8 simple tips for a stress-free Christmas dinner - Rick Stein (2024)
Food galore, drinks flowing and being surrounded by friends and family. It really is the most wonderful time of the year.
To many, the thought of having to cook Christmas dinner can be a daunting task – especially when doing it for the first time. To help, we’ve put these tips together with the help of our expert chefs from our kitchens.
Organisation
This is number one on our list, and the most important tip of all. In the days leading up to Christmas make sure you’ve got absolutely everything you need, from the obvious like a turkey, potatoes and pigs in blankets, to checking you’ve got enough oil to cook with and plenty of salt and pepper for seasoning too. We recommend getting all your food and drink shopping done by December 22nd – that way you can avoid a last-minute trolley dash around your local supermarket.
As turkey is a lean meat, it can become dry quite quickly, so Ian recommends to brine your bird for around 12 hours before popping it in the oven to cook. During this process, it’llabsorb extra moisture, which in turn helps it stay moist and juicy, and the brining liquor will also help to season the meat. To do this you’ll need a large pot or bucket, filled with a 10% salt water mix, 2 tbsp of sugar and lots of aromats (black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, a couple of bay leaves and orange peel).
Have you got the right equipment for the job?
Make sure you’ve got plenty of oven trays, pots and pans and serving dishes. Oh, and not forgetting a new roll of extra-long tin foil – super handy for helping to keep things warm before you serve dinner. Another thing to check is your knifes – make sure they’re nice and sharp, as this will make cooking faster and easier.
Prep your veg the night before
Peel potatoes, carrots, parsnips and any other veg you’re having and leave them in pans of cold water overnight. This will save you a lot of faff and additional mess on Christmas morning. If you’ve got lots of space in your fridge (unlikely), you could even pre-cook your potatoes and parsnips on Christmas Eve to save even more time.
Plan exactly how long everything takes to cook and make yourself a to-do list. EG/ Turkey goes in the oven at 7.30am, check it at 8.30am and lower the temperature and so on…
Keep it fun, get the family involved
Christmas is all about seeing family and friends, and enjoying quality time together. So, why not get everyone involved in the Christmas dinner process (just make sure you forget the old proverb ‘too many cooks…’).
Buy a Christmas Pudding to cook in the microwave
By doing this you’ll save over an hour, as cooking your pudding this way should only take 5-10 minutes. Giving you back some vital time to host or concentrate on juggling the other five things you’ll no doubt be cooking. You’ll find our Christmas pudding, made to Rick’s special recipe, here.
Wash as you go
If like us, when you cook a roast dinner you use every pot, pan and utensil in sight, clean up as you go (where possible). Even if this just means packing the dishwasher before carving the turkey, it’ll insure you get to relax and enjoy the after-dinner festivities with your family – rather than being chained to a washing-up bowl for an hour after you’ve eaten.
If you want any hints or tips for your Christmas dinner, tweet us @ricksteinrest
If you want to make things even easier, roast the turkey the day before! Roast the turkey, then slice it and place it in a dish with a drizzle of gravy on top and cover in foil, then refrigerate. Reheat in the oven on the day and it will be beautifully moist.
If you want to make things even easier, roast the turkey the day before! Roast the turkey, then slice it and place it in a dish with a drizzle of gravy on top and cover in foil, then refrigerate. Reheat in the oven on the day and it will be beautifully moist.
Don't forget that most of the veg can be prepared the day before. Peel and trim your carrots and parsnips (keep them submerged in water overnight), peel onions and, to really save you time, don't just peel your potatoes the day before but you can parboil them, too.
Storing cut fruits and vegetables in water seems counterintuitive, but it is a great way to store hardy vegetables like carrots, celery, and potatoes after they are cut. To prolong their freshness, always store in fresh cool water and change out the water every few days for even longer-term storage.
People tend to want to avoid heated arguments and tense conversations at Christmas, so it's best to avoid talking about controversial topics at the dinner table. Stick to topics that everyone can agree on, such as the weather, the food, or current events that aren't too polarising.
Parboiling skin-on carrots and parsnips lets you soften them without them losing too much moisture. Follow up by browning in a 375°F (190°C) oven for about 40 minutes.
If you are going to consume a large amount of parsnips then you should peel them. Parsnips contain a group of natural toxins called furocoumarins which can cause stomach aches if consumed in large quantities.
Like potatoes, parsnips will brown after they have been cut, peeled or exposed to the air for too long. If you are preparing parsnips ahead of time, place them in water after peeling or sprinkle them with water and a few drops of lemon juice to keep them from discolouring.
Peel potatoes, carrots, parsnips and any other veg you're having and leave them in pans of cold water overnight. This will save you a lot of faff and additional mess on Christmas morning.
Raw, unpeeled carrots can be stored between three and four weeks in the refrigerator, and peeled or cut carrots will last two to three weeks. Cooked carrots last up to five days in the refrigerator.
Peeled and pared parsnips will turn dark when exposed to the air, so it's important to cook them right away, or hold them in water with a bit of lemon juice added. Parsnips are best when they are roasted in the oven, although many like them steamed and mashed like potatoes.
On Christmas Day in 1929, tragedy struck the Lawson family in a shocking and horrifying way. After taking a family portrait in town, Charlie Lawson, the family's patriarch, inexplicably turned violent, killing his wife, daughters, and oldest son before taking his own life.
This is particularly true for those of us who grieve. Even the most joyful moments of the holiday season are tinged with sadness. If you're grieving, the pressure to follow through with family traditions while creating joyful new memories can feel like an affront.
Buying sellotape for presents, tin foil to wrap the turkey, and trimmings such as cranberry sauce and gravy for the table are among the most forgotten tasks at Christmas.
Introduction: My name is Twana Towne Ret, I am a famous, talented, joyous, perfect, powerful, inquisitive, lovely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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