Christmas dinner 2010 tricks for that perfect meal
Discussion
Post your tricks here.
Here's mine.
1. For really crispy roast potatoes don't cook them over a bird especially if the bird is doing the gravy in the bottom of the pan as well, you will just steam them. Always serve them at the very end on the table so they don't go soft while people help themselves. Leathery roast spuds, we have all had them
2. Bacon should be crispy. Cook it on the fowl until half time and then remove to do in a side pan, it can be warmed forever. ( assuming not goose or ducks here of course)
3. Stuffing should be both soft and crunchy for both tastes. It always taste better with butter and some finely chopped onions you have done in it
4. Carrots always taste better cut long than round, rather than just boil them put some butter in at the end and some salt and pepper and herbs.
5. Cauliflower cheese is best with parmesan sprinkled on top at the very end along with some breadcrumbs, then just whack it under the grill on full blast to give it some crunch.
6. Cheat on the Yorkshire puddings, if you are doing them and buy them ready made so it is one less thing to worry about. I know, I am ashamed for suggesting such a thing.
7. You can make sprouts taste nice if you get very young ones and then sprinkle them in bacon slivers and cream and gently ... ok, I makiing this up. Best spend you time on the cauliflower cheese
Here's mine.
1. For really crispy roast potatoes don't cook them over a bird especially if the bird is doing the gravy in the bottom of the pan as well, you will just steam them. Always serve them at the very end on the table so they don't go soft while people help themselves. Leathery roast spuds, we have all had them
2. Bacon should be crispy. Cook it on the fowl until half time and then remove to do in a side pan, it can be warmed forever. ( assuming not goose or ducks here of course)
3. Stuffing should be both soft and crunchy for both tastes. It always taste better with butter and some finely chopped onions you have done in it
4. Carrots always taste better cut long than round, rather than just boil them put some butter in at the end and some salt and pepper and herbs.
5. Cauliflower cheese is best with parmesan sprinkled on top at the very end along with some breadcrumbs, then just whack it under the grill on full blast to give it some crunch.
6. Cheat on the Yorkshire puddings, if you are doing them and buy them ready made so it is one less thing to worry about. I know, I am ashamed for suggesting such a thing.
7. You can make sprouts taste nice if you get very young ones and then sprinkle them in bacon slivers and cream and gently ... ok, I makiing this up. Best spend you time on the cauliflower cheese
Edited by zakelwe on Tuesday 14th December 20:05
I love sprouts. Really.
My tip is to pre-cook all the veg to the just undercooked stage, then reheat at the last minute, make the timing much easier. I normally whack carrots and cauliflower in the oven (covered, with a bit of butter) for 5 minutes or so, whilst frying off some lardons then adding butter before throwing in the sprouts and grating on a bit of nutmeg.
I also like to fry off some leeks until soft, then thrown in some peas and a couple of glasses of white wine which then reduces into a nice sauce.
And for anyone not used to dealing with a big bird fnarr fnarr a large turkey stays hot for ages if you pop it under some foil - easily enough time to so the other roast veg. My mother in law like to cook the turkey perfectly, then carve it, then pop it on a plate in the top oven at about 80 deg. So, cooking it a second time, then. Lovely.
My tip is to pre-cook all the veg to the just undercooked stage, then reheat at the last minute, make the timing much easier. I normally whack carrots and cauliflower in the oven (covered, with a bit of butter) for 5 minutes or so, whilst frying off some lardons then adding butter before throwing in the sprouts and grating on a bit of nutmeg.
I also like to fry off some leeks until soft, then thrown in some peas and a couple of glasses of white wine which then reduces into a nice sauce.
And for anyone not used to dealing with a big bird fnarr fnarr a large turkey stays hot for ages if you pop it under some foil - easily enough time to so the other roast veg. My mother in law like to cook the turkey perfectly, then carve it, then pop it on a plate in the top oven at about 80 deg. So, cooking it a second time, then. Lovely.
miniman said:
SwanJack said:
You dont have to make your gravy last minute or keep it over heat. Make it whenever you have a spare 10 mins and keep it hot in two Thermos flasks, one for when your ready to eat and the other will give you hot gravy whenever needed.
Like that, great tip!This tasty 'soup' is a great base for adding some meat juices/scrapings last minute and has a real depth of flavour, served scaldingly hot also helps any slices of meat which have cooled a bit as you get plates out to the table.
- Don't go mental on veg. You'll just get lots of wet veg leftovers.
- Don't go mental on loads of fiddly trimmings
- Be anal about not forgetting key bits,
-get cutlery ready early,
-count out plates -and get them warm, stick them in a (clean) bowl of freshly boiled water if there's no room in the oven
-get the racks in the oven the right space apart so you don't lose heat and burn fingers when its roasting hot later... etc etc.
- During a spare moment get dirty bowls, spoons, knives etc washed at the sink as you go.
- Nothing wrong with utilising a pen and paper to keep you organised.
- By cooking veg early you can also sequence things so you quickly sluice out and re-use the same pan to generate less washing up
- Drink very, very good booze whilst doing all this -you deserve it.
miniman said:
SwanJack said:
You dont have to make your gravy last minute or keep it over heat. Make it whenever you have a spare 10 mins and keep it hot in two Thermos flasks, one for when your ready to eat and the other will give you hot gravy whenever needed.
Like that, great tip!Treat it like a high-end Sunday roast with a few extra things to consider and you'll be fine.
The art of Mise en place or "putting in place" is the only way.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mise_en_place
The art of Mise en place or "putting in place" is the only way.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mise_en_place
- forget the veg, it has no place on a roast dinner given the other attractions available.
- make double the no. of roast spuds you think people will eat. everyone loves a good roastie, and roast spud > veg by some way.
- shoot anyone who suggests frozen yorkshire's, kill them with fire if they are actually from the shire.
- gravy, gravy, gravy!
- get your own scam going with a big plate.
- make double the no. of roast spuds you think people will eat. everyone loves a good roastie, and roast spud > veg by some way.
- shoot anyone who suggests frozen yorkshire's, kill them with fire if they are actually from the shire.
- gravy, gravy, gravy!
- get your own scam going with a big plate.
miniman said:
SwanJack said:
You dont have to make your gravy last minute or keep it over heat. Make it whenever you have a spare 10 mins and keep it hot in two Thermos flasks, one for when your ready to eat and the other will give you hot gravy whenever needed.
Like that, great tip!That'll leave the oven free (and hot) for roasting the meat followed by spuds and parsnips.
markreilly said:
miniman said:
SwanJack said:
You dont have to make your gravy last minute or keep it over heat. Make it whenever you have a spare 10 mins and keep it hot in two Thermos flasks, one for when your ready to eat and the other will give you hot gravy whenever needed.
Like that, great tip!martinmac said:
I cant understand why people cant make yorkshires. Just fill a glass with flour then eggs and finally milk then put the mix in the fridge for a while. It never fails.
i think the issue for many is the 30mins of maximum oven temp. which isn't really compatable with anything else. a warmed through limp or dry yorkshire isn't worth eating imo.twin oven ftw.
Mark Benson said:
markreilly said:
miniman said:
SwanJack said:
You dont have to make your gravy last minute or keep it over heat. Make it whenever you have a spare 10 mins and keep it hot in two Thermos flasks, one for when your ready to eat and the other will give you hot gravy whenever needed.
Like that, great tip!shirt said:
martinmac said:
I cant understand why people cant make yorkshires. Just fill a glass with flour then eggs and finally milk then put the mix in the fridge for a while. It never fails.
i think the issue for many is the 30mins of maximum oven temp. which isn't really compatable with anything else. a warmed through limp or dry yorkshire isn't worth eating imo.twin oven ftw.
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