Top tips for a great Christmas dinner

Dec 4 2008 by Janet Tansley, Liverpool Echo

Christmas dinner 250

Christian adds that if you have a family of four, you should aim to buy a turkey of around 3kgs. This will also leave you enough left overs for a sandwich on Boxing Day.

He adds: “Most people enjoy eating a turkey sandwich on December 26 as they can’t face going back into the kitchen after such a hectic day just 24 hours before.

“I would advise that you go out and buy some quality ingredients – such as nice bread, some mayonnaise and chutney and some flavoured mustard to go with what meat you have.

“However, if sandwiches aren’t your thing and you still feel energetic, try something a bit different such as turkey bubble and squeak, a pie or a curry.”

And, for vegetarians, Christian adds that there are more options than serving a bland nut roast: “There are lots of things that you could serve a vegetarian.

“For a starter, Christmas salad, which is a red white and green salad containing avocado, celeriac, remoulade and plum tomato, that is simple to make and tasty. For a main course, why not try roasted pumpkin risotto, which is flavoursome and quite easy to make using a fantastic winter vegetable.“

This week, Christian has a delicious recipe for stuffing and pigs in blankets.

Chestnut and apricot stuffing

Ingredients: 400g sausage meat; 100g cooked chopped chestnuts; 100g dried apricots soaked in brandy; 100g breadcrumbs; 2 eggs; 1 small onion, diced and fried; salt and pepper to taste; 5g chopped thyme to taste; 8 back bacon rashers.

Method: Combine all of the ingredients together except for the bacon rashers in a large bowl. Then, layer the cling film first onto a table, then a layer of grease proof paper and place the bacon down slightly flattened with a rolling pin.

Spread the stuffing mix and roll it as tightly as you can (you are best doing this quite slowly). Steam this for about 1½ hours or until it reaches a temperature of above 75°c. Leave it to cool then slice it to serve (or freeze it until Christmas eve).

Pigs in blankets

Ingredients: 2 tbsp bourbon; 4 tbsp clear honey; 36 Lincolnshire sausages; 16 rashers smoked streaky bacon.

Method: Cut each rasher in half and roll a piece around a sausage before placing them on a baking tray. This is the point at which you can put them in the freezer until Christmas eve.

However, if you are making them on Christmas Day, you would then mix the honey and bourbon together and pour the mixture over the sausages and put them in the oven for 35-40 minutes at a heat of 180°C/Gas 4.

Top tip: Buy yourself a pencil thermometer. It will come in handy when you are working out if things are cooked or not, especially your stuffing and your turkey.

Interview by Janet Tansley