Day 23 - Christmas: What will you be cooking?

[Huma0]

Hello all, for those of you who celebrate Christmas, and those of you who are also responsible for the cooking of the traditional Christmas meal, what are your plans for Christmas lunch or dinner?

What is traditional in your country and do you feel it's best to stick to that, or do you go "off piste" and do something different?

I tend to stick to traditional, but that doesn't mean turkey. Here in the UK, most people think of a roast turkey as the required main course for a Christmas meal, but actually, that is an imported American tradition. Goose would be a far more traditional British option, but not many people go for that anymore (expensive!). I don't actually know anyone that loves turkey, so I usually go for a different bird.

What if you are vegetarian or vegan? Last year, due to Christmas kind of being cancelled here in London, I spent it with my one housemate who was officially a pescatarian (although mostly ate vegan food) so I had to get creative. It turns out better than I thought.

Anyway, I am rather late in planning the Christmas meal I am shortly to cook for my family. We are talking about people from different cultures who have very different preferences. Ideas and inspiration would be greatly appreciated.

[Huma0]

PS, there are oysters in the photo I included. One year, I decided to have oysters as a starter. While some people wouldn't touch them, others devoured them, but the latter later complained that the meal was 'too fancy' and that I shouldn't have bought oysters...

Mmmm.

[Laurelle3]

@Huma0 as you said oysters and the flavour are a desired taste. I would leave them but my husband would eat them.

[Huma0]

@Laurelle3 

Oysters are definitely an acquired taste. I had no problem if people didn't want them, as they were just a little extra and folks could take 'em or leave 'em. My issue was that the people who devoured them were later the ones to complain, i.e. "Christmas shouldn't be about food. There is no need for oysters and what not..."

[Colleen253]

@Huma0 It’s always turkey for my family. A properly roasted turkey is a thing of beauty. Most people tend to over cook the bird, unfortunately. I’ve also heard of weirdness such as wrapping the turkey in bacon. Unnecessary imo, and obliterates the lovely flavor. 

[Huma0]

@Colleen253 

Yes, I agree that if a turkey is cooked properly and not dry, it can be tasty. Just seems like a lot of effort to go to when there are many other more delicious options (in my humble opinion).

[Colleen253]

@Huma0 To me it’s worth the effort, as I make enough that we have lots of leftovers. Then no more cooking for a few days! And anyway, my family would disown me if I tried to go off plot 🤣

[Laurelle3]

@Colleen253 some Australians stickwith a traditional English affair with turkey and the left overs are good as it means less time in the kitchen.

[Colleen253]

@Laurelle3 We sit around talking and eating those leftovers between going out skating and tobogganing and playing games. No work, no cooking. It’s the best!

[Huma0]

@Colleen253 

Do you make new dishes from the left overs? One of my guilty pleasures is Coronation Chicken. I wonder if it works as well with turkey...

[Colleen253]

@Huma0 No, it’s all about not having to cook. We eat leftovers as is til we look and sound like turkeys and then that’s it. We are good til the next year! Often though, I do have enough turkey left to freeze some for soups and casseroles etc.

I looked up Coronation chicken and it sounds RICH. Wow. I’m sure it would be lovely with turkey!

[Huma0]

@Colleen253 

Here you will pre-made Coronation Chicken in any supermarket, but it's much nicer homemade and is really easy (the mango chutney is important though). Here's a simple recipe:

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/easy-coronation-chicken

I like it in a sandwich with baby leaf spinach (seems to go really well with white seeded bread for some reason).

I think I will definitely be making this if there's any chicken left over from Christmas. If it's good enough for the Queen, then it's good enough for me!

[Ann72]

@Huma0  Anyone who disses oysters shouldn't be invited back!  However, I can't shuck them, so I only eat them out.

I make a pot roast every year because I have a client who sends me a case of Wyoming Grass-Fed Beef every Christmas.  If Hanukkah overlaps we have it with latkes; if not, there will be a few other sides.  For Christmas Eve this year I'm going to a neighbor's who will make a traditional Estonian menu of pork chops, sauerkraut and blood sausage, with a Kringle for dessert.  I don't know what a Kringle is (though I think there's powdered sugar involved?), but it sounds awfully good.

Since reading "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" I've often wondered what it would be like to have a Christmas goose - without the stolen jewel, of course!

[Huma0]

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@Ann72 wrote:

@Huma0  Anyone who disses oysters shouldn't be invited back! 

I totally agree, but maybe the shucking was the issue? I don't know. All I know is that my brother was rather excited about them, but then I was later shunned for having provided them 😞

[Huma0]

@Ann72 

That all sounds rather good.

As most of my family is actually muslim (yes, we do celebrate Christmas because it's a cultural tradition here in the Uk and also, Muslims do actually believe in Jesus as a prophet, just maybe not the exact same version as the Bible!), pork is absolutely out of the question.

Would definitely like to know what a Kringle is though...

Also, Christmas Goose is fantastic, especially when you have a few mouths to feed, but it doesn't come cheap, you need a big oven and it produces an awful lot of fat that needs draining away, so it's not for the faint hearted cook!