We have got you covered. If you are going to be the cook on the 'big day', here is your ultimate day-by-day guide to preparing for the family Christmas meal:
This weekend:
- For fresh birds, order early to ensure you get the weight you want.
- Buy a frozen turkey to avoid the last-minute rush.
- Look for the Quality British Turkey mark for assurance of best standards in welfare, food safety and traceability.
- Work out how long your frozen turkey will take to defrost.
- Make a note of when you need to start defrosting the turkey.
- Write a shopping list – check the cupboard for essentials such as herbs, spices, oil.
- Make a separate shopping list for fresh ingredients.
- Make the brandy butter and refrigerate it.
- Make and freeze the breadcrumbs for the stuffing.
- Decide on table decorations - buy or order them.
- Buy the bulk of your shopping - eg Christmas pudding, custard, chocolates, etc.
- Buy all the dry ingredients required for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and not forgetting Christmas Eve.
- Buy fresh food including the turkey (if you haven’t ordered one).
- If cooking a frozen turkey take it out of the freezer in time to defrost it thoroughly.
- Don’t forget to order chipolata sausages or buy ahead and freeze them.
- Collect fresh turkey, sausages.
- Prepare the stuffing & the gravy. Chill until needed to cook.
- Prepare the sprouts and other vegetables. Cover and store in the fridge.
- Peel the potatoes, cut to the required size – cover in water with a slice of lemon.
- Make the cranberry sauce – cover and chill.
- For a frozen turkey check turkey is thawed – there should be no ice crystals in the body cavity.
- Don’t forget to remove giblets from the turkey. Check both neck and cavity!
- Cover the turkey loosely and leave in the fridge overnight at a temperature of no more than 5 degrees C.
- Calculate your roasting times.
- Lay the table.
