christmas day

This simple Christmas gravy can be made a few days ahead or you can freeze it for up to a month

Proper Turkey Gravy

onions

carrot,chopped

turkeyneck (optional)

1.3l turkey or chicken stock

tbsp plain flour

tbsp white wineor water

Proper turkey gravy

Put the onions and carrot in a large pan with the turkey neck (optional). Pour in stock and simmer for 1 hr. Strain to remove the vegetables and turkey, then return the liquid to the pan. (For a textured gravy, remove the turkey and, using a stick blender, blitz carrot and onion into the stock until very smooth.)

Blend the flour with the white wine or water, then blend this into the stock, stirring over the heat until thickened. Cool, then chill. Will keep for several days or freeze for 1 month. Thaw in the fridge a day ahead. Heat in a pan until piping hot, then add the juices from the turkey and season to taste.

Make the base for this gravy up to two days ahead, then simply add your roasted meat juices and heat before serving

Tasty Make-Ahead Gravy

sunflower oil

onion, finely chopped

carrot, chopped

bay leaf

stock

juices from the turkey(see 'goes well with', right)

Tasty make-ahead gravy

Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, then fry the onion, carrot and bay, stirring frequently, until the onion is golden. Stir in the flour, then pour in the stock while stirring. Simmer for 15 mins. Discard the bay leaf, then purée the contents of the pan with a hand blender until completely smooth. Cool, then chill. Can be made 2 days ahead.

When you take the turkey from the oven (see 'goes well with', right), pour the juices from the tin into a deep but narrow jug or bowl. Leave to stand so that excess oil from the turkey rises to the top. Skim off as much fat as you can and discard, then pour the juices into a pan with the gravy base and stir over the heat until bubbling. Season to taste.

Try a new approach to cooking these traditional winter greens. Bake your sprouts with nuts and bacon lardons – great for a roast with all the trimmings.

Roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon & chestnuts

½kg Brussels sprouts,trimmed

vacuum-packed chestnuts,roughly chopped in half

smoked bacon lardons

vegetable oil

Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add the sprouts and cook for 5 mins. Drain and refresh in cold water.

Toss the sprouts with all the other ingredients in a bowl and season with a pinch of salt and a good grinding of black pepper. Tip onto a large baking tray in a single layer. Put in the oven and roast for 30 mins, tossing halfway through, until the bacon is crispy and the sprouts are golden and tender.

Need an alternative to nut roast for veggies and vegans on Christmas Day? Try this festive and filling cauliflower roast stuffed with kale and chestnuts

Roasted stuffed cauliflower

olive oil

breadcrumbs

kale

tbsp milled linseed

onion

garlic

sage

rosemary

chestnuts

lemons

grating nutmeg

Trim and discard the cauliflower leaves. Turn the cauliflower upside-down on a chopping board and use your knife to carefully cut out the stalk and core, leaving a cavity &ndash; the florets should still be holding together.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Submerge the cauliflower and cook for 7 mins, then remove with two slotted spoons and set aside to steam dry. Add the kale to the pan and cook for a min or so until wilted. Drain, then run under cold water to cool. Squeeze out the excess liquid and roughly chop.

To make a linseed &lsquo;egg&rsquo; (this will bind the stuffing together), mix the ground linseed with 3 tbsp water and set aside for 5-10 mins until gluey. Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan, add the onion and a pinch of salt, and cook until softened, then stir in the remaining stuffing ingredients, including the kale, and cook for a min or so more. Remove from the heat and season, then put in a <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/test-five-best-blenders">blender</a> with 150ml water and the linseed egg and blitz to a thick purée. Transfer to a piping bag.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Pipe the stuffing mixture into every nook and cranny of the cauliflower, getting in as much of the purée as you can &ndash; see our tip below. Transfer to a baking tray lined with parchment. Can be made up to this point in the morning and kept in the fridge.

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Mix the remaining chestnuts with the breadcrumbs and some seasoning. Spoon the remaining oil all over the cauliflower, then pat on the breadcrumb chestnut mix. Roast for 45 mins until golden brown and tender (place under a hot grill for the last part of cooking time if it needs to crisp-up). Serve with any crisp bits that have fallen onto the baking tray.

A vegan twist on the traditional turducken, now all your guests can enjoy a serving of Christmas roast.

Veganducken

pumpkin

tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle

(about 550 grams) eggplant, halved lengthways, flesh scored

(about 300 grams) zucchini, halved lengthways

red capsicum

(1/4 cup) pine nuts,

leek, trimmed, thinly sliced

garlic cloves, finely chopped

basil

Trussed cherry tomatoes, roasted, to serve

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5348771529001-6106327297001

Try a new presentation style - this nutty, bacon-wrapped log is designed to save space in the oven. Serve in thick slices

Chestnut stuffing roll

butter

pack sage

pack cooked chestnut

hazelnut

breadcrumb

mace

eggs

tbsp butter

rashers streaky bacon

sage leaves, to serve (optional)

To make the stuffing, melt the butter in a large non-stick pan, add the onions and gently cook for 10-15 mins until very soft. Stir in the sage for 1 min, then tip into a large mixing bowl. Pulse the chestnuts in a food processor until chopped into small bits, then tip these into the bowl with the onions and repeat with the hazelnuts. Add the breadcrumbs, mace, beaten egg, 1 tsp salt and some pepper, and mix everything together well.

Tear off a very large sheet of foil. Smear the butter in the middle, making a rectangle about 30 x 40cm. Lay the bacon rashers over in a row, overlapping a little. Use a rolling pin to slowly but firmly roll down the length of the bacon strips to stretch them a bit. Shape the stuffing into a log along the rashers. Using the foil to help you, roll up the stuffing so that it is completely wrapped in the bacon. Overwrap with the extra foil and twist the ends to tighten and seal. If it’s not very round, give it an extra roll or two on your work surface. Chill until ready to roast. Can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept in the fridge.

To cook, bake at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 (when you turn up the heat for the turkey) for 30 mins. When the turkey comes out, turn up the heat to 220C/200C fan/gas 7, unwrap the stuffing and continue to cook for 30 mins more until crisp. Keep warm, then slice and serve with sage leaves fried in butter, if you like.

Top 6 christmas day recipes from across the web

The most viewed christmas day recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Proper Turkey Gravy

Tasty Make-Ahead Gravy

Roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon...

Roasted stuffed cauliflower

Veganducken

Chestnut stuffing roll

Top 6 christmas day recipes from across the web

The most viewed christmas day recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Proper Turkey Gravy

Tasty Make-Ahead Gravy

Roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon...

Roasted stuffed cauliflower

Veganducken

Chestnut stuffing roll

The most viewed christmas day recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine