FOOD & DRINK
COUNTDOWN
TO
It is probably the biggest meal you will cook all year, and it is all too easy to get completely stressed out. But don’t panic, Our Christmas dinner timetable reduces everything down to manageable chunks.
Early December
Order your turkey or buy a frozen one now. To work out what size you need, count on serving 450g per person. A frozen turkey will need 4–5 days to thaw. Make and freeze your mince pies.
Early December
Order your turkey or buy a frozen one now. To work out what size you need, count on serving 450g per person. A frozen turkey will need 4–5 days to thaw. Make and freeze your mince pies.
Christmas Eve morning
Pick up fresh turkey. Do last minute shopping if you’re brave enough! Prepare turkey gravy. Defrost mince pies. Prepare your chosen pudding and refrigerate. If you’re serving a traditional pudding, make brandy butter and refrigerate.
Christmas Eve afternoon
Prepare stuffings. Don’t refrigerate, but leave covered in a cool place. The stuffing’s should not be too cold when you stuff the turkey. Prepare the vegetables. Peel potatoes and put in cold water in the fridge. Prepare other vegetables and store in plastic bags in the fridge. Make Bread sauce. Cover tightly with cling film and store in the fridge. Set the table and have a drink....
Christmas Eve evening
Take the turkey out of the fridge, cover with foil and allow it to come to room temperature. Do the same with the stuffing and butter so that it softens for the morning. With all the newly created space, fill up the fridge with wines, mineral water and fresh juice.
Christmas day: lunch to be served at 2pm
7.30am: Preheat the oven and prepare the Turkey 8.15am: Make the bread sauce if you haven’t already. If you are using a warming oven, put in the required plates and serving dishes. Set up coffee and tea trays for later. Noon: Start steaming the Christmas pudding if you’re drinking red wine with your meal, you may want to give it time to breathe. Open now. You’ve survived the morning, well done! Pour yourself a glass of bucks fizz to celebrate if you haven’t already! 12:45pm: Make the roast potatoes and prepare saucepans of boiling water for sprouts and any other vegetable. 1:15pm: Remove turkey from oven, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest. 1:45pm: Put sprouts on to cook and gravy on to heat. While they are cooking, dish up food into serving dishes and carve the turkey. Check Christmas pudding. 2pm: Tuck in and enjoy!
Occasions Catering and Events
Buffets starting from £3.75 Monthly payment scheme available £3.75 p/h buffet Selection of sandwiches Sauces and chutneys Pitta olive platter Chicken nuggets Sausage rolls Spring rolls Pizza slices Quiche Crisps
Yaxley Yaxley Gazette Gazette || December December 2016 2016 || T: T: 01733 01733 757342 757342 || E: E: info@yaxleygazette.co.uk info@yaxleygazette.co.uk || www.yaxleygazette.co.uk www.yaxleygazette.co.uk
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