If this is the first year that you are going to be making Christmas dinner then it is highly likely that you are fraught with nerves, in the hope that it goes well. Of course the fear of it not going well is that you may very well be remembered throughout the history of the family has having messed up, but let us be confident here as we are sure that this is not something which is going to happen. Beyond anything else there are many experts like the brilliant chef Roger Wolfson, who have been sharing an enormous number of simple tips to follow for a meal like this. We have rounded up some of those top chef tips and these are the ones which we believe will help you to deliver a great dinner.
Plan Timings
The stress of cooking a meal like this can be found in the timings, and making sure that everything goes in at the right time, and of course, is taken out at the right time. In order to make sure that this happens you will need to do some prep work and you will need to write down each item you are going to prepare, how long it will take and then adjust things accordingly. If you are tight on space then you can always cook things together, potatoes with turkey, par boiling veg together etc.
Prep, Prep, Prep
There is a lot that you can sort out the night before your dinner which will help you significantly on the day itself. Par boil your veg and set it aside, make stuffing or gravy or soups for starters. You can also use the time the night before to prepare the turkey if you are having one which will certainly speed things up on the big day.
Use Help
Make sure that you are using people to help you out whilst you are preparing the food. This could be someone setting the table or getting drinks for people, perhaps even cutting up the turkey or plating up the veg. If you are in charge and everything is under control then start dishing out those jobs so that you can be less stressed.
Preprepared
There is absolutely no shame in buying some preprepared bits and pieces. Perhaps the pigs in blankets or the roast potatoes, whatever makes your life easier, that is what is important here. Be sure to stay calm and relaxed and if buying something which has already been prepped makes things that little bit calmer then go ahead and do it.
Wine Limit
And finally it is important that you don’t go too crazy on the wine whilst you are cooking. This is very easy to do even if you are not a big drinker, because you are end up drinking as you go and before you know it, a little bit too much has been consumed. Best to wait for dinner time.
Remember, it is just another meal.