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A Michelin-starred chef has revealed the ultimate way to serve up a Christmas dinner, without the inevitable stress that usually accompanies it.
Paul Leonnard, chef at Michelin-starred Forest Side restaurant, and kitchen stylist Paul Richardson from Wren Kitchens, have shared their top tips to make it the smoothest Christmas yet.
Multitasking
Steaming broccoli while frying brussels and grilling cauliflower cheese can be overwhelming, as it requires so many different cooking methods. Leonnard advises you “choose recipes that share ingredients or cooking techniques to simplify the process”.
If you’re working with limited oven space, he recommends you pre-cook dishes whenever possible so that you only need to reheat them on the day, just prioritising items that need to be freshly made.
The perfect turkey
Dry-turkey-gate could arise for a multitude of reasons, like not properly thawing it, not letting it rest after cooking, or failing to account for carryover cooking after it’s taken out of the oven.
To avoid this, Leonnard suggests purchasing your turkey from a reliable supplier and seeking advice on selecting the right size based on your guest count, as well as brining your turkey a day before cooking and allowing it to rest after roasting.
He also added an essential tip: “Don’t forget to save the cooking juices to make a rich and tasty gravy.”
Kitchen system
A cluttered space is a cluttered mind, so Christmas is the day to keep things streamlined. Chef Paul stressed “If you are disorganised then the meal tends to end up chaotic, this really affects timings which can lead to overcooking and poor seasoning.”
To prevent this, Richardson advises creating specific work zones to boost efficiency and improve overall flow, as well as clearing out unused items and storing away infrequently used ones.
Timing and planning
One timing mistake can leave you with cold sides or an overdone main course, but Chef Paul suggests to prepare as much in advance as possible, and leave only the finishing touches to the big day.
Some people tend to peel and chop the veg the night before and place it in water in pans, so all that’s left to do is turn on the hob.
Shopping preparation
Remember the basics according to Chef Paul, like good-quality salt, oil, and tin foil and cling film. Stock up ahead of time, label everything and organise ingredients to simplify cooking.
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