Five supreme tips for the perfect Christmas dinner

For the seasoned cook Christmas dinner is really just an extravagant version of the traditional roast dinner, but for a great many of us it is a hugely daunting task that makes necking the cherry brandy to alleviate the stress wholly appealing. Two things you definitely want to avoid are hard, bitter brussels sprouts and an overdone turkey wherein the breast meat has dried out to the point of being stringy.

1. Get well organised

If you’ve made a Christmas dinner before, you’ll already appreciate just how important it is to be organised with basically military precision in terms of cooking-times and co-ordinating all the ingredients really makes a colossal difference. If you’re a little anxious about getting everything on the table on time, sit down with a pencil and paper a few days before and write yourself a timeline chart. Start with the end, the time you want to have the food on the table, and work backwards. Plan what you are going to cook and break it all down so that you can decide what you might feasibly be able to cook ahead of time, and what will have to wait until the big day. For example, you good make things easier by cooking any root vegetables in advance and simply freezing and reheating them on Christmas Day.

2) Make ahead

Lots of ingredients can be prepped and frozen well ahead of time and lots of things the day before, stored in an airtight container and left in the fridge until needed. Here are just some of the things you could make ahead of the day: stuffing - day before or make ahead and freeze; roast potatoes - day before or make ahead and freeze up to two days before; prep or cook your chosen vegetables – say honey glazed carrots and parsnips and caramelised brussels sprouts shredded with pancetta - and store covered in the fridge the day before. If you’re making pigs in blankets these can also easily be stored in the fridge overnight. You can also make life easier by buying pre-prepared sage and onion stuffing divided into balls.

3) For the Best Roast Potatoes

Make sure the potatoes are cut into more or less the same size so they cook evenly. Steam or boil until they’re almost cooked Place goose or duck fat into a roasting tin and place into the oven turning heat up to 200c. Drain the potatoes really well and give the pot a few shakes to make the outsides rough.

Place the potatoes into the hot oil and give them a good mix to coat the potatoes. Sprinkle the potatoes with sea salt and then place the roasting tin into the hot oven and cook until they are golden brown and crispy. They will need approximately 40-50 minutes and should be turned every 15 minutes to make sure they all get access to the heat. Once cooked, drain the potatoes and sprinkle lots of sea salt and fresh pepper over the potatoes. You’re aiming for roasties that are golden, crisp and covered in flavour.

4) Turkey – Make Sure You Don’t Overcook It

The turkey is the part of Christmas day that more often than not, causes most anxiety on the big day, and it yet if you stay calm and are prepared, there is no need to stress. There are lots of ways to buy a turkey but rule number one of turkey buying is to make sure that the turkey isn’t too big for the oven. This may sound silly to mention, but not being able to actually fit the bird in the oven is a common problem. Follow the cooking instructions very carefully, and these days a turkey will spell this out for you on the packaging. Before you put the turkey in the oven rub olive oil with salt and pepper all over the skin of the turkey. Another good tip is to place rashers of bacon over the breasts and having taken out the gibblets place a clementine or two inside the turkey if it is not pre-stuffed.

Nothing is more dissatisfying than an overcooked turkey, which will be dry and pretty tasteless, so doing what you can to avoid that is a must. Certainly, basting the turkey repeatedly by pouring the surrounding juices in the cooking tray over the top of it at regular intervals will help keep the meat succulent.

When the cooking time is up, you need to be careful to ensure that the meat is cooked just-so. Investing in a meat thermometer is probably the most useful bit of kit you can ask Father Christmas for this year. If you don’t have one poke the turkey with a skewer in the thickest part (usually between the breast and the thigh). If the juices run clear it should be ready If Santa has delivered your thermometer, the internal temperature should be at least 70 °C.

5) Brussels Sprouts Caramelised with Pancetta

Forget boring boiled brussels sprouts that end up as hard as ball bearings and bitter to taste. This method will make a delicious side dish that will have those at the table wanting more. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and then blanch the brussels for four minutes. Strain them and pat dry before slicing half lengthwise. Heat pan on medium and add pancetta, stirring often while cooking until the pancetta is browned and fat is rendered.

Remove the pancetta and set aside. Increase the heat to medium high and add brussels to pan cut side down. Season with salt and pepper and cook for five minutes or until they are well browned. Add some shallots and garlic and continue to cook, stirring often until fragrant for about three minutes. Add pancetta back to pan and serve.