Take on our budget challenge! Feast on juicy, tender roast chicken and all the trimmings for just £3.44 per person* (and only two hours of oven-cooking)
Many of us are feeling the pinch this year, but that's no reason to skip a traditional flavour-packed Christmas lunch. All these recipes have been designed to get the most out of every ingredient. We’ve considered how to waste as little as possible, mostly using the best of this season’s produce, and how to keep the fuel costs to a minimum. Most important of all, it tastes fantastic.
WHAT'S ON THE MENU? SERVES 6
Quick roast chicken & sticky veg
Stuffing pigs in blankets
Crispy-skin roasties
Brown butter bread & onion sauce
No-waste gravy
Sautéed red cabbage with cranberry
* This menu feeds at least six people for about £3.44 per head. Prices correct at time of printing
The shopping list
FRUIT & VEG
■ 1 orange
■ 1kg carrots
■ 750g parsnips
■ 600g brussels sprouts
■ 1 small red cabbage
■ 1 large onion
■ 2kg Maris Piper potatoes
CHILLED
■ 115g unsalted butter
■ 500ml whole milk
■ 2.4kg whole chicken
■ 3 pork sausages
■ 12 rashers smoked streaky bacon
STORECUPBOARD
Check your cupboards before shopping.
■ 1 tsp honey
■ 170g pack sage & onion stuffing mix
■ 3 tbsp plain flour
■ 2 tbsp cranberry sauce
■ 1 tsp caster sugar
■ 1 tbsp vinegar of your choice
■ 1 tbsp soy sauce
■ 150ml sunflower oil
■ 2 chicken or beef stock cubes or pots
■ 100g stale bread
■ pinch of ground cloves
■ pinch of grated nutmeg
■ 1 bay leaf (optional)
■ 100ml wine, port or sherry
Chicken know-how
■ Bringing the chicken to room temperature before roasting means it will need less time in the oven.
■ Seasoning the chicken a day before helps it stay succulent and juicy.
■ Spatchcocking the chicken helps it cook quickly.
■ Cooking the veg under the chicken adds flavour and saves on washing-up.
Quick roast chicken & sticky veg
We’ve used a few tricks to cut down on the oven cooking time, but the result is still a succulent, crispy-skinned centrepiece.
■ Serves 6-8 ■ Prep 30 mins plus resting and 24 hrs optional chilling
■ Cook 1 hr
2.4kg whole chicken
1kg carrots, trimmed and halved
lengthways (save the trimmings
and peelings for the gravy)
750g parsnips, peeled and
quartered lengthways
½ orange (you’ll use the other half
in the
