The secret to a smooth Christmas dinner isn’t divine intervention or military-grade planning (though both help) — it’s listening to people who cook for a living.
We asked some of London’s best chefs for their top tips on getting through the day without a meltdown, and they came back with genuinely useful advice: brining your turkey properly, a clever technique for sprouts that don’t taste like penance, a Catalan approach to stuffing involving brandy-soaked fruit, an unexpected black pepper crab canapé, and a deep-frying method that’ll transform your vegetables. Whether you’re after spectacle or survival, there’s something here worth nicking.
‘The one non-negotiable? Brining the turkey ’
My top tip is to brine your bird, always. It makes a huge difference. I like a five per cent brine with spices and a touch of brown sugar. You can do this up to a day ahead and then dry and leave the bird uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry out the skin. Also, don’t stress too much about getting everything done just in time to sit down. Cook your sides and all you can ahead of time and then reheat in the oven, on the hob, or even outside on the BBQ.
‘Sprouts? Roast them in Worcestershire sauce’
My top tip for Christmas involves Brussels sprouts. Everyone’s tired of over cooked, boiled sprouts, so a better way of cooking them is to peel off the outer leaves, keep them attached to the stalks and cut them in half. Toss these in a tablespoon of oil — you want them as lightly coated as possible — and then season with flaky salt, pepper and place into a roasting pan, cut side down. Drizzle with a little Worcestershire sauce and a few knobs of butter scattered among the sprouts. Roast for 20-25 minutes at 200 degrees until the spouts are crispy on the cut side and cooked through. Decant into a bowl with all the roasting juices which should be very reduced, and serve.
‘The best stuffing is made with Catalan sausages and brandy-soaked apricots’
José Pizarro, José Pizarro, Lolo
For the best stuffing, use carne de salchicha catalana or butifarra (Catalan sausages) as the base. Soak dried apricots and dried plums in brandy, then chop and mix everything together with the carne de salchicha catalana before using it to stuff the turkey or a chicken. The sweetness of the apricots and the plums will cut through the richness of the bird and the slightly spicy notes of the salchicha catalana will add a deep richness of flavour to the stuffing. My top tip: allowing the fruit to soak and absorb the brandy overnight, this maceration will enhance the sweetness.
Abby Lee in her kitchen
‘Looking for a fresh canape? Try black pepper crab’
Black pepper crab is probably one of my favourite dishes in the world, usually served with huge mud crabs tossed in a wok with a wonderfully moreish and peppery sauce. I’ve condensed this flavour bomb into a bite, perfect for Christmas. In a saucepan on medium heat, melt butter with a few drizzles of neutral oil, pop in some curry leaves for a second and sauté black pepper, shallot, garlic and shrimp for a few minutes until fragrant. Stir in white crab meat, oyster sauce, soybeans, light soy and sugar, and let it all bubble and get everything well coated. Toast the blinis, top each one with 1/2 tsp of crème fraiche, heaped tbsp of the crab mix and a coriander leaf.
‘How to take veg to the next level? Deep-fat frying’
Will Murray and Jack Croft, Fallow, Fowl and Roe
If you’ve got a deep-fat fryer, elevate your Christmas dinner with some impressive veg. You can deep-fry your Brussels sprouts until they’re crispy, then toss them in a spicy Sriracha-butter sauce for an extra kick, or for parsnips, steam them until tender, then deep-fry twice to get that perfect golden, crispy crunch. These upgraded veggies will bring a whole new level of texture to your holiday spread.
