The Best Christmas Meal Trimmings
How to Make Perfect Gravy and Delicious Roast Potatoes
Nov 12, 2009
The key to good cooking is carefully combining the very best ingredients and the xmas meal is no exception. Many people spend a great deal of time and money tracking down the perfect Christmas bird to roast; the best Christmas meal trimmings provide a worthy accompaniment!
Perfect Gravy for the Christmas Turkey or Goose
Perfect gravy can be quick to make just before serving the Christmas meal if the ingredients are prepared in advance. Use a roasting pan for the turkey or goose that is suitable for heating on the hob.
Ingredients
- Unrefined natural sea salt such as Sel de Guerande from the Brittany Coast in France.
- Real homemade chicken bone stock
- A little white flour.
- Cold water.
Method
- Mix the white flour to a smooth paste with the cold water.
- When the roast bird is transferred to a serving dish, pour excess fat from the roasting pan.
- Pour bone stock into the roasting pan, put on a low heat on the hob.
- Add the flour and water mix, mixing vigorously with a wooden spatula.
- Bring to the boil, stirring constantly
- Add salt to taste and serve.
Perfect Roast Potatoes at Christmas
Forget dried out roast potatoes, or equally uninteresting, soggy lukewarm potatoes that everyone leaves until last, or even push away protesting they have eaten too much (until the desert arrives!) The prefect roast potato is slightly crisp with a delicious savory flavor when first tasted, and then melts in the mouth. It isn’t just down to luck, the perfect roast potatoes needs top quality cooking fat, careful timing and the very best salt to bring out the very best that the potato has to offer!
Ingredients
- Goose fat. Either keep the fat from a previously roasted bird in the ‘fridge, or buy goose fat preserved in a glass jar. This top quality fat adds flavor and is stable at very high roasting temperatures.
- Unrefined natural sea salt such as Sel de Guerande.
- Potatoes suitable for roasting.
Method
- Peel the potatoes, and cut across the widest part of the potato if large.
- Parboil potatoes for 5-10 minutes.
- While the potatoes are cooking, heat sufficient goose fat in a high sided roasting tray to yield around 1/8th inch (around 4mm) of fat in the bottom of the tray when liquefied. Oven temperature: Hot, Gas Mark 7, 425°F, 220°C
- Drain the potatoes, and add to the fat, sprinkle with salt to taste.
- Stir and shake the pan to distribute the fat and salt evenly over the potatoes.
- Return to the oven and cook for 1 ½ hours. The oven temperature may be lowered a little after the initial cooking period if required for other dishes.
Take the time to track down quality ingredients for the best Christmas meal trimmings. These need not be expensive if you shop around both in stores and when online shopping.
HOL101
 |
 |
