A Few Ideas For Christmas

[Chelsea14Ian]

A few ideas for Christmas food,also good at any time also for the boat:

Instead of cold Turkey on boxing day try this.

Confit duck leg Duck legs a few sprigs of rosemary,bay leaf,a few cloves of garlic white pepper corns.

In a container season legs with sea salt garlic and herbs leave in the fridge overnight.Next day brush off salt but retain the herbs and garlic.Place duck herbs and garlic in a oven dish cover with oil.Seal with foil and cook about 160/170c for about an hour.Check if the meat is soft take out of the oven,if not cook a little longer.take the legs out of the oil allow to cool,then into the fridge.When you want to serve place on a baking sheet brown in the oven .Serve with veg and potatoes of your choise.The duck can be cooked on Christmas eve and finished on boxing day.

 

If you have turkey left try a large vol au vent(very 70s).Dice meat, sweat one large onion add sliced mushrooms,add a little white wine.Add some double cream reduce slightly add meat Finnish with chopped parsley and a little butter.

For the Vol au vent use a round cutter making sure the inner round is smaller thus when cooked it will form a lid.If you prefer cut two squares,egg wash  cook until brown.Again serve with spuds and veggies you like.Add Prawn cocktail and Black forrest gateau.

 

What ever you do for food have a great time christmas and new year

 

[ranworthbreeze]

Hi Ian,

We tend to have chips, eggs and beans or battered cod loin, hand cut fried chips well cooked and real mushy peas.

It makes a change from the bird and beef leftovers that we tend to leave for tea, mind you we tend to not eat too much at teatime. Tan is not too keen on chicken or turkey when its cold, so we tend to make burgers from the minced leftovers and then freeze them.

Regards

Alan 

 

[Chelsea14Ian]

Alan do you use marrow fat peas or like some of my Chefy friends and use peas with mint then blended?

ian

 

[ranworthbreeze]

Hi Ian,

It has to be marrow fat peas, I always loved the dry marrow fat peas that my Nan used to soak with the large tablet (this seemed to be soaking for ages and then left under a low light for hours) they were the best mushy peas I ever tasted. 

These days I just use the tinned ones or I do have a modern frozen version of the above, which is great because you can just use as much as you need, downside they take about an hour on a slow simmer.

If I go into a pub I have to ask about the mushy peas, the garden peas mushed up with mint is not on, I have always been allergic to garden peas, any form of processed peas I am OK, so we always tins of Marrow Fat or mushy peas in our cupboards. 

Regards

Alan

[Poppy]

The Christmas curry ...... It's a 'must' in my house, made with this .  It's brilliant and easy, Available in Roys, amongst other places ( I believe B& M keep it too.

[TheQ]

SWMBO makes her own Mushy peas, a bowl of them sat there all night.. it stinks the house out with them.... I hate them

 Last time we had a turkey at home, was when I worked at tesco as a maintenance man, I was there at closing time on Christmas eve and there was this enormous turkey that had to be sold or binned.  So it went to me for a huge discount. SWMBO had to take the legs and wings off to get it in the oven  (just). There are only two of us, that kept us in turkey for weeks, luckily we had the freezer space...

 These days we have turkey at the club / work dinners we have this time of year, and have beef at home.

[Hylander]

I am just sitting here thinking,  when it comes to Boxing Day I will imagine the whole of the UK sitting down to a curry or a fry up with mushy peas.    After the Christmas Day blow out I never feel like eating for a month, let alone have tea in the evening.   The curry sauce looks good.   Is it only sold in Roys.?

[Poppy]

1 minute ago, Hylander said:

I am just sitting here thinking,  when it comes to Boxing Day I will imagine the whole of the UK sitting down to a curry or a fry up with mushy peas.    After the Christmas Day blow out I never feel like eating for a month, let alone have tea in the evening.   The curry sauce looks good.   Is it only sold in Roys.?

There are one or two other places, google it. We always keep some at home, it's great for using left overs of chicken etc.

Chop an onion coarsely, dice and part boil a  carrot.  Mix the curry sauce as directed and keep to one side.

Stir fry the onion and the carrot, together with some frozen peas. Add some chopped cooked chicken or whatever and keep frying until it's hot, then stir in the sauce.

Serve with sir fried veg, rice or chips, whatever takes your fancy !

Enjoy !

[Chelsea14Ian]

Oh dear where did it go wrong  carrots in curry.

[Gracie]

What on earth's wrong with good old fashioned cold meats, mash, pickles and peas, so easy to prepare and  yummy followed by homemade mince pies, warmed in the oven served with a big dollop of cream (no comments, thank you MM) and yes. before anyone starts I do attempt to make the mince pies and sausage rolls myself with the help of the boys, usually ends in chaos and mostly inedible but it's Christmas and the family ARE going to eat them

Grace

p.s It would seem the plants in the conservatory like my mince pies too

 

[Timbo]

I'm fairly sure Grace is personification of a modern Grimm fairy tale...'make the mince pies and sausage rolls myself with the help of the boys'.

Like Grace though we go for the traditional Christmas fayre. We start the peas soaking mid July and boiling around the beginning of October. On Christmas Eve we all gather around the peas as a teaspoon of bicarb and a sprig of mint is added and sing carols wishing peas and goodwill to all men.

Christmas Day I walk the dogs early while Ellie gives the peas one last stir and faffs around with the side dishes, simple things easy and quick to cook...like turkey. Then when all the presents have been unwrapped, I've bought Ellie a new pea strainer this year, we all dress in our finest grey clothes and sit around the table.

With great ceremony Ellie will bring the peas to the Christmas dinner table and serve them up where we all join in the traditional toast of 'Nice peas Norma!'.

[Poppy]

Got the sprouts on yet?  If not, you're too late... they'll never be ready in time 

[ExUserGone]

You don't have to have cold turkey on boxing day, just buy enough heroin to see you through the holiday period before Christmas.

[TheQ]

I'll be having a Thai meal on Boxing day, as we'll be with SWMBOs Brother and his Thai wife. A very good cook she is too. What she'll prepare for Christmas day I have no Idea!!

[addicted]

My husband's favourite meal is the traditional boxing day lunch of cold Turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and pickles He really looks forward to that  and if we get invited out and have lunch elsewhere he feels positively cheated. I've already started the peripheral Christmas fare - the Cake, chocolate muffins beloved by No. 2 Granddaughter, stuffings for the Turkey beloved by my daughter, it's about this time of the year when I wish the freezer was expandable! I must admit I enjoy making it all much more than I actually enjoy eating it. seeing all the delighted smiles when their old favourites are wheeled out makes the effort really worth while. Bon appetit everyone!

Carole

 

[Chelsea14Ian]

That's what food is all about if you enjoy it go for it.This boxing day we are going up to check on the boat.Then stop off for lunch in one of our favourite  pubs.Tuesday we will have honey roast gammon mash perhaps braised red cabbage. Tomorrow not turkey but fillet beef.Whatever you have,enjoy it and merry Christmas 

Ian

[SteveO]

We are having a beetroot and goat cheese starter, followed by salmon en croute on Christmas day, Lovely, as it will leave room for lashings of Christmas pud afterwards.

Steve

[addicted]

22 minutes ago, SteveO said:

We are having a beetroot and goat cheese starter, followed by salmon en croute on Christmas day, Lovely, as it will leave room for lashings of Christmas pud afterwards.

Steve

Salmon en croute? Delish! but  I struggle to be in the same room as goat's cheese. Enjoy!

 

Carole