Top Tips For A Perfect Christmas Dinner!

For today's entry I wanted to find out, what makes the perfect Christmas Dinner. I asked a cross section of friends and family for their top tips, when preparing and cooking for their big day and am lucky enough to include the replies I received. Many thanks to all of you who took the time to message me, I'm sure readers of 'Spanish Views' will find you advice invaluable when cooking on the 25th December.

As for me I wanted to tell you how I do my roast potatoes:

After peeling, I parboil my potatoes for between ten and twelve minutes. Mean while I heat a combination of goose or duck fat and lard in a roasting tin until smoking hot. Once the potatoes have boiled, I drain the water, replace the lid of the pan and vigorously shake them, fluffing up the sides. Next I add some plain flour to the spuds, shaking once more; finally adding to the hot fat. I season with salt, pepper, a little balsamic vinegar and a few sprigs of rosemary, cooking until golden brown. Half way through cooking, in true Jamie Oliver style, I give each potato a bash with a spoon, increasing the surface area to be roasted...My top tips for the perfect roasties!

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work all the times out of cooking everything then work it backwards from serving time to give you a start time and a list like 1) meat in 10am 2) spuds on 11am etc 

Stephen C Hick - Southampton

I have a few, here goes, first and foremost 1. No stress! It's just one day!! It's a little more than a Sunday roast! 2. Get prepared and write that list. 3. Prepare veg the day before, assemble into pans, so it can just be moved and cooked on the day, 4. Get your gravy perfect, there's no right or wrong way, people's tastes vary, but I always include my meat juices, skimmed from all of the fat from the roasting tray. 5. Use extra special fats like goose fat, beef dripping or duck fat for roast potatoes and parsnips. 6. Add pancetta or bacon bits and onion to Brussels sprouts and chestnuts and sausage meat to stuffing to add that extra bit special. 7. Enjoy! with large glass in hand

Ruth Jones - Gran Alacant
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Timing is all. Whatever people are serving up, please don't get stressed, it's only a Sunday Roast with a bit extra. Don't give them too many vegetables, they always leave them. Make sure whatever meat/vegetarian dish you are cooking, please do not overcook ( take it out off the oven and let it rest)

It's not that difficult, just enjoy. Oops forgot do not overcook the roast potatoes and make sure you cook your parsnips in honey and they are of a golden colour, then off course there are the bp, if you can be bothered el dente with little criss x at the top. Best of all enjoy. Happy Christmas. ​

Jennifer Derbyshire - Gran Alacant

Invite someone who is on their own at Christmas I always did when I lived in London and it was great !!! Oh and garlic and honey parsnips!

Mary Mayhew - Gran Alacant

To make the perfect roast potatoes make sure you put them onto a hot baking tray. Use some of the turkey fat to baste them. Hope you  have a great Xmas x

Paul Wyeth - Southampton
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Roast gammon, Roast beef, Roast duck, Stuffing meatballs, Pigs in blankets, Goose fat potatoes, Usual veg - Brussel sprouts with chestnuts and panchetta Topped with gravy made from the beef fat!

Nathan Stephens - Southampton
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I'd say candles. They make it the best Christmas atmosphere xx

Gemma Wooldridge - Bournemouth
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Rich hot gravy.

Michele Stokes - Gran Alacant
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Plenty of good company and loads of booze and loads of food. Plenty of roasties and trimmings with Xmas pud to follow with brandy butter and fresh cream yummy lol xx

​Myra Reardan - Southampton
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Don't use Turkey lol it's horrible..... Goose fat on roast potatoes is a must. Better still separate the breast from the legs and cook at different times, the legs take a little longer hence why 9 times out of ten for normal house cooks, they over cook it...

Giles Gauntlett - Southampton
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Real home made stuffing, Not out of packet, I've always made my own.

Fran - Gran Alacant
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I always do Honey Roast Parsnips, sprouts served with bacon bits and chestnuts, pigs in blankets. Parboiled potatoes and fluff them up and roast in goose fat. For turkey, I always put knobs of butter under the breast skin, this keeps the turkey moist. Making me hungry now. Have a lovely Christmas. x x x

Jackie Fleet - Gran Alacant
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Good company. Whatever gravy you have in the trays from your bird/meat/veg, use it to flavour your sauce. A packet of powder with boiled water doesn't do it for me. And in case of extra guests I always had lots of sausages wrapped in streaky bacon. I am more of a traditional steak pie new year's party type girl. From past experience I always had a selection of starters, for those who came early, those on time and, well, the late arrivals, helping me control putting bums on seats for the main course. Not "top tip" material, but when you invite 5 and 23 turn up, it actually happened, the provision of several starters, one tray at a time, gave me time to prepare more veg and cook the extras sausage/bacon rolls. Only year the turkey was gnawed to the bone. I hope you have a wonderful day.

Rita - Gran Alacant
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My tip is to do as much prep as you can on Christmas Eve, don't open the oven door until you're 100% sure the Yorkshire puddings are cooked and just enjoy every minute if you're lucky enough to be with a lovely family xxx

Carol Reeds - Fareham
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Decent cava! Before during and after! Tradition wise, late morning beer out before Christmas dinner.

Emma - Puerto Marino
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Cook roast potatoes in goose fat.

Johnny Cage - Wickham

Place ice within a tall glass, add 2 frozen slices of lime, coat with a very large amount of tanqueray gin, top up with fever tree tonic... no solids required ...merry Christmas ..!

Pete Hudson - Cambridge

If covering the meat with foil (for example when slow cooking the turkey like I do) put baking paper between it and the foil to disperse the heat and stop it getting browned too early. This helps get an even colour when you brown it on a high heat at the end and prevents the parts that would have been in contact with the foil getting dry!

Ash Mehmud - Liverpool

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