Christmas is meant to be a time for relaxing and enjoying quality time with close family and friends.  It’s a time for catching up and eating some really good food, all be it a little too much of it!  What Christmas isn’t for is to be stressed and panicking about what you should be cooking, how and when.  However, with the right planning and timing you too can produce a happy, hassle free Christmas feast that will please everyone.  Here are some suggestions to help you on your way.  All that remains is to say Merry Christmas everyone and drink sensibly!

1.      Know what you are cooking.  Decide what you want to serve on the big day, here are some suggestions: Turkey with walnut and apple stuffing served with roasted rosemary potatoes, parsnips and carrots and steamed brussels sprouts.  Followed by a choice of Christmas pudding with brandy cream or Exotic fruit trifle. 

2.      Make a shopping list.  From your menu note down everything you will need for the big day and make sure you have it all bought by Christmas Eve. 

3.      Timing.  Think about what you can prepare the day before to save on time.  Such as partly boiling your veg, cooling and then bagging and refrigerating ready for the big day.  You might be able to prepare your stuffing and then refrigerate.  Preparing as much as you can the day before helps to take the pressure off when it comes to Christmas morning.  Tip: I like to cook my turkey with herb butter.  Thyme, parsley, sage and a hint of tarragon are all good.  Finely chop them and blend with butter then refrigerate on Christmas Eve.  When the butter has hardened again, slice and place under the skin of the turkey and cover with greaseproof paper.  This is so when the turkey is cooking the meat stays tender and succulent and the skin goes nice and crispy.

4.      Christmas day.  First of all, think about what time you want to serve your Christmas dinner/lunch and then what takes longest to cook.  Obviously, in this case we know it is the Turkey.  Depending on the weight of the Turkey will determine how long it needs to cook but just in case, here is a guideline:  Preheat oven to gas mark 7 and remove the turkey from the fridge to allow it to come back to room temperature before cooking.  Allow 20 minutes on the high heat (gas mark 7), then turn down the oven to gas mark 6 and allow a further 30 minutes per kilo.  For example, if the turkey is 5 kg then you need to cook for 20 minutes on high then another 2 and a half hours once you’ve lowered the heat.  Don’t forget to cover the turkey in a tent of foil whilst it is cooking.  Tip: if you’re stuffing your turkey then only ever stuff the neck and not right inside as there is a danger the turkey won’t cook.

5.      Now the turkey is in the oven you can concentrate on the veggies.  If you are serving them simply boiled or steamed and you followed my advice to partly boil on xmas eve then you need not do much until the turkey is cooked and resting.  If you are roasting then as a guide, parsnips and carrots take about 40 to 50 minutes to cook so about 30 minutes before the turkey is going to come out place the carrots and parsnips on the top shelf of the oven with the turkey and allow to roast.  The turkey can be rested for up to 30 minutes before serving so the veg and potatoes should be nearing the end of cooking whilst the turkey is resting.  Potatoes take about 1 hour to roast plus another 20 minutes to prepare.  Tip: Part boil your potatoes (5 minutes) then drain and allow to dry out on the stove. Heat your oil in the oven in the roasting pan (10 minutes) and then coat the potatoes in the pan with the hot oil and place in the oven to roast.  I like vegetable oil the best for potatoes. 

6.      Brussels sprouts only take about 6-8 minutes to boil and about 10 minutes to steam.  Many people tend to boil them forever but Brussels sprouts are not meant to be mushy.  They should be slightly firm when served.  So while the turkey is resting you can steam or boil the Brussels in some garlic, butter and salted water. 

7.      If you are having Christmas pudding for dessert then normally they take about 2 hours or so to steam.  If you intend to serve straight after eating then put the pudding on to steam about 30 minutes before the turkey is about to come out.  That way, after the guests have eaten the main meal they have a short wait before the serving of the pud.  Tip: To really impress your guests, pour some brandy over the pudding, then put some more in a ladle.  Light the brandy in the ladle and as you carry the pudding to the table, pour over the rest of the lit brandy and you will get that flaming pudding effect!