If Christmas dinner in your own home means soggy Brussels sprouts, desiccated turkey and gloopy gravy that is gone chilly when you’ve waited for all the pieces else to cook dinner, you are not alone.

However what if it did not should be that manner?

We requested a number of the most famous cooks within the UK to offer their final information to creating Christmas dinner.

Prep

That is key, says two-Michelin star chef Alex Dilling: “Any step you are able to do days forward will assist not solely the time with your loved ones but additionally there might be far much less washing up.”

For TV common and one-starred Tom Shepherd, this implies doing the Yorkshire pudding batter and cauliflower cheese the evening earlier than, and prepping all of the veg.

Brining the turkey

“I am actually into brining my turkey, I could not advocate this sufficient,” says Shepherd, whose Staffordshire restaurant Upstairs is booked up greater than a 12 months upfront.

Tom Shepherd’s brine

• A easy 10% salt to water brine
• A little bit of thyme, garlic and orange peel thrown in
• Go away it for twenty-four hours, then take away 90 minutes earlier than cooking to dry it off, rub in butter and salt.

Cooking the turkey

Hrishikesh Desai, the famend chef patron at one-star Nation Home Lodge in north Cumbria, does it like this to maximise flavour…

• Take the legs off the turkey and debone them;
• Take the wishbone off and create a spot between the pores and skin of the turkey and the breast. Fill it with well-seasoned stuffing or butter or truffle butter. Go away within the fridge to relaxation;
• Take as many sinews off the deboned legs as attainable then flatten the meat and fill it with stuffing. Lay on an oiled foil sheet, season and wrap to kind a roll. Be certain that it’s rolled tight. Prepare dinner in a preheated oven at 220C for 1.5 hours. Take away from the tinfoil, fry the legs on a pan to brown it evenly. Slice and serve;
• For the principle turkey, take away from the fridge, drizzle oil or brush with gentle butter, place on a roasting pan after which into the pre-heated oven at 220C. Prepare dinner for at the least 1 to 1.5 hours whereas basting each 10 minutes.
• To make sure the turkey meat is cooked, use a carving fork, push by way of the crown and carry the turkey. If the juices run with none blood then it is finished;
• Take away from the oven, cowl with foil and relaxation for at the least 20 minutes earlier than carving.

For Shepherd, a resting time of at the least 60 minutes is finest.

Nice British Menu legend Lisa Goodwin-Allen, government chef at one-starred Northcote, says a leftfield alternative is likely to be to cook dinner the turkey on the BBQ as an alternative of within the oven.

“Not solely does it give you extra space within the oven on a busy Christmas Day, but it surely additionally provides the meat a beautiful smoky flavour that provides an additional dimension to your Christmas dinner,” she says.

Turkey alternate options

Many of the cooks we spoke to aren’t followers of turkey.

“It has its place however there’s a motive we solely are likely to eat it annually,” says Dilling. “As a big chook with a low fats content material, it might very simply grow to be dry.”

For him, goose is “an unbelievable and underrated chook” as it is a easy roast and filled with scrumptious fats – which has the bonus of creating your roasties tremendous tasty.

Benjamin Ferra Y Castell, head chef at one-starred Pavyllon in London, recommends guinea fowl.

“Many individuals overcook poultry to make sure it is finished, however that may dry it out,” he says. “The trick is to cook dinner it in two phases.”

For a 1.2 kg guinea fowl…

• Season effectively with salt, pepper and butter for further flavour;
• Roast it at 200C with the fan on for about 45 minutes till golden and crispy, basting it whereas it cooks;
• As soon as the breast is cooked, take away the legs and cook dinner them for an additional quarter-hour. Should you’re not sure, use a cooking thermometer – when the thickest a part of the breast reaches 57C, take it out and let it relaxation for 10 minutes. It’s going to proceed to cook dinner and attain 63C, which is ideal for poultry. Don’t be concerned concerning the legs; they will keep juicy as a result of collagen within the meat.

Lisa Goodwin-Allen’s good roasties

Earlier than we get to this, we have to determine what potatoes to make use of. Benjamin Ferra Y Castell likes Ratte potatoes as “they’re small, cook dinner rapidly, and are filled with flavour”. For Hrishikesh Desai, it must be Maris Piper.

As for the best way to cook dinner them, here is Goodwin-Allen’s information uncut…

“You desire a good chipping potato that is going to be mild and fluffy on the within and good texture on the surface.

“I do not use simply common water – I take water, duck fats, a few crushed garlic cloves and tie some rosemary up, deliver it to the boil and let it simmer for at the least two hours or in a single day to get lots of flavour into the water.

“When that is prepared I put the potatoes in, deliver it to boil after which simmer them till they’re partially finished. It’s best to be capable to simply slip your knife by way of them. I then take them out and fluff them up. An important little tip right here is to combine a little bit of rice flour with garlic granules and mud them, then put them onto a tray.

“Then, you wish to freeze them! Freezing them breaks down the carbohydrate inside them which goes to assist them prove completely.

“Whenever you deliver them again, put a tray of duck fats into the oven – get it very nice and sizzling. This may be finished from frozen. Whenever you put them in, they need to actually sizzle since you need them to fry, not boil. You might additionally fry them (three to 4 minutes from frozen, then take them out and fry once more for quarter-hour earlier than serving). They are going to be good and crispy on the surface and actually decadent and fluffy on the within. That is what roast potato is all about.”

Jean Delport, government chef at one-starred Restaurant Interlude in West Sussex, provides a knob of butter to his duck fats to make sure they get tremendous crispy. A typical tip is to get the fats as much as temperature, 220C, earlier than placing the roasties in.

Delport says you should shake them, each initially and at 15-minute intervals, to stop sticking.

Tom Shepherd provides minced garlic after cooking.

Different veg

The Shepherds might be having creamed cabbage.

“It is a winner in our home,” he says, revealing his technique…

• Seize a humble white cabbage, take away the foundation and slice as thinly as attainable;
• Boil in salted water till softened, and chill
• In the meantime, cut back a pan of double cream with garlic and thyme in by half, and whisk in some grated parmesan, season with salt and pepper, and reintroduce the cabbage to the combo – you will not remorse it.

Niklas Ekstedt, Michelin-starred chef and proprietor at Ekstedt at The Yard in Westminster, roasts root greens like parsnips, carrots and beets with a drizzle of teriyaki sauce and a few ginger.

“The sticky sauce and recent ginger provides an actual depth of flavour that elevates the greens for a scrumptious aspect dish,” he says.

How do you make Brussels sprouts style good?

Brussels sprouts take in lots of water so don’t boil them, says Dilling.

As a substitute, lower them in half and blend them with duck fats, bacon lardons, garlic and herbs. Roast them until charred and tender.

Gravy

Ferra Y Castell shares his recipe…

• 100g diced shallots
• 3g cracked black pepper
• 60g soy sauce
• 140g sherry vinegar

“Cut back these elements in a pan till practically dry,” he says. “Then, add the discount to beef inventory, add a touch of cognac, and you will have a wealthy, flavourful gravy.”

Shepherd says “the tray you roast your meat on is like gold mud”.

Add onions to your meat to sit down on and a few roughly chopped carrots, he says. As soon as the meat is resting, you will get going.

“I start with putting the tray on the range and warmth,” he says. “Add a bit of garlic and flour, cook dinner that out till not clumpy and begin by deglazing the tray with a glass of wine, then as soon as that has evaporated, add some meat inventory, ideally the identical inventory as your chosen meat, ie, beef or turkey. Boil that and cut back to a gravy consistency, cross by way of a sieve and luxuriate in.”

‘Unbelievable’ stuffing

This one comes from Dilling – or reasonably his mum.

“She at all times used to make a sage, pork and onion stuffing with numerous celery and good home made hen inventory,” he says. “She would put it in a gratin dish and bake it within the oven. Crisp on prime and gentle beneath. Simply penning this I’m salivating. Unbelievable.”

Yorkshire puddings – sure or no?

Delport is firmly within the no camp.

“Not for me. I am not their largest fan, however for Christmas there are too many different choices I’d reasonably add to our choice,” he says.

Shepherd takes the alternative view.

“Yorkshire puddings are important with any roast dinner, particularly at Christmas!” he says. “A non-negotiable!”

Should you’re with Shepherd and fancy making your individual, here is a recipe courtesy of the most effective cooks in Yorkshire, James Mackenzie from the one-starred Pipe and Glass Inn…

Elements (makes 10)

• Six eggs
• 300ml full fats milk
• 260g plain flour
• Goose or duck fats or beef dripping, or rapeseed oil if most popular
• Salt and freshly floor white pepper

Technique

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/gasoline mark 4;
• Place the eggs and milk right into a mixing bowl and whisk collectively, sieve the flour in and blend with a hand blender till you’ve got obtained a clean batter. Go away to face for at the least 10 minutes;
• In a 12-hole baking tray, place a tablespoon of fats into every mould and put within the oven till smoking sizzling;
• Season the batter instantly earlier than you pour it into the smoking sizzling tray – this can cease the salt breaking down the egg and your puddings will rise rather well;
• Replenish 10 moulds practically full across the fringe of the tray, leaving two moulds within the center free to permit the warmth to flow into evenly;
• Bake for 35 minutes and do not be tempted to open the oven door earlier or they’ll collapse.

Dessert

Delport gives his company an enormous cheeseboard, with quite a lot of candy issues alongside, whereas Shepherd likes a home made tiramisu – however suggests leaving Christmas pudding to the consultants…

“Nobody beats Marks & Spencer for me,” he says.

For a leftfield alternative, Ekstedt suggests Risgrynsgröt (rice pudding).

“It is a Swedish basic, however I like so as to add a bit of twist. I generally serve it with a salted caramel sauce or some roasted nuts – it is scrumptious and filled with nostalgia.”

Leftovers

“My favorite half,” says Shepherd.

His suggestion is piling sizzling turkey, stuffing, creamed cabbage and roast potato right into a sandwich or Yorkie pudding, with a sizzling pot of gravy on the aspect to dip it in.

“Unbelievable,” he says.

Desai, nonetheless, has a unique philosophy…

“Have no leftovers, simply eat all of it, you get Christmas solely annually!”