Planning the Christmas Recipes

Planning the Christmas Recipes It should be done with the precision and advance preparation of a military operation - if the cook is going to enjoy it too.
Whoever does the Christmas catering must be able to enjoy themselves with the others, without giving too much time to the stove and the kitchen. A strict timetable is the best answer, both before hand as well as on the day itself. Ordering All the extra items needed for Christmas cooking should be thought of well ahead. First, of well ahead. First, sit down and choose your recipes for cake, puddings and mincemeat, and list the ingredients you will need for all these items. Start at the beginning of November and lay in these stocks during the month. Help yourself when it comes to cooking, by washing all dries fruit as you buy it. Mop it in a clean towel, and spread out on kitchen paper over wire trays to dry off. Sore in airtight tins. At the beginning of December, make a preliminary decision on the kind of bird you would like, and start enquiries as to price and availability. as soon as your final decision is made, and the bird ordered, list the accessories you will need for it - bacon, sausages, kind of stuffing, vegetables - and quantities, according to the weight of the bird and the number of people for Christmas dinner. If you have groceries, bread and vegetables delivered, mark on your list the day on which you must order all these items for delivery in time for the holiday. If you shop personally, you will not want to be carrying extra heavy loads, so buy bread (for stuffing and bread sauce) four days before Christmas Eve, vegetables the day before, and sausages, bacon any other garnishes on Christmas Eve where possible. Spread potato buying over the other days of Christmas week, as the total weight need will be the heaviest. Order the joint (no later than the beginning of Christmas week), you are likely to need help over the rest of the holiday period. If collecting this yourself, do so as late as possible on Christmas Eve Spread the buying of soft drinks, wines and spirits needed over the month of December, aiming at having your supply complete by the beginning of Christmas week.	Cooking Beforehand Mincemeat, puddings and cake can all be made a matter of weeks before the festive holiday Mincemeat.- When this contains wine or spirits, it can be made in early November, as soon as you have all the necessary ingredients. Otherwise, make it two or three weeks before Christmas Day. Puddings - These may be made one month before needed. The Cake - Make the cake itself one month beforehand. When quite cold, wrap in greaseproof paper and store The Almond Paste should be put on the cake at least one week before Christmas, and must be left for two or three days at least to dry out completely before the white icing is put on. The Icing and Decoration - Accomplish this task two or three days ahead. Jobs for the 24th Try to get all shopping done as early as possible, leaving you free to carry out the following preparations; Make mince pies, also make a batch of pastry and store in a tin or in the refrigerator. This will be useful for making additional mince pies or other sweet or savoury pastry items over the holiday. Make stuffing, and prepare and stuff the bird (but do not put in sausage meat). Put the bird ready in its tin to go in the oven the next day. Make the necessary quantity of breadcrumbs ready for the bread sauce; and, if hard sauce is on the menu for the pudding, make this.	Prepare sausages for the bird, rind the bacon and do all vegetable preparation. See that the pudding is in order, ready for reheating the next day. Christmas Day Aim at a definite time for the meal. The cook can then feel confident and happy over a careful schedule for dinner at 1.30 p.m., which is worked out as follows: 8.45 a.m. - Preheat oven. Add sausage meat stuffing to the bird (chicken or turkey). 9 a.m. - Put the bird in oven, baste half-hourly. Put the onion to infuse in the milk for bread sauce. 10 a.m. - Lay the table and put wines ready. If a white sauce is preferred to a hard sauce for the pudding, make it now and put to heat when you dish up the pudding. 11 a.m. - Put the giblets to simmer for gravy. 11.15 a.m. - Pudding on to reheat in saucepan of boiling water. 11.30 a.m. - Potatoes on to boil for 5 minutes. 12 noon. - potatoes round turkey to roast. 12.50 p.m. - Celery on now, if on menu. 1.5 p.m. - Sprouts on to boil. Finish the bread sauce and keep hot. 1.10 p.m. - Mince pies to warm. 1.15 p.m. - Sausage and bacon on to grill, turn after 5 minutes. Put potatoes to pan roast if they cannot be cooked round the bird. Make gravy and dish up the bird and vegetables. Pudding should be left on a pin-point of gas while first course is being eaten, and dished while one or two of the diners clear away the first course.

It should be done with the precision and advance preparation of a military operation - if the cook is going to enjoy it too.

Whoever does the Christmas catering must be able to enjoy themselves with the others, without giving too much time to the stove and the kitchen. A strict timetable is the best answer, both before hand as well as on the day itself.

Ordering

All the extra items needed for Christmas cooking should be thought of well ahead. First, of well ahead. First, sit down and choose your recipes for cake, puddings and mincemeat, and list the ingredients you will need for all these items. Start at the beginning of November and lay in these stocks during the month.

Help yourself when it comes to cooking, by washing all dries fruit as you buy it. Mop it in a clean towel, and spread out on kitchen paper over wire trays to dry off. Sore in airtight tins.

At the beginning of December, make a preliminary decision on the kind of bird you would like, and start enquiries as to price and availability. as soon as your final decision is made, and the bird ordered, list the accessories you will need for it - bacon, sausages, kind of stuffing, vegetables - and quantities, according to the weight of the bird and the number of people for Christmas dinner.

If you have groceries, bread and vegetables delivered, mark on your list the day on which you must order all these items for delivery in time for the holiday. If you shop personally, you will not want to be carrying extra heavy loads, so buy bread (for stuffing and bread sauce) four days before Christmas Eve, vegetables the day before, and sausages, bacon any other garnishes on Christmas Eve where possible. Spread potato buying over the other days of Christmas week, as the total weight need will be the heaviest.

Order the joint (no later than the beginning of Christmas week), you are likely to need help over the rest of the holiday period. If collecting this yourself, do so as late as possible on Christmas Eve Spread the buying of soft drinks, wines and spirits needed over the month of December, aiming at having your supply complete by the beginning of Christmas week.

Whether you are entertaining on the grand scale, giving a small family party or just cooking for two at Christmas, poultry will probably be the main dish. But even with such traditional fare, you can ring in the changes and display your originality with the trimmings.There is an infinnite variety of accompaniments and garnishes for the Christmas bird. Cranberry sauce is particulrly appetising.To add a touch of colour to the dish, garnish with freeze green watercress and cranberry sauce - or whole cranberries - in tinned peach halves. For a different vegetable accompaniment, try a mixture of frozen peas and sweet corn, with a slice or two of tinned pimento for a touch of red.

Cooking Beforehand

Mincemeat, puddings and cake can all be made a matter of weeks before the festive holiday

Mincemeat.- When this contains wine or spirits, it can be made in early November, as soon as you have all the necessary ingredients. Otherwise, make it two or three weeks before Christmas Day.

Puddings - These may be made one month before needed.

The Cake - Make the cake itself one month beforehand. When quite cold, wrap in greaseproof paper and store

The Almond Paste should be put on the cake at least one week before Christmas, and must be left for two or three days at least to dry out completely before the white icing is put on.

The Icing and Decoration - Accomplish this task two or three days ahead.

Jobs for the 24th

Try to get all shopping done as early as possible, leaving you free to carry out the following preparations;

Make mince pies, also make a batch of pastry and store in a tin or in the refrigerator. This will be useful for making additional mince pies or other sweet or savoury pastry items over the holiday.

Make stuffing, and prepare and stuff the bird (but do not put in sausage meat). Put the bird ready in its tin to go in the oven the next day.

Make the necessary quantity of breadcrumbs ready for the bread sauce; and, if hard sauce is on the menu for the pudding, make this.

Prepare sausages for the bird, rind the bacon and do all vegetable preparation.

See that the pudding is in order, ready for reheating the next day.

Christmas Day

Aim at a definite time for the meal. The cook can then feel confident and happy over a careful schedule for dinner at 1.30 p.m., which is worked out as follows:

8.45 a.m. - Preheat oven. Add sausage meat stuffing to the bird (chicken or turkey).

9 a.m. - Put the bird in oven, baste half-hourly. Put the onion to infuse in the milk for bread sauce.

10 a.m. - Lay the table and put wines ready. If a white sauce is preferred to a hard sauce for the pudding, make it now and put to heat when you dish up the pudding.

11 a.m. - Put the giblets to simmer for gravy.

11.15 a.m. - Pudding on to reheat in saucepan of boiling water.

11.30 a.m. - Potatoes on to boil for 5 minutes.

12 noon. - potatoes round turkey to roast.

12.50 p.m. - Celery on now, if on menu.

1.5 p.m. - Sprouts on to boil. Finish the bread sauce and keep hot.

1.10 p.m. - Mince pies to warm.

1.15 p.m. - Sausage and bacon on to grill, turn after 5 minutes. Put potatoes to pan roast if they cannot be cooked round the bird. Make gravy and dish up the bird and vegetables.

Pudding should be left on a pin-point of gas while first course is being eaten, and dished while one or two of the diners clear away the first course.