OK, maybe I shouldn't call it a panic and frighten you all, but for those of you that haven't yet planned your Christmas dinner and are running around in a bit of a flap then here are my final Christmas tips to get you out of your tricky dilemma!
1.For Starters – Look around your local supermarkets for great ideas for starters such as a simple salad and smoked salmon. There are also great ready made starters such as soup, ready prepared salmon canapes, frozen canapes and vol au vents ready to fill.
2.Turkey – If you haven't bought it yet, what have you been doing…? Only kidding! Most supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsburys will still be selling fresh Turkeys and some will even have ready boned and stuffed crowns that all you need to do is pop in the oven!
3.Wot no Turkey?! – Yes, not all of us likes Turkey and hey, who says you have to. A delicious leg of lamb always goes down well in my house and if you live in an area with lots of halal butchers then most likely they will be open on Christmas day. I like to season mine with peppercorns, bay leaves, sliced onions, whole cinnamon sticks and olive oil, then wrap tightly in foil and allow to slow cook at 160*C for about 4 hours.
4.Potatoes and Vegetables – Most markets, supermarkets, and even local grocers will sell spuds and veggies. Boil the spuds for about 5 minutes then drain and rough up in the colander. Put oil in the roasting tin, heat on the stove or in the oven first then throw in the spuds and toss in the hot oil. Sprinkle over a little salt and roast in the oven for up to an hour until golden. For your vegetables, if you're making carrots and parsnips then toss in some oil, sprinkle with thyme and drizzle over some honey then roast in the oven for about 40 minutes.
5.The Brussels! – if you are cooking brussels sprouts then DON'T boil them for half an hour till they are mush. Simply boil or steam for about 5 minutes then when ready to serve, toss in some hot butter with almonds or cashews for a beautiful tasty finish.
6.Afters – My favourite bit, the pudding! I am sure there will be a supermarket, or local grocers somewhere that will still have a Christmas pudding and/or mince pies. If you really can't get one or the other then serve something else. Try vanilla ice cream drizzled with some warmed chocolate and sherry liquor. Or how about apple crumble which you can easily whip up by chopping apples into chunks, seasoning with some butter, cinnamon and a little sprinkling of sugar placed in a suitable dish then sprinkle over a mixture of about 50g butter rubbed into about 150g plain flour, a tablespoon of sugar and some mixed chopped nuts. Serve with ice cream, double cream or Marscapone.
7.Drinks! – Don't fret, there's bound to be an off licence somewhere open for some wine and spirits but if you can't get hold of any alcohol, who says you have to drink anyway! Try making some interesting non-alcoholic cocktails or punch for your guests such as a mixture of exotic juices with a dash of mint, chopped fruit such as strawberries, apples and oranges, slices of lemon and lime and plenty of crushed ice.
8.The Cheeseboard – I like to serve up a cheeseboard once all the dinner and afters are out of the way and people may be feeling a little peckish later on in the evening. Don't worry about serving fancy cheeses, any cheese will do. A mixture of English cheeses can all do perfectly well and if you can, why not ask each of your guests to bring along a cheese! Serve with Oat biscuits, crackers, toasted bread, baguette, or even on its own with grapes and apples.
Finally, and best of all, enjoy the day, get some rest and make sure to put your feet up whilst your guests kindly wash up! Cheers and Merry Christmas to you all!
