The perfect Christmas Day dinner - Get it planned, keep it simple, have a cracker!

It’s that time of year when the biggest culinary test of the year approaches for most households.
It can be quite a daunting task to suddenly have to cater for a dozen people when in-laws and outlaws descend on your house that is not designed to be a makeshift restaurant for one day. 
Of course we in food world get inundated with queries and dilemmas that people face with the Christmas dinner challenge so here are a few of my best tips to help you get though the obstacle course that awaits you if you are the chosen one to produce the magic this year.

STARTERS?
Always go for something cold that can be sitting there waiting to be eaten, melon, smoked salmon, prawns or pate are always good ones but only leave out for half an hour at most. Soup is too filling and forget about it as a middle course. If you are having cheese leave it out of the fridge but covered for a few hours to reach room temperature when it will have full flavour and always eat it before dessert contrary to what the English would like us to do, the whole of Europe cannot be wrong on that one.

THE TURKEY 
It starts with the turkey and really the key is to keep it simple and buy the size that you need, many make the mistake of getting birds that will feed double the amount of guests they have. 
If you are one for a whole turkey then allow half a raw pound per serving so a 10 pounder, approximately a 5kg bird will easily feed fifteen people or more. I suggest crowns though as most people prefer breast meat and it cooks quicker. 
The rule for cooking is twenty minutes per pound or forty per kilo starting at 200c and turning down to 160c for the rest. Always cover the breast with some streaky fat bacon and baste it regularly by scooping up the melted fat and juices with a large spoon and ladling over the joint. Three or four times is ample for this. Season it well with salt and pepper beforehand. 
There is no need to wrap it in foil, roast means roast and not steamed as foil will do to it. When cooked check it has clear juices running from it, any blood and its not done, if there is pop it back in for a while or get a probe to read the temperatures has reached 75c in the centre.
Let the whole joint rest for half an hour though which lets you make the gravy from the cooking juices by just straining them into a pot and thickening with some cornflour, you can add a chicken stock cube as well for extra flavour. 
The roasting tray can then be used straight away for your roast spuds which should be peeled and cut small the day before and left in water. 
Have them uniformly about the size of an egg. Just season them with salt and pepper, roll them in the residual fat from the joint, add a bit more bought goose fat or some rapeseed oil, turn the oven back up to 220c and let them sizzle for half an hour giving them a shake halfway and your roasties will be tip top. Forget all the par boiling baloney adding extra fuss to an already busy workload.

THE HAM
For the roast ham this should all be boiled and cooled the day before. The quick tip for this is to slice it cold, layer them in an oven proof serving dish, drizzle some honey on them and brush with a little mustard and just give them a few minutes in the oven till hot and then you do not have the hassle of having to carve a second joint at the table. You can also do this under the grill to get them nicely caramelized.

STUFFING
There is the debate as to whether stuffing should be in the bird or separately. 
Firstly make it the day before. I then suggest cook it on its own, in a shallow oven dish so it is spread out and gets a crispy topping. 
Drizzle a little of the cooking juices over the top to give extra flavour and put it in half way through the roast potatoes on the bottom shelf. Also, do not be messing with your regular stuffing recipe but always use fresh herbs and stick to what you know. Remember, Christmas dinner is just an embellished Sunday lunch roast meal and no time for experimenting. 
I like to do cocktail sausages rolled in a little rasher or pigs in blankets as our friends across the water call them. Again they can go in at the same time as the stuffing.

VEGETABLES
For the veggies, do not cook what you do not like. If you are not a sprout fan then leave them out but if roasted you will be converted as they taste totally different. 
Carrots and broccoli are fine as are parsnips, peas, cauliflower or red cabbage. Have them all peeled and chopped the day before and either boil them halfway and cool them down in cold water or cook fully from fresh when the turkey is resting. With all the extra garnishes two veggies is ample.
A good way is to par cook any root vegetables, spread out on a tray, drizzle a little rapeseed oil, salt and pepper on them and thrown them into the oven if its big enough at the same time as the roasties just to finish them off. 
There is no need to have a second spud either; doing mash is again overloading the menu. 
Cranberry sauce can be home made but its easier to just get a good jar. 
Bread sauce is quick too, just simmering your milk with a little diced onion and a clove, breaking in your torn white bread pieces, letting it simmer till it thickens, season lightly and finish with some chopped parsley. Again this can be pre-made and just given a little reheat in the microwave.

SERVING 
It's all a co-ordination exercise and do make full use of the oven space you have and the number of hobs so that everything can be plonked on the table at the same time and let people help themselves. 
Don’t even think about plating up everyone’s portion separately. Then nominate someone to carve as you have done your bit. So make sure you have a decent sized table, you can increase the size if it’s adjustable or in hotels we have a larger top wooden board for bigger numbers that just sits on top of the existing table that you can get cut to order and just keep in your garage.

DESSERT
These days Christmas pudding is going out of fashion as some people like chocolate desserts to finish or something light like a mousse. 
I think Sherry trifle when home made is a good end to Christmas dinner and still traditional. Again make it a day or two before and leave in the fridge ready to go. About half your preparation should be done and dusted during both days before the 25th. All food shopping should be finished on the 23rd at the latest. Running around the stores on Christmas Eve is a recipe for disaster. 
Make sure you do a good fridge and freezer clearout the days before to make way for all the extra food needing storing. Only put what you need in the fridge, space will be precious. Use a cool back hall with the heater off like we would have done in the days before fridges. Keep the pets out.

WINE
Wine wise, its really all about white for turkey and any of the starters mentioned, you do not have to splash out, there are excellent pino grigios and chardonnays now that fit the bill perfectly for a tenner in your local wine shop or supermarket. 
You will need a decent red for any cheese though. 
Best not to start boozing too early, have a prosecco or champagne just before the meal and this will set your appetite up nicely for the marathon that lies ahead. So best of luck with the cooking, that’s easy for me to say of course, I will be doing more or less all of the above so if you follow these tips you will not go far wrong and everybody will be singing your praises and rule one is if you cook you are exempt from all wash up. 
You can sit back and give yourself a big clap on the back. Happy Cooking.. and Christmas!