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
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.
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 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.
Soaking and sprouting is very easy. Soak overnight, then strain ater and keep the beans for 24 hour covered by a lid that has holes or give some headspace.
You can put peeled, and cut carrots, in water, refrigerated, for several hours, with no problem. ( I do this with potatoes, as well). Storing them for several days however, is not a good idea.
Irrigate your vegetables before 9 – 10 a.m. in spring and fall. During summer, wake up earlier and water the garden by 6 – 7 a.m. to avoid the heat of the day as much as possible. If early irrigation is not an option, the second best time to do it is late afternoon to early evening.
Getting these prepped and lined up in a tray on Christmas Eve will make Christmas morning so much more enjoyable. Get your potatoes, carrots, parsnips, red cabbage and Brussels ready, then simply cover with foil and pop in the fridge, ready to cook tomorrow.
The turkey will stay warm for a few hours if it's wrapped well (a layer of tea towels or a bath towel over the top will help insulate it further). Keep the roasties warm in a very low oven, and drain any boiled veg a few minutes before it's finished cooking so you can reheat just before serving.
If you can't convince your family to have a simple meal of finger foods for Christmas, prioritize what foods make your family feel like it's Christmas. Some people eat Homemade Macaroni and Cheese, lasagna or ham and au gratin potatoes. It doesn't matter what you serve, as long as your family feels like it's Christmas.
Here they are, the holiday classics! These are the top-rated main dish and side dish recipes you need for a perfect traditional Christmas dinner. They cover the savory side of Christmas dinner, from prime rib, baked ham, and roast turkey to scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce.
I love mung beans, black chickpeas, adzuki beans, pigeon peas, and fenugreek seeds (which are legumes because they grow in pods). Some sprout alfalfa and broccoli seeds. I have not tried that yet, but the process is likely similar. Avoid sprouting kidney beans, lima beans, black beans, and other beans in this category.
If you forget to rinse and drain or have a conflict that keeps you away from home for one rinse/drain, it really isn't a big deal. The sprouts still have water and air circulating and will be fine. Just pick back up where you left off. Please note that some seeds/beans need to sprout in a dark area, like the pantry.
Don't rinse your sprouts right before you put them in the fridge as the extra water can reduce their shelf life. After the last rinse, wait 8 to 12 hours to place them in the fridge, so they have had a little bit of time to dry.
All cut vegetables should be used within 2 to 3 days.
Carrots, celery, and radishes will last up to 5 days when stored in water but if storing that long, be sure to replace the water each day or at least every other day. So go on, cut up some veggies!
I know some people soak their greens as long as over night to remove any bitter flavor. However, through trial and error, I have found that the extra soaking time isn't necessary. 10 minutes will do and your collards won't be bitter.
Eating a variety of vegetables and fruit is good for your health. Keep food safety in mind by choosing, washing and storing vegetables and fruits properly. Remember the two hour rule: two hours is the maximum amount of time you should leave peeled and cut produce out at room temperature.
You can safely and easily prepare vegetables and store them in the fridge overnight before using them in your favorite recipes. Prepping ahead means washing, peeling (if needed), and cutting, chopping, slicing or dicing your veggies according to the recipes you'll be using them in.
Hobby: Flower arranging, Yo-yoing, Tai chi, Rowing, Macrame, Urban exploration, Knife making
Introduction: My name is Madonna Wisozk, I am a attractive, healthy, thoughtful, faithful, open, vivacious, zany person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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