trimmings

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

What are your trimming extras for the main event?

I saw a Gardeners' World Christmas episode years ago, with a vegetarian stuffing from a bird expert.
Light and easy, including apples and nuts, which I used occasionally.

I've lost it. So time for a change I guess.

I make my roasters with half a bay leaf in each one.

[Badger's Mate Profile]

Very typically my Christmas dinner would play to the gallery so I'd do what they like, S&O stuffing, chipolatas wrapped in bacon, although I would also insist on redcurrant jelly rather than cranberry sauce and make a bowl of bread sauce. When I'm doing the goose, usually a different day, I will cook roast spuds and parsnips in the dripping, braised red cabbage, sprouts, sausage meat stuffing balls. I sometimes do the JO roasted onion recipe, whereby they are parboiled, hollowed out, the chopped middles cooked with bacon, rosemary, cream and Parmesan, refilled then returned to the oven with a streaky rasher wrapped around them secured with a rosemary sprig. I have served a fresh date and tamarind chutney with the goose too.

Christmas is when I first harvest the winter veg, sprouts, leeks and parsnips are a seasonal novelty.

[Wic Profile]

I like the idea of the bay leaf, I’ll try that.

I love bread sauce, though I’m the only one here who does. I usually bake onions by peeling small to medium ones, making 3 criss cross cuts in the tops and scattering them with EVO and black pepper, so they open up like crispy flowers.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

I've made onions with red wine and balsamic before. They were nice.

I'm the only one here too who likes bread sauce. What's not to like?!!

Your own winter veg, that's lovely. I've never lived in a house where fruit and veg is grown. Herbs and lettuce yes.

Like Renee, I'll make my gravy ahead (with turkey wings and legs). An America tip, and I find the gravy better than made on the day.
If I can make room in the freezer, I'll prepare the potatoes too, parboiled.
I will just take them out, and roast for 25mins.

No red cabbage this year.
I want to make something different. Tony can have some pickled on Boxing Day if he's feeling the loss.

[smitch Profile]

We’re hosting Christmas this year, there will be 5 adults. I’m veggie, so the only meat will be (bought) pigs in blankets for the others. We’re having a nut roast from M&S plus a veggie ‘meat’ roast from a small Scottish company.

Our sides will be roast potatoes & sweet potatoes, Vimto braised red cabbage, plus a parsnip, leek & celeriac bake I tried last weekend and was lovely. I’m also making sprouts with pomegranate from a recipe I saw in a food magazine. Really looking forward to it

[Renee Profile]

I'm making bread sauce Gill, because Colin mentioned that his mother used to make it. Family didn't want it except for my mum.

I've ordered a free-range bronze turkey crown from Tesco and will stuff the neck end with good quality sausage meat, finely chopped shallots, celery, small amount of breadcrumbs and pepper. I shall also make stuffing balls flattened a little, from bread, finely chopped shallot, thyme, small amount of hot water and milk. I also have sausages wrapped in bacon on order. I made some stock, greatly reduced, from a turkey leg, chicken wings, shallot and herbs. I used goose fat to brown the meat and vegetables first before roasting, then stripped off the meat before slow-cooking the bones and vegetables for the stock. It's in the freezer and must remember to take it with me.

[karadekoolaid Profile]

There will be no bread sauce in this house! About as interesting as a wet weekend in Sheerness with Ena Sharples.
Actually, I´m struggling to find anything for lunch on the 25th. Traditional Xmas celebration here is on the 24th, and there´s no-one around ( all gone to the beach) for a lunch on Ticklemas Day.
IF, and only if I can find some sprouts, I might do them with crispy bacon and candied walnuts. Carrots are usually bathed in cream, and fresh dill added. Or perhaps nigella seeds.

[Joanbunting Profile]

The thing which always got me when making a full-on traditional Chrostmas meal was the number of bits that apparently were necessary to make it "The Best Ever" - those sort of articles which mention this and go on to provide recipes for so many different items + a minute by minute timetable used to fill me with dispair.

Then you are faced with serving all that darned stuff and making sure everyone gets everything - like it or not! and gets it before evrything goes cold and congealed. Does anyone really need 2 sorts of potatoes, three sauces, gravy and 2 sorts of stuffing. Not to mention4 vegetables and sausages and bacon. The end result is overloaded plates-a true off-putter for me and often lots of waste.

Until a few years ago this pantomime happened every 25th of December. Then after 60 years I called a halt. I miss having lots of people round the table but it is the people I miss, not the hard work .Bah humbug maybe.

I am looking forward to this year. Danish 24th with candles everywhere and silly games. Restaurant meal on the 25th, just then 2 of us - the menu lokks gorgeous. Lunch for 8 here on 1st - we'll have the pudding then and I'll make a trifle which is as far as Christmas "fayre" goes.

So I hope everyone enjoys whatever they are planning and don't wear themselves out with stress, expense and too much work.

[Alexandria Profile]

Firstly, as mentioned previously, our Christmas Eve on the 24th, is a traditional celebration with 2 sets of grandparents and my grand parents in laws. Thus, we always do the Seven Fish Plates, or what we call The Viglia.

The trims or extra touches include:

1) Theme of the Christmas decorations & tableware shall be " aires polares" & "shells " ( Snow, sleighs or sledges, polar bears & reindeer ) .. All White with sparkling silver and touches of metallic gold and a sprinkle of red.

2) The sauces or " salsas " are home made by my grandmothers and are: from scratch ali oli and home made romesco ..

3) There are 7 fish & shellfish dishes, each with its unique characteristics and art of plating.

4) My paternal grandmother shall be preparing home made turrón ( nugget ) elaborated in traditions of her family ..

5) The napkin rings this year are gold reindeer .. ( Always linen napkins on this very special occasion, as it is one evening that we are all together ).

6) The Bocados or Amuse Boûches ( appetisers) shall start off the evening with Champagne. There is no meat of any type served on the 24th. We respect this tradition and it is no problem for those who do eat meat or poultry & game.

CHRISTMAS DAY, The 25th:

On this day, we shall be going with my parents, to my French Inlaws and my husband´s grand parents. The star of the Christmas Day Lunch shall be Beef Wellington.

Happy Holidays to all ..

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

OK Smitch, I'll ask ............
Is vimto red cabbage what I think it is? Braised in Vimto? That sound like fun if it is.

I hadn't really picked up that you were a vegetarian. Christmas must be paradise for you with all those delightful trimmings.

I forget about dill, Clive. Thinking more about the woody herbs like thyme rosemary and bay.
Must add some to the carrots. Already I can tell they are a fine match.

My main way to ease the stress when making the seasonal dinner, Joan, is not to drink alcohol.
I wait until the food is ready to go.
Sometimes with family, this means I drink alone, as they've been drinking in the afternoon whilst I'm pottering and have had enough/ too much.

& I like the idea of no meat on the 24th. By nature keeping it light and digestible.

Renee, would you like a text reminder to take your make ahead gravy stock?

[strictlysalsaclare Profile]

As far as the Christmas dinner is concerned, we keep it fairly simple. This year it's lamb accompanied by Roast spuds, parsnips and carrots, and a green veg medley of peas, leeks and runner beans (the latter from the garden and in the freezer, carrots also). Trimmings will be either Yorkshire puds or stuffing, plus gravy and mint sauce. Usually I cook extra veg for either a bubble and squeak or a hash for Boxing Day. However, I have seen a lovely recipe for ham slices cooked in a boozy cranberry sauce with mushrooms. I may use some morello cherries (also in the freezer) instead of the cranberries. I really want to try this! Recipe below:

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/114 ... room-sauce

[smitch Profile]

The sides are my favourite part of the Christmas dinner, always have been! I also like leftovers so am happy to have several different vegetables. I generally keep things pretty simple but like to try new things too.

Gill, yes I cook the red cabbage in vimto with added spices. We went out for a lovely roast dinner last year and they served it as one of the veg so I made up my own version. I work very close to the site of the first vimto factory, it’s very popular as a drink both hot and cold round here.

[Renee Profile]

Oh Gill! I'm sticking Post-it notes on my kitchen cupboards and cyber notes on my monitor! I'm also taking two of the wonderful Snowdonia cheeses which are encased in wax. They have a wonderful depth of flavour.
Anyway, my mobile is always turned off!

[Amyw Profile]

We always have our roasties cooked in goose fat, honey glazed parsnips and lightly boiled sprouts. Think we might be having cauliflower cheese as well this year. We are having roast rib of beef, with a red wine gravy .
I always say I look forward to the sides more than the main. We always love bubble and squeak too on Boxing Day with gammon and pickles

[Badger's Mate Profile]

We always love bubble and squeak too on Boxing Day

Absolutely. I have to do wedges for the younger generation though. However, the day after the goose is roasted we will have B&S, cooked in the oven with a bit of goose skin on top to brown it like a shepherd's pie and crisp up the skin for chef's perks

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Now lamb is something we've never had for Chrimbo.
I love it.
And bubble and squeak.

Fond memories of Vimto here too. I don't think I've had it since I were a youngster.

I must check my fridge for goose fat.
I don't think I've got any in tho.

[Renee Profile]

I used some goose fat when roasting the turkey leg, chicken wings, vegetables when I made the stock, so there is a nice layer of goose fat on top, which will make it extra special hopefully.

[Amyw Profile]

One year I roasted a duck the week before Christmas to shred and have Chinese style in lettuce cups , then saved the fat from that for the roast spuds

[Renee Profile]

Amy, I used to cook duck breast and leg to get the fat, but last year, there was hardly any fat.

Gill, it's too late now, but where did you get your turkey wings from? I used to be able to get them many years ago, but they seem to have disappeared.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Renee, I'm hoping I've still got the wings somewhere in the freezer from the turducken last year.
If not I'll just get legs from the supermarket for the sauce. Tesco has them.