at least every other day.
Don't forget that most of the veg can be prepared the day before. Peel and trim your carrots and parsnips (keep them submerged in water overnight), peel onions and, to really save you time, don't just peel your potatoes the day before but you can parboil them, too.
People tend to want to avoid heated arguments and tense conversations at Christmas, so it's best to avoid talking about controversial topics at the dinner table. Stick to topics that everyone can agree on, such as the weather, the food, or current events that aren't too polarising.
If you can't convince your family to have a simple meal of finger foods for Christmas, prioritize what foods make your family feel like it's Christmas. Some people eat Homemade Macaroni and Cheese, lasagna or ham and au gratin potatoes. It doesn't matter what you serve, as long as your family feels like it's Christmas.
Peel potatoes, carrots, parsnips and any other veg you're having and leave them in pans of cold water overnight. This will save you a lot of faff and additional mess on Christmas morning.
Raw, unpeeled carrots can be stored between three and four weeks in the refrigerator, and peeled or cut carrots will last two to three weeks. Cooked carrots last up to five days in the refrigerator.
I've learned, over the years, to make and freeze most of the trimmings in advance – stuffing, pigs in blankets, cranberry sauce, even parboiled potatoes."
If you are going to consume a large amount of parsnips then you should peel them. Parsnips contain a group of natural toxins called furocoumarins which can cause stomach aches if consumed in large quantities.
Get your potatoes, carrots, parsnips, red cabbage and Brussels ready, then simply cover with foil and pop in the fridge, ready to cook tomorrow. And while you're at it, prep your turkey too.
On Christmas Day in 1929, tragedy struck the Lawson family in a shocking and horrifying way. After taking a family portrait in town, Charlie Lawson, the family's patriarch, inexplicably turned violent, killing his wife, daughters, and oldest son before taking his own life.
This is particularly true for those of us who grieve. Even the most joyful moments of the holiday season are tinged with sadness. If you're grieving, the pressure to follow through with family traditions while creating joyful new memories can feel like an affront.
At Christmas, poor families ate rabbit or beef for their Christmas dinner. Some workhouses would provide a beef or mutton meal, with some alcohol, cheese or pudding. However, those living there would not usually receive the day off and had to get back to work after they had eaten.
Introduction: My name is Dan Stracke, I am a homely, gleaming, glamorous, inquisitive, homely, gorgeous, light person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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