At my mums this year, so hopefully all the bits will be present and correct - should be the usual turkey (probably a crown rather than a whole bird), roast pots and snips, carrots, peas, sweetcorn, broccoli, cauliflower cheese (maybe), at least two types of stuffing (homemade, although I think I'll bring a sausage meat one with me as I really like those), pigs in blankets, yorkshires, gravy, quite possibly either mashed or roasted cubed butternut squash - don't think I'm missing anything? I won't have the broccoli or cauliflower, but I'll smash the rest for sure.
I'd love it if we got a goose, but too many fussy eaters would probably object. Same as I'd love the beef to be pink when we have a roast joint of beef, but again the fussy easters claim they can't eat it because it's not cooked. Heathens.
I had to Google 'mimosa' data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
When I was alive these used to be called Bucks Fizz.
Ours will be organic turkey, brined for about 10 hours, then cooked on the BBQ motorised spit, with beef dripping Yorkshire puddings, spiced red cabbage and apple, cavolo nero cabbage with pancetta, organic pigs in blankets, sage and onion stuffing, petit pois, sweetcorn and goose fat roast potatoes. Extra gravy for all data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
Then Christmas pudding with custard or brandy sauce, then later on some cheese and biscuits and home made mince pies.
Drinks will be bucks fizz in the morning (with wild smoked salmon and scrambled egg bagels), a nice Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon with the main meal, a dessert wine with the pudding, then some chilled white port with the cheese and a single malt whisky or spiced rum with the mince pies.
Whilst Turkey has to be with a Christmas dinner, I find it to be very dry and not that tasty. I'd much rather have sausage meat than turkey.
The trick with turkey, I've found, is to
(a) not stuff it as it has to cook for longer and can get dry,
(b) in the oven, cook it breast-side down for the first hour, as the back is much fattier so the effect of gravity pushes more fat into the breast,
(c) use a meat thermometer and stop cooking as soon as it reaches the right temperature, then leave to to rest properly,
(d) spit-roast it as the constant rotation means it cooks quicker, goes crispier on the outside but doesn't lose moisture as fast as in the oven
Just measured up my big roasting tin and it's too big for the new oven //static.avforums.com/styles/avf/smilies/facepalm.gif.
Oh man! That's a problem! Can you use it on the bbq instead?
The problem is that there is so many other things going on at the same time it often gets left too long or not given the treatment it deserves.
Roast bags perfect every time..
Possibly, or I have a rotisserie on the BBQ data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
BTW, what brine do you use?