In our experience Christmas cookbooks can be rather an afterthought, put out by publishers wanting to cash in on the rising panic that crescendos the final weeks of December. Many (but not all) are old-fashioned Mrs Beeton affairs that demand you being chained to the kitchen for weeks before the big day, soaking fruit and making your own mincemeat. Not that we have anything against the great Mrs B, but, face it, who has the time for all that hassle these days? So we were really happy to discover James Ramsden’s book Do-Ahead Christmas. Full of recipes you’ll want to cook; traditional dishes with a modern twist that aren’t too fussy (there’s always the tendency for chefs to ‘over-fancy’ Christmas lunch) and with lots of sensible advice that breaks down the big day cook-a-thon into easy chunks. James Ramsden is a food writer who contributes for the Guardian amongst others. He says: ‘I hope that the methods I suggest and the general spirit of this book will help your Christmas cooking easier. As far as I am concerned, the more time you’ve got family, friends and fizz, the better.’ And we think he's succeeded: Do-Ahead Christmas is a book you'll buy and keep forever. Here's a taster of what's in the book.
Do-Ahead Christmas by James Ramsden, published by Pavilion Books
THE CLASSIC TURKEY
Serves 10–12
200g/7oz/generous ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
2 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste
1 tbsp chopped thyme
a big handful of parsley, finely chopped
4 sage leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp rosemary, finely chopped
salt and pepper
1 turkey (ideally brined), about 6kg/13lb, wings removed and saved for stock
a good splash of dry white wine
Despite all the arguments in favour of dividing up the turkey and cooking the bits separately, there are still those who will prefer to roast the bird whole, if only for the pleasure of presenting the creature as one. This recipe should ensure that all goes to plan. You’ll notice that I don’t suggest stuffing the bird – this is in the spirit of evenness of cooking. Cook the stuffing separately and then cheat by wanging it up the bird after it’s cooked.
Some rules of thumb:
• Take the turkey out of the fridge a good 6 hours before cooking, longer if possible, to bring it up to room temperature.
• Some breeds take longer to cook than others, so use a meat thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature.
• Rest, rest, and rest some more. Minimum 30 minutes, preferably 1 hour, up to 2 hours in a warm place, loosely covered in foil.
• There will almost inevitably be dry bits, I’m afraid. Douse with gravy, or set them to one side and save for one of the leftovers recipes (p.163). Or the dog. Lucky dog.
Up to 1 day ahead (min. 5 hours):
Put the softened butter in a large bowl and beat in the garlic and herbs. Season generously. Now carefully ease your fingers under the skin of the turkey, all around the breast, and then rub the herb butter under the skin. Store in the fridge if necessary.
4–5 hours ahead:
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Roast the turkey for 20 minutes per kilo plus an extra 90 minutes, basting every hour. There are several variables at play, so during the final 90 minutes keep an eye on the cooking – a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh will come out hot when the bird is cooked. If you have a meat thermometer, the temperature should be 65°C/150°F. Remove from the oven and transfer to a plate or board to rest in a warm place for up to 2 hours, covered loosely in foil. Tip any excess fat from the roasting pan, then sit the pan over a medium–high heat and add a splash of white wine. Simmer for 5 minutes, scraping up all the sticky bits with a wooden spoon, then tip this into the pre-prepared gravy. Carve the turkey and serve when ready.
BRUSSEL SPROUTS, TWO WAYS
To say you don’t like sprouts is, I would argue, like saying you don’t like music. Perhaps you don’t like them done a certain way, just like you won’t like certain music, but they’re such versatile wee things that there’s surely bound to be some iteration of these miniature cabbages that blows your hair back. I’ve given you three options below, one of which, granted, isn’t strictly ‘do-ahead’, but is too good to omit.
Brussels sprout purée with cream and nutmeg
Serves 6–8
500g/1lb 2oz sprouts, trimmed and halved
25g/1oz/2 tbsp butter, softened
100ml/3½fl oz/7 tbsp double (heavy) cream
a good grating of nutmeg
a squeeze of lemon juice
salt and pepper
Up to 1 day ahead:
Bring a pan of salted water to a boil and add the sprouts. Simmer for 7–8 minutes until completely tender. Drain thoroughly, then blend in a food processor with the butter, cream, nutmeg, a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt and pepper. Transfer to an ovenproof serving dish and leave to cool, then cover and chill.
45 minutes ahead:
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6. Cover the purée with foil and warm in the oven for 20–25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Keep warm until ready to serve. You could do all this in a microwave (using clingfilm instead of foil).
Roast sprouts
Serves 6–8
750g/1lb 10oz sprouts, trimmed
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
The notion of roasting greens is slightly alien to us but it’s something I’m doing more and more. I adore the slightly burnt flavour, the way the outer leaves char at the edges. This isn’t the most do-ahead of dishes, but as they only need a 10-minute blast before serving everything else, they will keep warm quite happily.
20 minutes ahead:
Preheat the oven to as hot as it can go. Toss the sprouts in olive oil, salt and pepper, then roast for 7–10 minutes until charred and tender. Serve.
