Our festive feast guarantees a stress-free day with only 90 mins in the kitchen
Easy meal plan
1-4 WEEKS BEFORE
For the potatoes Boil, coat and freeze.
For the sauces Make and freeze the stock for the gravy and the cranberry and bread sauce mixes.
THE DAY BEFORE
For the crostini Toast the ciabatta.
For the turkey Make the butter and prepare the turkey; cook and carve if making ahead.
For the veggie tart Roast the veg and assemble.
For the sides Prepare the pigs in blankets. Trim and slice the sprouts, make the butter and toast the hazelnuts. Defrost the sauces.
For the pudding Make the meringues and prepare the chocolate cream, cherries and syrup.
CHRISTMAS DAY
4-5 hrs before If cooking the turkey on the day, heat the oven to 160C Fan/Gas 4. Cook, then rest covered in foil until ready to serve.
1 hr 30 mins before Heat the oven to 200C Fan/ Gas 7. Cook the veggie tart. Heat the oil for the potatoes. Finish the gravy.
1 hr before Cook the potatoes (from frozen).
30 mins before Reduce the oven to 180C Fan/Gas 6. Cook the sprouts and pigs in blankets. Reheat the turkey (if cooked the day before). Assemble and serve the crostini. Assemble the pudding.
15 mins before: Warm the gravy. Finish the bread and cranberry sauces, and the sprouts with the butter. Briefly warm the tart in the oven. Carve the turkey, if cooking on the day.
The menu
TO START
✱ Prosciutto, fig and mozzarella crostini
THE MAIN
✱ Citrus and bay roast turkey
✱ Red onion and beetroot tart
ON THE SIDE
✱ Oregano and garlic roast potatoes
✱ Proper turkey gravy
✱ Gin and cranberry sauce
✱ Rich bread sauce
✱ Pigs in blankets with crispy sage
✱ Brown butter and hazelnut roasted sprouts
TO FINISH:
✱ Black forest pavlova stack
Citrus and bay roast turkey
An aromatic butter adds tons of flavour and keeps the meat succulent. Roast the day before for the ultimate time-saving main.
SERVES 8 PREP 20 MINS, PLUS RESTING COOK 2 HRS 30 MINS, PLUS 30 MINS IF MAKING AHEAD
✱ 4kg turkey, giblets removed
✱ 100g unsalted butter, softened
✱ 2tsp Dijon mustard
✱ 5 anchovies, chopped
✱ 5 sprigs rosemary, picked and finely chopped
✱ 1 lemon, sliced
✱ 2 clementines, sliced
✱ 2 bay leaves
✱ 1tbsp vegetable oil
1 Bring the turkey to room temperature at least 1 hr before cooking. Heat the oven to 160C Fan/Gas 4. Mix the butter, mustard, anchovies and chopped rosemary with 1tsp salt. Make two deep cuts into each turkey leg. Prise the skin away fr
