Christmas day — traditionally characterised by a decorated Christmas tree, exchanging of gifts, Christmas songs and most of all a special Christmas lunch, is one of the most looked forward to traditions over the world.
The highlight of the spread is a roast turkey, with stuffing served with cranberry sauce and gravy, with a choice of vegetables such as green beans, Brussels sprouts, glazed baby carrots and peas, asparagus, roast or mash potatoes, garlic bread or bread rolls.
However, often families add a leg of honey glazed smoked ham to the menu. The dessert is almost always a brandy flambéed Christmas pudding and mince pies with brandy butter.
The custom of Christmas lunch celebration has been a part of my in-laws family since generations and I have been cooking this feast since the last 20 years. It’s a very special time of the year for us and there is excitement and a build up to this lunch all through the month.
We have family and a few friends over for drinks, snacks and a late lunch. The afternoon begins with some strawberries and champagne, followed by wines and cocktails along with hearty snacks like Chicken liver pate, devilled eggs, grilled mushrooms and a variety of dips to keep the hungry guests going till lunch is ready.
There is music, chatter and the spirit of cheer all around. We have a lovely Christmas tree with tinsel lights and colourful baubles with gifts underneath. I enjoy creating a Christmassy ambience all around the home with fairy lights, decorations and and Christmas related songs.
The table is decorated with a combination of flowers, candles, beads and other Christmas decorations in hues of red and gold. Once the table is ready with the turkey, ham and all the other delicious accompaniments, we light the candles, everyone stands around the table and the head of the family carves the turkey and ham after which finally everyone digs into the feast. Watching everyone enjoy the meal makes it worth all the time and effort that goes into putting this wonderful afternoon together once a year.
I usually serve the meal with a slightly fruity white wine or Champagne as I feel this goes best with this rich meal. A full-bodied red wine is also always served.
Christmas Roast Turkey/Chicken
Ingredients
5 to 6 kg turkey whole with skin
200 gm butter
Salt, pepper and seasonings of your choice
2 large onions, thickly chopped into chunks
4 pcs carrots, chopped into large chunks
for the stuffing
400gm bacon, chopped
2 onion, chopped
2-3 packets mushrooms, chopped coarsely
3 cups breadcrumbs
Salt, pepper and herbs for seasoning
1 to 2 egg yolk
½ cup stock
2 tbsp butter
Cranberry Sauce (readymade)
METHOD
To make the stuffing, fry the onion in melted butter till softened. Add the bacon and fry till cooked. Add mushrooms and cook well. Add this to the fresh breadcrumbs and combine with egg yolk, seasonings and a little stock if necessary.
For the turkey, pre-heat the oven to 2300C. Wash and pat the turkey totally dry inside and out and place on a flat surface.
Option 1. Stuff the turkey cavity loosely with the above mixture. Do not overstuff or turkey skin will break while cooking.
Option 2. Due to food safety and health concerns, nowadays it is recommended to cook the stuffing separately and serve with the turkey, which is what I do. I just bake the stuffing in a dish and serve along with the turkey.
Melt the butter, season and baste the turkey generously with it. Truss the turkey and place it breast side up in a roasting pan on a bed of chopped carrots and onions. Cover turkey with foil, add a teacup of water to the roasting pan and cook the turkey for approximately two and a half to three hours. Keep checking to see that there is a little water at the base of the pan, add more if necessary. Remove the foil for the last half hour so that the turkey browns all over evenly. Baste with olive oil while browning. Pierce the thigh with a fork and once the juices run clear the turkey is cooked.
Remove and let it rest for a minimum of half an hour.
For the gravy, strain all the pan juices. In the same pan the turkey was cooking add some more butter once melted, add approx. 1 tbsp. of flour, give it a good mix around and add the strained pan juices to make a thick smooth gravy. Season to taste.
If you are roasting a chicken (approx. 1½ kg size minimum)
Follow the same instructions as Turkey.
Instead of placing chicken on a bed of vegetables,cover the roasting pan with foil and cook chicken uncovered at 1900C for an hour or so till brown. Halfway through the cooking baste chicken with olive oil. Do not add water.
Serve with gravy, not cranberry sauce.
Place the turkey/chicken on a serving platter, surround with vegetables and potatoes and serve with the gravy and cranberry sauce.
Glazed Baby Carrots
1 kg carrots, sliced round
1½ tsp sugar
1 cup full mint leaves
Salt to taste
METHOD
Peel and boil the baby carrots till tender. Heat butter in a pan and add the carrots, and sprinkle the sugar. Give it a good stir on a low heat. You will see a glaze coming on the carrots. Sprinkle salt to taste and mix. Add whole mint leaves mix and remove from fire immediately so leaves don’t wilt. If serving later add the mint just before serving.
X-mas salad with cranberry, feta and Pecans
A mix of Salad greens — Lettuce, Arugula etc. Fresh pomegranate, pears, sliced, feta cheese, pecans or walnuts broken into two, a handful of dried cranberries for topping
(Add a combination of all of above items — quantities, to your choice)
For citrus dressing
2 tbsp or more to taste orange juice
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp evo (extra virgin olive oil)
Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD
For the dressing, mix all ingredients in a shaker to emulsify and combine. Use quantity as desired.
Slice pears finely
Peel the pomegranate
Chop greens roughly
Cube the feta cheese
Toss the salad greens with the pear slices, dried cranberries, pomegranate and dressing
Sprinkle the feta and nuts all over the salad and serve immediately.
— All pictures by Jasmine Pillai
