Christmas Food

[SRD]

So what are you all having?

We have smoked goose breast with baked potatoes and braised red cabbage on Christmas Eve (I've got a nice Cote du Rhone lined up to go with it) and on the day itself we will start with champagne and smoked salmon (we've got neighbours coming in for that bit so I bought a Magnum, as it was reduced it was cheaper than two bottles) followed by a pheasant stuffed with a partridge stuffed with rabbit, they are all de-boned so carving is a joy (Claret to go with that, I've been saving a 1998 Margaux). There'll be roast potatoes, carrot & parsnip purée with green peppercorns, brussel sprouts, fried breadcrumbs and a light gravy. Christmas pudding to follow with a glass of Marsala. Later there'll be Christmas cake with a glass of dry olorosa sherry and later still Stilton with walnuts and apples and a glass of Port. Rum, chilli and basil truffles with sloe gin (all home made) to see us into bed.
Boxing day we'll have a piece of boiled bacon with onion sauce, and plain boiled veg and on Tuesday we've got family coming so we're having a piece of roast Pork with fried apple and onion rings.

[snoopysue]

We had the traditional turkey, roast spuds and christmas pud on Christmas day. But tonight I'm doing the traditional Danish Christmas fayre of roast duck, braised red cabbage and caramalised potatoes. For pud there is the cold rice pud with whipped cream and almonds served with a warm cherry sauce. It'll be the first time for the potatoes, so fingers crossed!!

[gardener]

Just a word of warning...

I watched Jamie Oliver make his "get ahead gravy" and thought it must be a good idea so I made a batch and put it in the fridge. Come the 25th I still did not fancy the star anis imparted flavour so I made the gravy the usual way (not like it is difficult is it?).

I told my sister about it and she said she tried it last year and still had batches of it in the freezer, wondering if it would work in a curry.

My mildly veggie daughter said that as I had not used it and my sister had not used it then perhaps I should throw it away. And I did but I feel a bit guilty

My verdict is: I don't think it saves more than a minute on the actual day so personally I would not waste the fridge space but if you want to make it the skip the star anis

[SRD]

MrsSRD spent some time yesterday cutting up all the meat and stuffing leftovers covering them with gravy and freezing in portions ready to be used as a filling for Christmas pie some time in the New Year.