We may have abandoned virtually every other food ritual in the year, but the traditional Christmas meal remains sancrosanct for many, a ritual written in stone.
The problem with this is that, all too often, the meal can seem to be not just written in stone, but made out of stone. Cheap smoked salmon to begin, a mortified bird (is there anything worse than overcooked turkey meat?), dull stuffing, greasy spuds, a lumpy gravy and then, by heaven, a suety pud to well and truly depth-charge the system.
It doesn't have to be like this (though if it is, don't worry; everyone has had a Christmas disaster.) The difficulty is simple: the traditional Christmas meal places considerable demands on the cook, and the only way around this is to simplify matters as much as possible, and take wise counsel.
Our wise counsel this year could hardly be better. Eugene McSweeney, of Kilkenny's Lacken House, is one of the most sagacious cooks in the country, his work a marvellous combination of tradition and innovation. Like many of us, McSweeney's Christmas cookery is bound up with memories of Christmases past.
McSweeney has been teaching his Christmas tips and techniques in a series of classes this year, so we have asked him for ideas on making the traditional Christmas meal a delight. Some ideas are new, others are age-old, but the focus is directed towards making the meal a delicious success, and we have also included his techniques for baked ham and spiced beef, which can be enjoyed at any time during the holiday. Most recipes will serve between four and six people.
We start with a simple idea that is delightful to behold.
Cheese Baskets filled with salad leaves and Cashel Blue Dressing
8 oz grated cheese (McSweeney uses the local Lavistown cheese, but cheeses such as cheddar or Parmesan will work just as well)
8 oz mixed salad leaves
4 oz Cashel Blue cheese
Vinaigrette to taste
Olive oil
Fresh herbs
To make each basket: Spread a handful of grated cheese onto a baking tray and put into a hot oven (200C/gas 6). The cheese will melt and spread after a few minutes.
Remove from the oven and carefully lift it off with a spatula. Place it over an inverted cup and shape while still hot. Cool, remove from the cup and you have your cheese basket.
Toss the salad leaves in a little vinaigrette. Crumble the blue cheese, mix with fresh herbs and olive oil. Put the basket on a plate, fill with the salad leaves and dribble the blue cheese over the salad. Serves 4.
Perfect Roast Potatoes
2 lb King Edward potatoes
"My mother used to make the most perfect roast potatoes by first peeling and washing the potatoes," says McSweeney. "She would then put them in a saucepan with enough boiling water to cover them, with a teaspoon of salt. Gently simmer for five minutes. Drain off the water and dry the potatoes in a tea towel.
"She would then roll the potatoes in a little flour. These would be added to the roasting tray with the turkey about 40 minutes from the end of cooking time.
"Every so often she would baste the potatoes and also turn them in the fat. At the end of the cooking time they would be golden and crunchy and covered with the caramelised turkey juices.
"Thinking of them now makes my mouth water! They are to be served straight away, before they lose their crunch."
Giblet Gravy
"Childhood memories come flooding back when I think of giblets. My father bringing home the turkey in all its glory and hanging it in a shed for a few days before my grandmother and mother would pluck the turkey and then clean it out, separating the innards. Some were to be kept for making gravy, and these I later found out were called giblets. Now they come in a plastic bag inside the turkey, if you're lucky.
"The giblets would be roasted with the turkey in the roasting tray. After the turkey was removed and also the roast potatoes and parsnips, the fat was poured off into a bowl (to be used for frying potatoes in later). The giblets would be left in the tray and a little flour added. The flour would be worked into the base of the tray to release those wonderful crusty bits of dark juices that had gathered during the roasting. Next the tray was placed over a very low, direct heat. My mother would add some turkey stock (made beforehand, from the neck and wing tips) to the pan and stir until all the lumps had melted into the gravy.
"She would then bring it to the boil and strain the gravy into a bowl to serve. This was so delicious that bread dipped into cold gravy was a meal in itself."
Home Made Christmas Ice Cream Oxfam Fair Trade fruits are particularly suitable for making this simple, festive, ice cream.
4 egg whites
4 oz caster sugar
1/2 pint whipped cream 3 oz mixed dried fruits
Pinch mixed spice
Whip the egg whites until they are light but not too stiff. Gently add the caster sugar and beat in. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Add mixed spice. Add in dried mixed fruits (diced angelica, lemon peel, orange peel, papaya fruit, cherries, prunes and raisins). Place in container and freeze.
Spiced Beef with Murphy's Stout
Serve the beef with chutney and baked potatoes, or on sliced brown bread with pebble mustard mayonnaise.
1 lb spiced beef brisket or silverside
Water to cover
1 can Guinness or Murphy's Stout
Place the spiced beef in a pot, cover with cold water. Cook for 20 minutes to each pound, plus a further 10 minutes at the end, with the water at a gentle rolling boil, skimming off the scum which will arise as the water heats. Ten minutes before the end of cooking, add the stout. Allow to chill.
Roast Smoked Bacon and Baked Cabbage
1lb smoked bacon piece
1 oz English mustard
12 cloves
3 oz brown sugar
1 cup cider
If the bacon is very salty, soak it overnight in cold water. Dry it off and score the skin. Spread the mustard on the surface. Place the cloves into the skin. Sprinkle with soft brown sugar.
Bake in a preheated oven 180 C/gas 4. Bake for 20 minutes to each pound. Ten minutes before the end of cooking, carefully pour one cup of cider on to the roasting tray.
Brussels sprouts are, for many, the traditional green vegetable to go with the bird, but if you fancy a change, then McSweeney's baked red cabbage is a perfect match for the other Christmas flavours.
Baked Red Cabbage
1/4 head of red cabbage
1/2 onion sliced
2 tablespoons cider
Vinegar
1 cooking apple
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon oil
Pinch of cloves, cinnamon and star anise
Slice the cabbage very finely, removing the core. Slice the apple and onions. In a pot, saute the onion in the oil for a minute, add the sugar and let the onions caramelise. Add the vinegar and some water. Add the cabbage, spices and apple.
Cook gently on the stove or in the oven for 40 minutes (150 C/325 F/Gas 3). Check the cabbage does not dry out by adding more water if necessary.
Turkey tips
To cook a turkey: The ideal way to cook a turkey is to begin the process in a hot oven (220C, 425 F, Mark 7). Then, after 50 minutes, reduce the temperature to 180C, 350F, Mark 4 for the remaining amount of time. If your bird weighs 8-12 lbs, this will take 1.5 to two hours; a bird 12-15 lbs will need two to 2.5 hours; and a bird weighing 15-20 lbs will need 2.5 to three hours. These timings are for unstuffed birds. A stuffed bird will need a further 20-25 mins added to the overall time, but note, never overstuff a bird. If you want a lot of stuffing, then place it in a roll of foil and place it in the oven beside the bird.
To test if it's done: At the end of the roasting time, push a skewer into the thickest part of a thigh. If the juices that run out are clear, the bird is done. If they are pink, roast it for up to 10 minutes more and test again.
When the bird is cooked, rest it in a warm place so the flesh will relax and reabsorb some of its juices. A turkey requires about 20 minutes resting time, and if your turkey has been roasted properly, allowing it to rest for sufficient time is essential, to make sure the meat is succulent.
Things to remember
Thawing: A frozen turkey needs at least a day at room temperature to thaw properly, so if yours is in the freezer, get it out right now! If you are currently thawing it from frozen in the fridge, remember this process can take at least two complete days for even the smallest bird, and up to five days for a big bird.
A trussing needle: for sewing up the bird. When not in use, keep it with the sharp end embedded in a cork.
Candles; a vital, romantic touch. If all goes wrong, you can at least quaff the last of the wine by candlelight, which will help to make things seem somewhat better.