Christmas Dinner Thread 2017

tinkerbelluk

Being a long term lurker I've been waiting for the Christmas Dinner Thread to pop up this year to give me some inspiration, but alas it's hasn't as yet, so you've brought me out of the shadows!

What's everyone planning to have for the big day?

Sonic67

Crab meat and sea food - starter.
A "Turkey Cushion" from Sainsbury's for main with champagne.
Then Christmas pud and cream with a dessert wine.
Cheese and port
Irish coffees

domtheone

Nothing but the best again this year so they’ll be Goose on the table come Xmas day afternoon

Dony

A choice of (or combination) starter - smoked salmon, homemade vegetable soup or corn on the cob (a family tradition). A standard main of turkey, gammon, roast/mashed potatoes, roast veggies, sprouts, cranberry and stuffing cocktail sausages, sausage meat & breaded stuffing, roast gravy.
Deserts, Pavlova, various ice cream, trifle, apple tart.
Cheeses
Red wine - Nuits St Georges
White - Sancere
Whiskey - Tir Connell

Roasties, veg, stuffing(s) and gravy all made today and in the freezer. Ham just boiled.

nabby

Tomato soup to start, roast turkey, goose fat roasties, yorkshire puddings (we always have them), stuffing, roast carrots and parsnips, pigs in blankets, homemade cranberry sauce. Then a Christmas pudding with custard or ice cream.

Our turkey has just gone into a homemade brine solution. As the turkey is frozen and weighs 5kg, I don't need to refrigerate it so can keep it on the kitchen draining board and top it up with ice. The turkey should be nicely defrosted by Monday morning.

IronGiant

Defrosting in brine is a neat trick isn't it   Ours is fresh this year so I have no where easy to keep it cool other than in the bottom of the fridge, so I'm trying without brine this year.

nabby

This is the first time I'm brining and the first time in 3 years I'm not cooking it on the bbq rotisserie (as we're at my parents' house). How did you find the taste and texture after brining? I've heard mostly positive but enough negative to be a little concerned...

busterbenny2001

Traditional here all homemade with a butchers turkey
Prep started this morning the stuffings are a huge part of our meal over the years I’ve perfected the flavours I now do a chestnut one and a sausagemeat sage and onion one

Chestnut prepped

                                                                               

Sausagemeat

                                                                               

All ready for cooking

                                                                               

Cranberry sauce on the way and bread sauce

                                                                               

Stage one done next up gravy and a trifle
                                                                       

IronGiant

I've always found it moist and tasty, but it possibly depends on the brine, what are you using?

Edit: and depends on the turkey of course

busterbenny2001

Trifle done swede done gravy done cauliflower cheese done umm gin time