Cooking Christmas dinner for the family can be overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to juggle different likes and dislikes and dietary requirements. Use this guide to create a comprehensive checklist so the cupboards are filled with the essentials well in advance and everyone – including you – is happy on the day.
Starters
Keep any starters light so as not to detract from the main event. You might find it easy to pass around nibbles so your guests can help themselves to as much or as little as they would like, rather than outfacing them with too much food. Classic pre-dinner snacks that are bound to be a hit include olives, smoked salmon blinis, cheesy pastry bites and hummus and crudites.
If you want to serve starters at the table, popular choices include a thin brothy soup – perhaps made with your turkey stock or featuring seasonal vegetables – pate and fresh bread or a retro prawn cocktail.
Christmas dinner
Different from house to house based on traditions passed down through the generations, Christmas dinner is the most important meal to prepare for. Turkeys are the current tradition, but many still have game birds like geese or pheasants. Order your meat of choice well in advance from your local butcher to ensure you get a prime cut at the best price, and ensure you have a vegetarian alternative such as a nut roast that can easily be made vegan if required.
Complete your table with hearty side dishes such as sausage stuffing, pigs in blankets, roast potatoes and parsnips, and cauliflower cheese. Complement these with fresh veg prepared in your favourite way, whether boiled, sauteed or roasted, and lashings of gravy and bread sauce.
Drinks
Prepare drinks to accompany your Christmas dinner. Common favourites include champagne – which can be mixed with orange juice to create refreshing Buck’s fizz – wine, beer and cider. Remember to stock up on non-alcoholic alternatives such as sparkling soft drinks.
For Christmas morning, invest in special hot drinks such as Christmas teas in festive flavours and coffee with seasonal notes of cinnamon or nutmeg. If you’re feeling really indulgent, you could serve the coffee with brandy cream. In the evening, serve eggnog, ginger wine, sherry and Bailey’s served over ice or in hot chocolate.
Desserts
Invest in a range of desserts to satisfy all palettes this Christmas. Traditional options such as Christmas puddings and mince pies are likely expected by the older generations and are especially delicious when served with lashings of brandy sauce or cream. Dried fruit can be an acquired taste, so get some modern alternatives like a chocolate yule log and trifle.
You could also put together a festive cheese board which is a great way for those without a sweet tooth to round off the meal. Cheese and crackers are great for suppers and snacks too, so the board won’t be wasted, even if people are too full to eat it at dinnertime.
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We were shown to a table with a fabulous view of the canal, in a gorgeous room with full height glazing. There were quite a few people dining and it was nice to see a real mix of people from families and couples to people dining alone. There were plenty of people-watching opportunities to enjoy as there was a steady flow of people enjoying a summer evening on the canal. We decided to pick from the Menu Pierre which is a good value 2 or 3 course menu, with a good handful of choices for each course. I picked the Calamari and my companion chose the Soup du Jour which was French Onion.
The Chicken Diane was a good choice. The tender chicken came in a flavour-packed, creamy Diane sauce. The dauphinoise potatoes melted in the mouth and the green beans added a needed bit of crunch.
