Christmas Fayre!

[Greg]

I just got to thinking, it's not long until Christmas so what am I going to serve for my families Christmas Fayre. So I sat down and made a few notes.

Starter: Instead of the usual prawn cocktail why not make a prawn cocktail cake with red peppers, shredded iceberg lettuce, chopped jumbo prawns mixed with homemade mayo, a drop of fresh lemon juice and seasoned with a little salt and pepper then topped with a 2 or 3 peeled whole prawns a few bits of lemon zest and a little more home made mayo.

Main: A three bird (Turkey, Chicken & Duck) feast topped with streaky bacon filled between the skin and breast with chilled butter and stuffed with walnut, pork sage & onion stuffing. Basted in its own juices and gravy made from the juices, chicken stock and cranberry jelly.
Roast potatoes, parsnips, carrots and red onions.
And a side dish of warmed tomatoes on the vine, green beens, halved boiled eggs, halved new potatoes and stoned olives with a little olive oil and seasoned (salt & pepper).

Desert: I have two deserts in mind. The first one is home made short bread with a lemon posset and the second is scotch pancakes with rum syrup.

God I love Christmas food, my mouth is thoroughly watering just thinking about it!

So what are you planning?

 

[Matt Weir]

I'm thinking goose this year. Full roast with proper gravy.

 

[oilyrag]

I'm going to my Mums

 

[dave k]

Morning will be toasted panetoni with coffee whilst opening presents. The best way to start christmas IMHO, which I do every year

For lunch, Venison, with herb-crusted roast potatoes, honey-baked parsnips, cabbage, sprouts (not for me!!) and gravy.
With wine.


and some more wine

 

[Greg]

Morning will be toasted panetoni with coffee whilst opening presents. The best way to start christmas IMHO, which I do every year

For lunch, Venison, with herb-crusted roast potatoes, honey-baked parsnips, cabbage, sprouts (not for me!!) and gravy.
With wine.


and some more wine

I like the sound of your herb-crusted roast potatoes & honey-baked parsnips!

 

[Shewie]

Don`t forget the pigs in blankets Greg !!


Anybody got a recipe for decent gravy ??? I used to get bags of meat juices from the father-in-law when he was still a butcher but they ran out months ago. Since then it`s been Bisto which reminds me of school dinners.


Rich

 

[Greg]

Don`t forget the pigs in blankets Greg !!


Anybody got a recipe for decent gravy ??? I used to get bags of meat juices from the father-in-law when he was still a butcher but they ran out months ago. Since then it`s been Bisto which reminds me of school dinners.


Rich

You lost me with the pigs in blankets Shewie!!!

You could follow my recipe for gravy and instead of chicken stock you could use red wine, leave it to simmer on the hob and reduce! Tasty!

 

[Shewie]

You lost me with the pigs in blankets Shewie!!!

Those little sausages with bacon wrapped round


Rich

 

[Bernie Garland]

for me its been the same for the last 4 years and wouldn't have anything else now, fresh free range goose reared by a friend who rears 12 for friends,honey roast parsnips and carrots,sprouts and chestnuts, swede,roast and mashed potatoes,potatoes roasted in the goose fat,cranberry and port stuffing balls, with bacon wrapped chipalatoes,with white wine, another bottle and a kip on the sofa.
bernie

 

[Greg]

Those little sausages with bacon wrapped round


Rich

:11doh: Don't I feel the A**hole!

 

[British Red]

Farm (free range of course) chicken for us. Home grown parsnips, cranberry sauce made with port and maple syrup, sprouts for BB (not keen myself), BBs huge fluffy yorkshire puds, giblet gravy, roast spuds, roast carrots, cider apple stuffing, suasage meat (we do buy that as we don't keep pigs), Home made wine although we do buy some sparkly as I can't make a good champagne yet .

Yours sounds lovely Greg - if the house blows up we'll see you about 12

Red

 

[gorilla]

beans on toast - probably all i'll be able to afford after prezzies for 4 kids!

 

[John Fenna]

Recipe for gravy -
Throw the bisto into nearest rat hole (in the hopes that it will reduce rat population!)
When the rest of the meal is pretty well ready add some of the water from the veg ("sprout water is best" R Rankin) to the juices, burnt on bits of roast/onions parsnips etc in the bottom of the roasting tin. Stir, and boil to reduce slightly. Add a dash of sherry/brandy/whatever booze is left after lastnights party (except that awful lager) even aunty Flo's home made quince and ruttabaga wine is OK. Serve.
DO NOT ADD COLOURING/CORNFLOUR/GRAVY GRANUALS OR OTHER POLUTANTS!
Anything that comes in a packet and says "Gravy" on it is (IMHO) GUILTY OF BREAKING THE TRADES DESCRIPTIONACT!

If you find you have some left after everything but that last spud you just cannot cram down your overstuffed gullet - mash the spud into the gravy remains and you will find it easy to clear your plate like your Mum said a good liitle boy/girl should.
Real Gravy is an essential part of a meal !

 

[Greg]

Farm (free range of course) chicken for us. Home grown parsnips, cranberry sauce made with port and maple syrup, sprouts for BB (not keen myself), BBs huge fluffy yorkshire puds, giblet gravy, roast spuds, roast carrots, cider apple stuffing, suasage meat (we do buy that as we don't keep pigs), Home made wine although we do buy some sparkly as I can't make a good champagne yet .

Yours sounds lovely Greg - if the house blows up we'll see you about 12

Red

Your very welcome mate, the more the merrier!

 

[Boon]

i have got a fantastic peice of beef this year, with all the usual trimmings.

 

[dave k]

I just got an e-mail from Waitrose about their organic turkey. Apparently they've all had to be kulled because of bird flu - they sent everyone who ordered one a 10 quid gift token, but a lot of people sent them back asking them to be sent instead to the Farmers who's livestock had all been put down. Thought it was really nice to see some christmas spirit creeping in already

 

[Dougster]

We have a Waitrose certified organic farm which does free range turkeys.

I taught their son and nearly always skim the turkeys as I turn up to order one. They are really truly delicious and surpsingly inexpensive. It's nice to know all the money goes to the farmer so we both gain.

Last year they were all diseased so we had lamb, again organic and farm assured (I saw the little blighters as they got just plump enough). But it'll be nice to go back to tradition.

Don't tell her this but SWMBO isn't much of a cook (she is tri lingual, a secondary school teacher and mother of two toddlers, we can't all be good at everything). She does an awesome roast though. Best bit of the day for me, that is after finding my kids under all the wrapping paper.

 

[Tengu]

Im having my duck of course;

Afters Im not sure, I got a pud and a stollen from the market (the stollens wernt selling, as in a plan plastic non see thru wrapper, but I like them.)

I have some brandy snaps (which sold very quick!) so Ill get some cream

But heres a dessert that is a winner

Black forest Trifle

choc swiss roll, sliced
tin cherry pie filling
brandy
milk
choc angel delight
dream topping
glace cherries

line trifle dish with choc roll, spoon cherries over top add enough brandy to moisten
make choc angel delight as packet (but less milk and top up with brandy if you like) and spoon over
same with dream topping and decorate

 

[gorilla]

bacon butties for breakfast, then chicken and lamb for dinner, goose fat roasties, roast suede, parsnips and butternut squash with garlic and rosemary, yorkies, mint sauce gravy, mash and broccoli
christmas pud for me, chocolate cheesecake for everyone else
stella for me, wine for the boss

 

[spamel]

As the wife is german, she will not consider turkey as christmas food, and boy am I glad about that! Bland and awfully boring. So, we have boar this year. Time will tell if it is any good. Some stollen in UK is OK, but most is crap. The wife bought some stollen slices the other day, we were both nearly sick and spat the lot in the bin. Howling!

Get your stollen from Lidl or Aldi. You'll get good stuff from there, and maybe some gluhwein. Have it warmed with a splash of amaretto.