Have you ever wondered what are the most popular Christmas foods to have at the dinner table? Here's our list of the best Christmas foods to have on Christmas Day - and a few of them may surprise you.
From classic roast turkey to roast potatoes, indeed, some festive foods are much more preferred than others. As well as festive staples – such as pigs in blankets, parsnips, and Christmas pud – it turns out some of us even enjoy chips at our big feast, as well as Yorkshire pudding. Controversial, we know.
1. Roast potatoes
Of all the trimmings, a roast just simply would not be a roast without the icon of side dishes, and you put a perfect roast potato firmly in the top spot – ahead of even the turkey. And we concur. Soft and fluffy on the inside, crispy and crunchy on the outside, whether you go festive trad/slightly posh by cooking them in goose fat, or go for the (somewhat more heart-healthy option) of roasting them in olive oil, the humble spud is the undisputed King of Christmas dinner.
Jazz things up with some crushed cloves of garlic, sprinkle over some fresh rosemary or thyme, and go a little Italian with a dash of oregano and some lemons. You could also mix other root veg in with them (saves on oven space and washing up) - try adding swede and a festive parsnip (though make sure they’re pretty chunky or add them in later in the cooking process as they will take less time). Or, just put them in sizzling oil and add salt. Because sometimes the simple things are the best.
2. Carrots
We all love a carrot, the most crowd-pleasing of veggies – though we’re a little surprised they’ve ranked quite this highly on the Christmas food list. They’re certainly one of the most important veggies on the festive dinner plate, though, bringing colour as well as flavour. And, for the big meal, it’s worth making them a star (so, no, over-boiled, soggy versions have no place on a festive table, folks).
Eschewing your basic carrot for a posher version like Chantenay and cooking them whole is a nice touch at Christmas (saves on prep, too). You could roast them, maybe alongside your parsnips and they work well with sticky sweet marinades like maple syrup, or honey. This recipe from the Hairy Bikers makes great use of an under-used spice, caraway seeds as well as butter and honey to give them a lovely glaze - because what in life isn’t made better with the addition of butter and honey?
3. Turkey
Well, it is the most festive meat of all the meats, the crowning glory of Christmas dinner tables up and down the land. While most of us don’t regularly tuck into a turkey dinner, come December 25th, 76% of households get stuck into one of the 10 million birds sold. One of the appeals is they feed a lot of folks, for those of us who have a lot of people to cater to, and it’s something different from the everyday. And so long as you know how to cook a turkey properly and serve with a very good gravy, it tastes very fine too. If budget allows, it’s worth investing in an organic, free-range bird from a small, local producer, because there will be a huge difference in taste and flavour.
Because of the size of a turkey and the cooking time involved, it can easily dry out, so it needs a lot of care in the cooking process. Cover it in butter or streaky bacon, put a delicious stuffing, like the one in the below recipe, into the cavity, and make good use of flavours like lemon and garlic. If space allows, take your bird out to the table as the crowning glory, dressed with fresh herbs and surrounded by your roast veggies.
4. Gravy
Much like the potatoes, a roast wouldn’t be a roast without lashings of thick, juicy gravy. Whether it’s a veggie version to add moisture to a nut roast, or one made with meat juices, it’s one of the trickiest parts of the meal to do well, getting the right thickness and taste, just at the time when all the other parts of the meal start coming together.
All you really need is the meat juices, stock and some cornflour to thicken, like in this recipe below, though there are other flavours that work well – try splashing in some of that old bottle of red plonk you have lying around (don’t waste your best stuff on cooking!), add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, or some people even swear by adding a spoonful of Marmite for that umami flavour. You can also throw in crushed garlic cloves from your roast veg pan, some fresh herbs and a bay leaf, just strain the mix afterwards and serve in your finest gravy boat or jug. Just make plenty as you’re almost certain to be asked for seconds
5. Stuffing
An essential part of a festive dinner table if turkey or chicken are your meats of choice, it’s essential for stuffing the bird, but also great oven roasted and crispy as a side dish. It tends to feel special and significant because most of us don’t bother with it for a regular Sunday roast. There’s a heck of a lot you can do with stuffing, and it can even be promoted to a central role in your Christmas meal, especially for vegan and veggie folks (so long as you don’t stick any sausage meat in there, of course).
Oh, the choices. From the classic sage and onion below, you could try a meaty sausage and apple stuffing (that would pair beautifully with pork as well as turkey) or how about apricot and hazelnut? Olives work well in stuffing too, especially for roast lamb, and throwing in some pancetta works a treat. Breadcrumbs are an essential part of a stuffing, so you could swap regular bread for sourdough or ciabatta as a special twist. Bake and serve straight from the dish, or roll into balls and serve on a platter with pigs in blankets, and your dishes of cranberry and bread sauce.
Please comment and let me know what you like to eat most on Christmas Eve!
Regardless of how you choose to celebrate, I hope you have a fantastic day.
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