Traditional
Christmas Dinner Menu
This Traditional Christmas Dinner Menu is based on a Dickensian theme - it's a taste of a bygone era....a good, old fashioned English Christmas!
"Tis the season to be jolly....."
This traditional Christmas dinner menu is not only a feast to the eyes and to the palate, but it's also designed with EASE in mind! Much of the preparation can be done well in advance leaving you free to enjoy the company of your guests on this very special day.
Gourmet food........the EASY way!
Christmas Dinner Menu
The following planning notes and countdown will help you to produce this traditional Christmas dinner menu without getting stressed and exhausted on Christmas Day! After all, you want to be able to enjoy the occasion too!
Several Weeks Ahead
3 or More Days Ahead
- Attend to all last minute Christmas gift shopping.
- Shop for all groceries - please don't leave it until Christmas Eve! Everything that you need for this menu will keep perfectly well for 2 0r 3 days as long as it is properly stored.
- Prepare and freeze the salmon creams.
- Prepare and freeze the chocolate truffles.
- Prepare and refigerate the rum butter.
2 Days Ahead
Christmas Eve
- Prepare and stuff the goose. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate.
- Prepare the giblet stock cool, and refrigerate.
- Peel and trim the sprouts, cover with cling wrap and leave somewhere cool.
- Peel the potatoes, immerse in cold water, cover and leave somewhere cool.
- Prepare the parsnips ready for baking and refrigerate.
- Take the sponge pudding and the salmon creams out of the freezer and place in the refrigerator to defrost.
Christmas Day
The final preparations for this traditional Christmas dinner menu will be found in each of the above recipes. However, the following order of work may be useful in planning the final countdown.
- Roast the goose.
- Toast the flaked almonds ready for the Brussels sprouts.
- Steam the Christmas pudding.
- Roast the potatoes.
- Prepare the bread sauce and keep warm.
- Remove the goose from the oven, cover it loosely with foil and stand it somewhere warm.
- Increase the oven temperature to 400F, 200C, gas mark 6 and bake the parsnips.
- Make the gravy.
- Cook the sprouts.
- Bake the salmon creams.
Now you are ready to serve!
ENJOY!
This traditional Christmas dinner menu makes a refreshing alternative to the more widely served roast turkey. However, should you prefer it, my recipe for Traditional Roast Turkey with Pork and Herbed Apple Stuffing would work just as well as the main course for this menu.
......and finally, if you are very short on time.....
Cheat a Little!
A Traditional Christmas Dinner Menu requires a fair amount of your precious time for preparation. So consider buying in a quality, prepared appetizer or dessert course....or both! CLICK HERE for my personal recommendations for online gourmet suppliers.
Wine Connoisseur's Suggestions
By courtesy of Cheers 2 Wine.com
Our friend and savvy wine expert, Steve Howe from Cheers 2 Wine.com makes the following suggestions to serve with this traditional Christmas dinner menu: Baked Salmon Creams: Sauvignon Blanc would be an excellent choice to complement the salmon creams and balance the lemon dressing. Alternatively, you could choose to start the Christmas celebration off in true style with a dry Champagne or Sparkling wine.
Roast Goose: Select a good quality Spanish Rioja, such as Bodegas Fernando Remirez de Ganiza 2001. And if some of your guests would prefer a white wine, you might want to also offer a fresh tasting Riesling.
Sponge Pudding: Mocato d'Asti, a sweet Sparkling Wine from Italy would go well with the sponge pudding and end the meal on a festive note.
Cheers Steve!
To go from this traditional Christmas dinner menu to a recipe for
Christmas Cake
CLICK HERE
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