Unsecure chicken perches

[Daphne]

This year we are going away at some eye-watering early hour of 27th Dec, and so people will be leaving us on Boxing Day morning. I want to do something light but special on Xmas Eve dinner - normally we don't bother with this. Any ideas please, one person doesn't like hot salmon or lamb. I may do a whole cold salmon as we'd get lunches/teas out of it, or a hot ham for the same reason, but they aren't the most original ideas I've ever had!

[kinsk]

As we tend to spend Christmas day with my parents we usually have my in-laws for dinner Christmas eve so both sets of parents get their pound of flesh. It's always a tough one as everyone is usually having a huge meal the next day.

 

Last year I did duck and tuna carpaccio as a starter and then cullen skink with home made pancetta and shallot bread rolls as a main. I know it's a bit back to front having soup as the main (and I did have to assure my MIL that I did know how to lay a table and that the soup spoons were not in the wrong place!) but cullen skink is so rich I thought it could be special enough and no-one felt hard done too, and it's completely different to everything else that's served up over Christmas. Followed it with this http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2147/sparkling-lemon-and-amaretti-ice which looks and tastes lovely but is quite light and refreshing.

 

Previous years I have done fish pie, beef bourgignon, venison, but I have to say the cullen skink got the most praise.

[Willow]

Gosh that s sounds tricky, if you are all going away you want to make something where there are any leftovers.

 

How many are you cooking for ?

[Daphne]

Just 5 on Xmas Eve; I expect we will eat quite early, I don't want to go to bed stuffed or frazzled I plan to have a very simple Xmas Day breakfast (there are some early risers), fizz as people arrive during the morning, lunch at 2, cold supper at 8ish. Then I'll give everyone a later lovely Boxing Day breakfast, wave them off, go for a walk, and so far I haven't decided what to feed those of us who are left over for lunch. As you say, nothing with leftovers and nothing too difficult. If nothing else, I need to pack

 

I do like the sound of the lemon/ametti pud - I'm off to see if it can be done ahead of time

 

Edit to add - yes it can, I can even put it in the freezer, it looks/sounds scrummy so thats one thing sorted - thank you

[kinsk]

 

I do like the sound of the lemon/ametti pud - I'm off to see if it can be done ahead of time

 

You could do it today and stash it in the freezer if you really wanted to get ahead! It needs to go in the freezer anyway and brought out a couple of hours before you want it.

[Cinnamon]

I always do a Lasagne on Christmas Eve.....a special one that I have taken my time over,rather than the midweek sort that I do all year round. We have small squares with a crisp green salad & a nice dressing.

Any leftovers freeze well too.

 

We always have A Fondue on New Years Eve too....another one of those family traditions!

[majorbloodnock]

I'm going to suggest the same as I did on this thread; a tourtiere. It's a really tasty pie, and rich enough that it's good served with a green salad, so it keeps things pretty uncomplicated. You can easily do the filling in advance, so you don't have to rush on the day.

[Mrs Webmuppet]

We always have venison stew with homemade bread and veggies. I put the stew in the slow cooker in the morning and put the breadmaker on timer. This then leaves me free to get on with other stuff ( and its all ready and hot when the Webmuppets return from the crib service at Church)

[Daphne]

Thank you all - I think I'm going to go with the Major's tourtiere complete with a peppery green salad; I'd never really known what it was beyond a savoury tart, and I have to say pastry is my absolute weakness, which I rarely indulge because its not so good for you - so this is the perfect excuse . I've just come back from NZ staying with friends and as the Kiwis love their pies I was taken to 2 very well known pie makers for a compare and contrast session, and in fact we even had a pie for breakfast!

[Egluntyne]

My daughter has specifically requested Corned Beef Hash for Christmas Eve. Dead posh, us.

[Goosey Lucy]

I think I like your daughter Egluntyne

[Purplemaniacs]

We always have pasta with a tomato, bacon and mushroom sauce. When OH's parents were alive we used to go and stay there for the Christmas break as MIL had MS and was quite disabled I did all the cooking, this sauce I could make in advance and freeze and it let us have a resonably relaxed Christmas Eve.

 

Now DD or DS if they are here request it

 

So nothing posh here either

 

Chrissie

[CatieB]

Our traditional Christmas Eve food won't help you as you want a meal but isn't it lovely how we all have our own traditions so I thought I'd share ours...

 

We help ourselves to gorgeous food....like a mini buffet so you have as much or little as you like. The contents vary by year but the staples are whole prawns (shell on), cold meats (bresaola, Parma ham,) a couple of nice cheeses, grapes, melon plus a few party food bits heated in the oven.

 

Ooooo looking forward to it already

[chickencam]

We usually have homemade sausage rolls and other warm and cold buffet items and maybe a rich Christmassy soup usually Delia's Stilton soup with parmesan croutons from her Christmas book, which is basically a leek and potato soup with cider and stilton, very rich and very yummy.

[Lesley]

I usually roast a chicken to have cold on Christmas Day evening so we pinch a couple of slices and have it with jacket potatoes......we also steal a bit of any fancy cheese we have ready and we open the chutneys

[Purplemaniacs]

We usually have homemade sausage rolls and other warm and cold buffet items and maybe a rich Christmassy soup usually Delia's Stilton soup with parmesan croutons from her Christmas book, which is basically a leek and potato soup with cider and stilton, very rich and very yummy.

I love that soup recipe, we have it between Chtistmas and New Year when I have made stock from the remains of the turkey

 

Chrissie

[chickencam]

We make Chinese broth from the turkey stock, with a few bits of turkey and some veg and flavour it with five spice and a little sesame oil.

[counturchickens]

Buffet style here too, we go mad at our local deli with cold meats and cheese etc. I love Xmas cake and a piece of cheese too.

[snowberry]

We always do a little buffet here as well We were all a bit unhappy last year as we had to go to a relative instead, but we're back to normal this year!