THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2024 3 THE GLEANER’S CHRISTMAS COOKBOOK 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 chicken, potatoes and ham, 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 22 – that way you can avoid a last-minute trolley dash around your local supermarket. 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 knives – make sure they’re nice and sharp, as this will make cooking faster and easier. PREP YOUR VEGETABLES THE NIGHT BEFORE Peel potatoes, carrots, parsnips and any other vegetables you’re having, and leave them in pans of cold water overnight. This will prevent 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. GET YOUR TIMINGS FOR THE BIG DAY SORTED Plan exactly how long everything takes to cook and make yourself a to-do list. 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 five to 10 minutes. Giving you back some vital time to host or concentrate on juggling the other five things you’ll no doubt be cooking. 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 along (where possible). Even if this just means packing the dishwasher as you go, it’ll ensure 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. Source: rickstein.com for a stress-free Christmas dinner 7 SIMPLE TIPS
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