06 Nov Top Tips for Getting Ready for Christmas from our Chefs
It’s not just the big man in the red suit who is rushed off his feet over the festive period but this is also the busiest time of year for our chefs! So who better to give you some top tips for getting ready for Christmas?
Make a list– A great way to prepare for Christmas day dinner is to make a list and we’re not talking about one with who’s naughty and who’s nice! Start with your menu and then write up the ingredients for each dish (beat the Christmas rush and get your shopping in early!). Plan ahead in which order you will make the dishes whilst taking into consideration the time you will have beforehand and on Christmas day. A great planning tip is to think about what can be done before hand to maximise your time on the big day and we have given some suggestions of what can be made beforehand below.
Stuffing- To take the stress off on Christmas day there are a few parts of the dinner you can prepare in advance and one of these is the stuffing. Stuffing freezes well so can be made, popped in a baking tray in the freezer then can be defrosted when you’re ready to cook it. You can even cook the stuffing before freezing so it only needs heating up when taken out of the freezer.
Gravy- No roast and certainly no Christmas dinner is complete without gravy. You may be thinking there’s no way this can be prepared in advance as you want to add the juices from the turkey on the big day. Something handy to know is, you can prepare your gravy in advance! Simply make it as you would on the day, freeze and defrost on Christmas day and add the turkey juices once cooked to refresh the sauce, done!
The bird- One reason it is good to get as much as you can prepared before Christmas day is so you can dedicate this day to cooking the turkey. Most of us don’t cook a bird as big as a turkey every week so it is worth taking a few things into consideration and it’s all about size, from the bird to your oven to your roasting trays. Don’t have a melt down on the big day and make sure you have thought of these things beforehand so you don’t have a turkey or roasting tray that won’t fit in your oven!
Made with love- One last thing to consider is ‘quality over quantity.’ You may be thinking you want to do everything for your loved ones however, a smaller amount of dishes which you can take time to perfect will be better than a lot of dishes which you have had to rush.
Of course we have to finish by reminding you to make sure you enjoy the festivities amongst all the madness and if you fancy putting your feet up this year get in touch with us to book a dinner party chef for Christmas day!
