Food Christmas Dinner

I have to do a weeks worth of food due to a vacay with multiple people going. It's going to be hectic... esp. since the wifey can burn water if left unattended.

For the main meat dish this year, (for the Xmas dinner) I'm doing rack of lamb with garlic confit drizzled in a red wine glaze. The key is to use the proper herbs in the right proportion and to break the garlic down properly.

 

We do anything but Turkey these days. Last year was a Prime Rib, but holy crap those are expensive.

As has become a thing over the last couple of years, we are hosting people who didn't fly out of Singapore for the holidays. I don't yet know the head count but it shouldn't be too massive and after last weekend's bash, I will keep it simple.

I was thinking leg of lamb on the grill.

 

It's just Alistair and I on Christmas day this year and we are still undecided if we are going to bother just for ourselves. We'll be having his son, daughter and his daughter's boyfriend over for Boxing Day. We might do Xmas dinner then.

Definitely not turkey (did that a couple of weeks ago) and I'm not a big beef eater. If we can find some really nice lobster tails, I might stuff them. If not, Glory Sun's leg of lamb sounds like a real option. No shortage of great lamb in the UK. One of the perks of living here.

 

We (our families) cannot have a Christmas lunch without the three meats: Gammon, salt beef and toungue.

The gammon is almost always glazed and served with pineaplle and cherry. The salt beef is served cold, and the tongue is served with english mustard. This is our staple, and I can't remember a Christmas where we didn't have all three.

Since we got married, mandy and I alternate having Christmas lunch with either one of our families. In which case every family brings either one, two or three of above-mentioned must-have-meats. Combine this with a variety of side-dishes that pretty much qualify as whole meals themselves, and you have enough food to last way into the new year. (There was a leftover-leg-of-lamb stew one new year's day that was unbelievable!)

My goal is usually just to try and get a taste of every dish that is on offer, albeit how small. South African coloured people have a culture of over-catering, so this rarely happens.

 

I'm likely to be by myself this Christmas.

Childhood family Christmasses used to be roast beef with some sausages cooked with it. Later, bacon was added. Recently, I have been catering for myself and roast beef has been substituted with a nice steak ... great meat and just one person eating so no point having a big hunk. This year I will add a chicken breast so my meal will be a well represented mixed grill. Done in the oven ... as much fat drained off as possible.

If, however, imposed seasonal guilt at enjoying my own company wins, I'll say yes to an invitation where they serve "Three Bird Roast", a disgusting rolled-into-one devil-spawn of Chicken, Duck and Goose, that victimizes surrounding vegetables with dead-bird-smelling goo. Oh ... ... but I'll have a great time, because even a stale cheese sandwich would feel like Christmas when I'm with them.

Fuck it. I'll have my mixed grill on boxing day

 

Chinese takeout. Seriously though. We do my mom's side of the family Christmas eve, and we just get a lot of takeout. It's just our immediate family on Christmas day, and we just eat leftovers!

 

We had ornate dinners on Christmas day on my dad's side of the family when I was younger, but we don't see them anymore since we're all spread out and both of my grandparents on his side have passed. My mom's half of the family is SUPER laid back and are of the mindset that we would rather have someone else cook for us so we can spend more time hanging out. And I am very ok with that.

 

I've settled on beef Wellington as my favorite Christmas Day dinner option. It's rich, luxurious, and the English version of soul food, because you just feel like sleeping after having it. I use a modified version of Gordon Ramsay's famous Wellington recipe, without the wine, but with more thyme, baby Portobella mushrooms and chestnuts in the duxelle, and other little things that make it Christmas-y. IIrc, I posted the recipe somewhere on TFP last year.

I'll probably also have mashed vegetables (similar to this recipe), a nice winter salad, and finish off with gingerbread lattes so everyone is capable of driving home without slipping into a coma.

Snowy, I'm really interested in how your vegetarian Wellington turns out, because I have new vegetarian relatives and I want them to feel they're welcome and included in our traditions. Also, are you going to do that very adorable star cut out design on your loaf?

 

Will be roast beef, potatoes and carrots. Very basic and very good.

Quite looking forward to it actually

 

I am staying in a hotel for Christmas and have just found out they are not catering for Christmas dinner this year! Not sure what my options are yet, as its a hotel we don't have any cooking facilities, and I don't believe many if any places will be open?!? Might need to be non perishable foods for a picnic somewhere?!?

 

This is the first year that I will be hosting Christmas eve with my immediate family and significant other. Traditionally, my family has always done horderves because we always loved those items the most. But this year we will be making an actual main course with a few classics that just wouldn't be Christmas without. I will be making ham with Alton Brown's bourbon gingersnap crust. Along with cheesy potatoes, green beans wrapped in bacon, ham and cream cheese rolls with a pickle, and a whiskey chocolate pecan pie. A ton of work ahead of me to get everything ready! Hardest part is done though and that is beating the loonies at the checkouts.

 

Pizza and Christmas Stollen for SO and I.

Looking forward to finally having some Stollen again.

 

Going for a McRib here, anybody can cook a turkey, only Micky D's can do the rib.

 

It's beginning to "smell" alot like Christmas Right now, I'm slow cooking my gammon which is to be glazed with an apricot jam and pineapple glaze and garnished with pineapple and fresh cherries which is to be roasted until the outside is crispy. Also boiling is my salt beef.

Together with this I'm roasting a leg of pork and some baby onions in a honey mustard sauce. Also there will be a seven layer salad, fried rice and my piece de resistance... a seafood potjie (Just a little bit of history: Dutch oven - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ) to be served with the fried rice. and for dessert, a cheesecake

(And this is besides the other dishes being made by the two other families we'll be joining for xmas lunch... will post some pics)

It's bound to be a day of slow eating, napping, and waking up to carry on the feast... Tis the season

 

We're making this Greek Chicken & Vegetable Ragout | Eating Well tonight for my in laws... Don't know what tomorrow is bringing.

 

I grill a prime rib every year. this year to go along with the big freakin hunk of red meat, I'm grilling asparagus, drizzled with balsamic. We'll also be having mashed potatoes, and maybe some acorn squash. I'm already hungry!