Plan Ahead
Your Christmas Countdown
A stress-free Christmas starts with good planning.
Weeks Before
- Make Christmas pudding — it improves with age
- Order your turkey — from your local butcher
- Stock cupboard essentials — spices, dried fruit, nuts
- Make & freeze mince pie pastry — You can roll and cut the pastry to shape
- Write your menu — and shopping list and your prep list
Christmas Eve
- Make cranberry sauce — keeps well in the fridge
- Cook red cabbage — prepare and braise ready to reheat
- Make stuffing — refrigerate ready to cook
- Prepare the turkey — See my recipe for the perfect roast Turkey
- Prep vegetables — peel, chop, and blanch vegetables and potatoes
Christmas Day
- 9:30amPre-heat your oven
- 10amRoast the Turkey (see recipe, timings depend on the size of your Turkey)
- 11:30amTurkey out to rest, covered with foil
- 12pmMake the gravy, cook veg and potatoes
- 12:30Set the table and serve your starter
- 1pmCarve the Turkey and serve!
“The secret to a relaxed Christmas Day? Do as much as possible in advance. Your cranberry sauce, stuffing, and even gravy base can all be made days ahead. On the day, you should be enjoying time with family, not stuck in the kitchen!”
— Raymond Blanc
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