So, as Christmas is going to be a little bit different this year, it might be an opportunity for you to take the reigns and cook Christmas dinner for the first time.
Or maybe you’re an old pro but fancy picking up a few tips. Here are 5 Christmas dinner hacks from some famous chefs.
Jamie Oliver – Fail to prepare, prepare to fail!
He’s famous for his amazing roast potatoes, so here’s a tip from Jamie to help you get ahead with Christmas veg:
“On Christmas eve, parboil and tray-up your veg ready for the oven, then cool, cover with clingfilm and leave somewhere cold (like the garage, if you’re tight on fridge space!) until you’re ready to go.”
Nice one Jay. Pukka.
Mary Berry – Plating up
National treasure Mary Berry has her Christmas Dinner routine down! She also knows that folk don’t want their turkey and potatoes to get cold within 5 seconds of it hitting the plate. So:
‘A good tip, if you don’t have spare oven space, is to put the plates on a quick dishwasher cycle so they’re ready five minutes before you want to eat,’
We want to go to Mary’s house for Christmas!
Gordon Ramsay – Give it a rest
Ramsay might be renowned for being a little bit shouty, but he’s simmered down in recent years. He’s also one of the finest chefs in the world so he knows a thing or two about resting his meat:
“… the secret is to let that turkey rest. It goes in at 8am, it comes out at 11:30am to midday; turn it upside down and let it rest. And then, if you can make the gravy the week before, add those resting juices to that gravy. That means it’s so much less stressful on the day.”
Thanks Gordon!
Nigella Lawson – About sprouts
Nigella is known the world-over for being a little decadent, so who better to ask about making sprouts a little more delicious?
“…try undercooking sprouts and tossing them in crisp pancetta cubes and buttered chestnuts, then splosh with marsala and carpet with parsley”.
Nice!
Paul Hollywood – The Mince Pie Guy
Bake-off brought us a little bit of happiness this year and Paul Hollywood is the undisputed king of the bake. If you are thinking about trying to make some mince pies this year, Paul has this to say:
‘Shortcrust is great to use because it’s very buttery – but it’s difficult to make. My tip is to make sure you chill the dough down before you add the mixture on top. This will allow the gluten to bond slightly so the pie comes out more easily from the tin.
‘Don’t overwork the pastry dough – you want it to melt in your mouth. I personally wouldn’t use cases, but a deep pan. And, of course, have a big dollop of mincemeat in there – it really winds me up when you’ve got a teaspoon of filling in the mince pies!’
Shake our hand, Paul! Well, maybe next year!
Merry Christmas!
