The Perfect Christmas Turkey
Abel & Cole
Who better than the purveyors of such excellent, organic food from a coterie of independent producers to instruct how best to rustle up the perfect turkey? The biggest pitfall to swerve is serving up a dry bird which, alas, no amount of gravy and bread sauce can quite put right. This recipe will help to deliver beautifully aromatic meat, its cavity stuffed with a clementine, a few sprigs of rosemary, thyme and/or bay and a clove or two of garlic. Perfection. Get the recipe.
Best Roast Potatoes
Jamie Oliver
You can trust Jamie to get it spot on when it comes to the classics and it doesn’t get more classic than a good, crispy roast potato Christmas Day. You’ll need Maris Pipers, goose fat or unsalted butter, olive oil, a whole bulb of garlic and sage to scatter. As Jamie says, with simple things like this, it’s all in the detail – for example, he recommends leaving them to steam dry for a couple of minutes before coating the potatoes in the goose fat or butter and leaving them in the fridge overnight. Everyone, but everyone, will thank you for potatoes this tasty. Get the recipe.
Braised Red Cabbage With Apples
Delia Smith
For many, Delia is the non-negotiable queen of Christmas cooking, her seminal guide to rustling up the festive feast, complete with to-the-minute timings, attaining holy book status in many a household. We can trust her, then, to come up with the goods for braised red cabbage with apples – and, as she says, the great thing is that you can make it a couple of days beforehand and simply reheat it at the appointed hour. Which, in this kitchen marathon, is music to festive cooks’ ears. Get the recipe.
Brussels With Chestnuts
Delicious Magazine
Brussel sprouts are famously divisive. But, we’d argue, those in camp hate simply haven’t tried them cooked this beautifully. The trick is not to overcook and to a add rich depth of flavour courtesy of the beautifully scented chestnuts – and, since it’s Christmas and we’re already gorging on meat, you could add some pancetta too for some extra salty bite. Get the recipe.
Parsnips & Carrots With Maple & Orange Glaze
Delicious Magazine
You could, of course, simply douse your roasted carrots and parsnips in a good slug of olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt and they would turn out delicious. But this is Christmas, the time of year to go a step or two further. Orange and maple hits the sweet spot – plus they can be made beforehand and frozen. What’s not to love? Get the recipe.
Sage & Onion Stuffing
Gordon Ramsay
It’s not Christmas lunch without proper stuffing. Allow Gordon Ramsay, then, to shepherd your efforts into something approaching perfection. Get the recipe.
Classic Pigs In Blankets
BBC Good Food
Pigs in blankets are as much a tradition as turkeys and trees on Christmas Day. Few of us really need a recipe for this as such, but nonetheless, we do like BBC Good Food’s proffered twists on this favourite, from adding in sage leaves to swapping out the sausages for butternut squash and chestnuts. In our books, you cannot make too many of these for your Christmas revellers, so switching up the recipe is always welcome. Get the recipe.
Redder Than Red Cranberry Sauce
Nigella
As Nigella says, there is nothing wrong with shop-bought cranberry sauce if you’d rather save yourself the extra task. But if you are going to go full domestic god/goddess, then this recipe is a winner; features just four ingredients (cranberries, sugar, cherry brandy, water); and can be made and frozen up to a month beforehand. Nigella writes, ‘When I was a child, I don’t think fresh cranberries were ever seen in England. For me, cranberry sauce came out of a jar — and my mother was the sort of person who made her own mayonnaise.’ If you want to celebrate their ready availability these days, then this recipe is simple and wholly delicious. Get the recipe.
Bread Sauce
Olive Magazine
Conversely, we would not recommend shop-bought bread sauce, given that the real homemade thing is just vastly superior and not at all difficult to make. Clovey, creamy, peppery perfection. Get the recipe.
Christmas Turkey Gravy
Mary Berry
Why go to all that effort and then drench the whole lavish affair in Bisto? Mary Berry has the perfect turkey gravy down to a fine art – follow her step by step and you cannot go wrong. Get the recipe.
